[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1243 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1243
To require that certain Federal job training and career education
programs give priority to programs that provide an industry-recognized
and nationally portable credential.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 21 (legislative day, June 16), 2011
Mrs. Hagan introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require that certain Federal job training and career education
programs give priority to programs that provide an industry-recognized
and nationally portable credential.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``American Manufacturing Efficiency
and Retraining Investment Collaboration Achievement Works Act'' or the
``AMERICA Works Act''.
SEC. 2. INDUSTRY-RECOGNIZED AND NATIONALLY PORTABLE CREDENTIALS FOR JOB
TRAINING PROGRAMS.
(a) Workforce Investment Act of 1998.--
(1) General employment and training activities.--Section
134(d)(4)(F) of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C.
2864(d)(4)(F)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(iv) Priority for programs that provide
an industry-recognized and nationally portable
credential.--In selecting and approving
training services, or programs of training
services, under this section, a one-stop
operator and employees of a one-stop center
referred to in subsection (c) shall give
priority consideration to services and programs
(approved by the appropriate State agency and
local board in conjunction with section 122)
that lead to a credential that is in demand in
the local area served and listed in the
registry described in section 3(b) of the
AMERICA Works Act.''.
(2) Youth activities.--Section 129(c)(1)(C) of the
Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2854(c)(1)(C)) is
amended--
(A) by redesignating clauses (ii) through (iv) as
clauses (iii) through (v), respectively; and
(B) inserting after clause (i) the following:
``(ii) training (with priority
consideration given to programs that lead to a
credential that is in demand in the local area
served and listed in the registry described in
section 3(b) of the AMERICA Works Act, if the
local board determines that such programs are
available and appropriate);''.
(b) Career and Technical Education.--
(1) State plan.--Section 122(c)(1)(B) of the Carl D.
Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C.
2342(c)(1)(B)) is amended by striking the semicolon at the end
and inserting the following: ``and, with respect to programs of
study leading to an industry-recognized credential or
certificate, will give priority consideration to programs of
study that--
``(i) lead to an appropriate (as determined
by the eligible agency) skills credential
(which may be a certificate) that is in demand
in the area served and listed in the registry
described in section 3(b) of the AMERICA Works
Act; and
``(ii) may provide a basis for additional
credentials, certificates, or degrees;''.
(2) Use of local funds.--Section 134(b) of the Carl D.
Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C.
2354(b)) is amended--
(A) in paragraph (11), by striking ``; and'' and
inserting a semicolon;
(B) in paragraph (12)(B), by striking the period
and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(13) describe the career and technical education
activities supporting the attainment of industry-recognized
credentials or certificates, and how the eligible recipient, in
selecting such activities, gave priority consideration to
activities supporting in-demand registry skill credentials
described in section 122(c)(1)(B)(i).''.
(3) Tech-prep programs.--Section 203(c)(2)(E) of the Carl
D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20
U.S.C. 2373(c)(2)(E)) is amended by striking ``industry-
recognized credential, a certificate,'' and inserting
``industry-recognized credential or certificate (such as an in-
demand registry skill credential described in section
122(c)(1)(B)(i)),''.
(c) Training Programs Under TAA.--Section 236(a)(5) of the Trade
Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2296(a)(5)) is amended by inserting after the
sentence that follows subparagraph (H)(ii) the following: ``In
approving training programs under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall
give priority consideration to programs that lead to a credential that
is in demand in the local area (defined for purposes of title I of the
Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.)) served by
the corresponding one-stop delivery system under that title for the
training programs, and that is listed in the registry described in
section 3(b) of the AMERICA Works Act.''.
SEC. 3. SKILL CREDENTIAL REGISTRY.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Covered provision.--The term ``covered provision''
means any of sections 129 and 134 of the Workforce Investment
Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2854, 2864), section 122(c)(1)(B) of the
Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20
U.S.C. 2342(c)(1)(B)), and section 236 of the Trade Act of 1974
(19 U.S.C. 2296).
(2) Industry-recognized.--The term ``industry-recognized'',
used with respect to a credential, means a credential that--
(A) is sought or accepted by companies within the
industry sector involved as recognized, preferred, or
required for recruitment, screening, or hiring; and
(B) is endorsed by a nationally recognized trade
association or organization representing a significant
part of the industry sector.
(3) Nationally portable.--The term ``nationally portable'',
used with respect to a credential, means a credential that is
sought or accepted by companies within the industry sector
involved, across multiple States, as recognized, preferred, or
required for recruitment, screening, or hiring.
(4) Workforce investment activities.--The term ``workforce
investment activities'' has the meaning given the term in
section 101 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C.
2801).
(b) Registry.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor (referred to in
this section as the ``Secretary'') shall create a registry of
skill credentials (which may be certificates), for purposes of
enabling programs that lead to such a credential to receive
priority under a covered provision.
(2) Registry.--The Secretary shall--
(A) list a credential in the registry if the
credential is--
(i) required by Federal law for an
occupation; or
(ii) required by State law for an
occupation (such as a credential required by
State law regarding qualifications for a health
care occupation) and submitted to the Secretary
by a State or appropriate entities within a
State pursuant to a request made by the
Secretary, no less frequently than biennially,
for the identification of such a credential;
(B) list the credential in the registry if the
credential is a credential from the Manufacturing
Institute-Endorsed Manufacturing Skills Certification
System; and
(C) list the credential, and list an updated
credential, in the registry if the credential involved
is an industry-recognized, nationally portable
credential that is consistent with the Secretary's
established industry competency models and is
consistently updated to reflect changing industry
competencies.
(c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed
to require an entity with responsibility for selecting or approving an
education, training, or workforce investment activities program with
regard to a covered provision, to select a program with a credential
listed in the registry described in subsection (b).
SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act, and the amendments made by this Act, take effect 120 days
after the date of enactment of this Act.
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