HR 5975 IHCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

112th CONGRESSCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

2d SessionCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

H. R. 5975CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to provide for the establishment of the Small Business Liaison Pilot Program.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

June 20, 2012CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Ms. BONAMICI introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the WorkforceCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

A BILLCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to provide for the establishment of the Small Business Liaison Pilot Program.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘Workforce Infrastructure for Skilled Employees Investment Act’ or the ‘WISE Investment Act’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. SMALL BUSINESS LIAISON PILOT PROGRAM.

Section 171 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2916) is amended by adding at the end the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(f) Small Business Liaison Pilot Program-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT OF SMALL BUSINESS LIAISON PILOT PROGRAM- The Secretary may award competitive grants to local boards, community colleges, and postsecondary vocational institutions in States and outlying areas to promote local economic growth and eliminate gaps between the workforce skills available and the workforce skills needed in local areas or regions.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) APPLICATION- To receive a grant under this subsection a local board, community college, or postsecondary vocational institution in a State or outlying area shall submit to the Secretary an application in such manner, at such time, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) SPECIFICATIONS OF GRANTS-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) TIME PERIOD- A grant shall be used over a 36-month period.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) AMOUNT OF GRANT- In determining the amount of a grant made under this subsection, the Secretary may consider--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) the ability of the grant applicant to conduct outreach activities;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) the ability of the grant applicant to conduct skills gap assessments;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) the extent to which the grant applicant works with or, after implementing a strategic skills gap action plan, plans to work with small businesses within its local area or region; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iv) any other factor that the Secretary deems appropriate.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) LIMITATIONS-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) A recipient may not receive more than one grant under this subsection.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) No grant under this subsection may be for an amount more than $500,000.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) The Secretary shall, in determining whether to award a grant, consider the geographic diversity of grant recipients.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(D) USE OF FUNDS-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) IN GENERAL- A local board, community college, or postsecondary vocational institution that receives a grant under this subsection shall use the grant funds to pay for a new or current employee to serve as liaison to conduct activities described in clause (ii).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) SMALL & LOCAL BUSINESS LIAISON- The liaison--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(I) shall--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘(aa) prepare a strategic action skills gap assessment;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘(bb) develop a strategic skills gap action plan; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘(cc) conduct any other activity that the Secretary deems appropriate for the purposes of this subsection; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘(II) may--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘(aa) engage in outreach in the local area or region;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘(bb) conduct business site visits, interviews, and assessments;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘(cc) consult in the implementation of the skills action plan;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘(dd) complete more than 1 skills gap action plan; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘(ee) consult with the local offices of the Small Business Administration.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘(iii) PROHIBITION- A grant received under this subsection may not be used to supplant existing funding or efforts.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(E) CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION- The grant recipient may not disclose the name, address, or contact information of a business, employer, or other person that provided information to the grant recipient to compile information in the strategic skills gap assessment or strategic skills gap action plan without consent of such business, employer, or other person.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(4) REPORTING- Each year, the Secretary shall report to the Congress--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) the number of grants awarded under this subsection;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) the recipients of grants awarded under this subsection;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) the activities carried out by each recipient under paragraph (3)(D); andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(D) an assessment describing--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) the success of the program to promote local economic growth and eliminate gaps between the workforce skills available and the workforce skills needed in local areas or regions; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) any recommendations for reauthorization and expansion of the program that the Secretary may have.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(5) DEFINITIONS- In this subsection:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) COMMUNITY COLLEGE- The term ‘community college’ has the meaning given the term in section 312(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1058(f)).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) LOCAL AREA- The term ‘local area’ means the labor market immediately surrounding or affected by a local board, community college, or postsecondary vocational institution.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) POSTSECONDARY VOCATIONAL INSTITUTION- The term ‘postsecondary vocational institution’ has the meaning given the term in section 102(c) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(c)).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(D) REGION- The term ‘region’ means 2 or more local areas that comprise a common labor market for an industry sector of related occupations.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(E) STRATEGIC SKILLS GAP ASSESSMENT- The term ‘strategic skills gap assessment’ means an assessment that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) identifies areas of current and expected demand for labor and skills in a specific industry sector of related occupations that is--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(I) producing jobs in the local area or region involved;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(II) developing emerging jobs in the local area or region involved; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(III) suffering chronic worker shortages;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) identifies the current and expected supply of labor and skills in that sector or group in the local area or region;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) identifies gaps between the current and expected demand and supply of labor and skills in that section or group in the local area or region;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iv) contains the results of a survey or focus group interviews of employers, labor organizations, and other relevant individuals and organizations in the local area or region; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(v) contains data regarding--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(I) specific employment opportunities offered by industries in the local area or region;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(II) specific skills desired for employment opportunities offered by industries in the local area or region;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(III) occupations and positions in the local area or region that are difficult to fill;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(IV) specific skills desired for occupations and positions in the local area or region that are difficult to fill;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(V) areas of growth and decline among industries and occupations in the local area or region;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(VI) specific skills desired for areas of growth among industries and occupations in the local area or region; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(VII) specific inventories of skills of unemployed or underemployed individuals in the local area or region.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(F) STRATEGIC SKILLS GAP ACTION PLAN- The term ‘strategic skills gap action plan’ means a plan based on the strategic skills gap assessment that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) identifies--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(I) specific barriers to adequate supply of labor and skills in demand in a specific industry sector of related occupations that is producing jobs in the local area or region; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(II) activities that will remove or alleviate the barriers described in subclause (I) that could be undertaken by the local board, community college, or postsecondary vocational institution;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) specifies how the local board, community college, or postsecondary vocational institution may integrate the activities described in clause (i) within the local area or region; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) identifies resources and strategies that may be used in the local area or region to address the skills gaps for both unemployed and employed workers in that industry sector.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(6) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such sums as may be necessary to carry out this subsection.’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink