[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4461 Introduced in House (IH)]
103d CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4461
To provide grants to partnerships to encourage workforce diversity in
order to improve the working conditions of all individuals in the
United States and to help organizations compete more effectively both
domestically and internationally, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 19, 1994
Mr. Owens (for himself, Mr. Williams, and Mr. Martinez) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and
Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide grants to partnerships to encourage workforce diversity in
order to improve the working conditions of all individuals in the
United States and to help organizations compete more effectively both
domestically and internationally, and for other purposes.
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 ``Workforce Diversity Partnership Act
of 1994''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--The Congress finds that--
(1) the workplace in the United States is becoming the most
diverse workplace in the world at a time of growing economic
dissatisfaction and intense global competition;
(2) people of color, caucasian women, and immigrants will
account for 85 percent of the net growth in our Nation's labor
force during the 1990s;
(3) the expectations, characteristics, demands, beliefs,
work values, motivating factors, and educational backgrounds of
individuals in the workforce are becoming increasingly diverse;
(4) employees, managers, administrators, and government
officials are inadequately prepared to deal effectively with
increased diversity in the workforce;
(5) increased domestic and international competition
requires that business, industry, and government leaders
effectively motivate and manage this diverse workforce;
(6) as more parents join the workforce, it has become
increasingly difficult for employees to balance the demands of
the workplace with the needs of families; and
(7) by understanding and valuing diversity which respects
differences, employers emphasize creativity, self initiative,
leadership, innovation, and team-work, and thereby improve the
working conditions of all individuals in the United States and
the chances for economic success.
(b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to establish a grant
program within the Department of Labor to--
(1) study and address issues relating to workforce and
cultural diversity and their impact on economic
competitiveness, employment opportunities, advancement and
retention; and
(2) develop collaborative public and private sector
education and training materials that address the issues of
workforce and cultural diversity.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF WORKFORCE DIVERSITY GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) Authorization.--The Secretary of Labor (hereafter in this Act
referred to as the ``Secretary'') is authorized to provide grants to
eligible entities described in subsection (b) for the purposes of--
(1) targeting and developing issues relating to workforce
and cultural diversity;
(2) developing public and private sector education and
training materials that focus on the issues of workforce and
cultural diversity;
(3) fostering research, scholarship, innovative curriculum
development, development of teaching materials, and other
practicable supportive academic activities relating to
workforce and cultural diversity;
(4) assisting in the dissemination and transfer of such
materials for use in private sector training efforts; and
(5) developing and establishing cooperative higher
education-business training programs to assist public and
private industry leaders and workers in addressing the issues
of workforce and cultural diversity.
(b) Eligible Entities.--
(1) In general.--An institution of higher education in
partnership with 1 or more of the organizations described in
paragraph (2) shall be eligible to receive a grant under
subsection (a).
(2) Organizations.--An organization described in this
paragraph is--
(A) a corporation, business, or partnership,
whether, for profit or nonprofit;
(B) a labor organization; or
(C) an organization that has a demonstrated
interest or expertise in workforce diversity issues.
(3) Institution of higher education defined.--For purposes
of this subsection, the term ``institution of higher
education'' has the meaning given such term by section 1201(a)
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1141(a)).
(c) Period of Grant.--The provision of payments under a grant under
subsection (a) shall not exceed 3 fiscal years and shall be subject to
the annual approval of the Secretary and subject to the availability of
appropriations for the fiscal year involved to make the payments.
SEC. 4. APPLICATION.
(a) In General.--The Secretary may not provide a grant under
section 3 to an eligible entity unless the entity submits to the
Secretary an application in such form and containing such information
as the Secretary may reasonably require.
(b) Faculty Participation.--The Secretary shall encourage eligible
entities desiring to receive a grant under section 3 to submit
applications that are written by teams of faculty from multiple
disciplines, student and academic affairs professionals, or student
organizations concerned with multicultural education, or any
combination thereof.
SEC. 5. USE OF AMOUNTS.
The Secretary may not provide a grant under section 3 to an
eligible entity unless the entity agrees that it will use all amounts
received from such grant to establish and carry out a program in
accordance with 1 or more of the following guidelines:
(1) The development of instructional material concerning
efforts designed to address cultural and workforce diversity
issues within the workplace setting.
(2) The development of public and private sector education
and training materials that will address the issues of
workforce and cultural diversity.
(3) The development of new approaches to workforce
diversity issues and scholarship efforts to be integrated
within the curriculum of business schools, ethnic and women's
studies, engineering schools, social science disciplines,
humanities and the arts and sciences. In using grant funds
under this paragraph, a grantee may employ approaches to be
carried out in conjunction with corporate education and
training programs.
(4) The conduct of research concerning multicultural
workplace interactions and team management and business in
multicultural and multi-lingual marketplace settings.
(5) The implementation of faculty development programs that
focus on research, appropriate learning environments, and
pedagogical approaches to teaching multicultural management and
work diversity issues.
(6) The development and dissemination of information
concerning models for summer precollege business internship
programs that aid in integrating the workplace and in giving
students a better understanding of the private sector and of
workforce diversity issues.
(7) The conduct of forums, workshops, and conferences in
which representatives from academic, corporate, government, or
other institutions with a demonstrated interest or expertise in
workforce diversity will focus on issues, attitudes, and
strategies that sensitize managers, employees, faculty,
corporate, government, and other leaders and workers to
workplace diversity issues.
(8) Any other activities that the Secretary determines to
be appropriate to meet the purposes of this Act.
SEC. 6. SELECTION.
(a) Criteria for Selection.--In determining whether to provide a
grant under section 3, the Secretary shall take into account--
(1) the extent to which the eligible entity demonstrates
the potential to achieve 1 or more of the guidelines described
in section 5;
(2) the level of participation and financial commitment of
the eligible entity;
(3) the likelihood that the program to be established under
section 5 by the eligible entity will foster the creation of
increased workforce and cultural diversity awareness programs
in other institutional environments;
(4) the likelihood that the program will result in the
development and dissemination of national or regional best
practices;
(5) the extent to which the program will impact on the
international competitiveness of the United States economy; and
(6) such other criteria as the Secretary may prescribe.
(b) Priority.--In providing grants under section 3, the Secretary
shall give priority to those eligible entities that demonstrate the
availability of sufficient amounts of non-Federal contributions or
resources from non-governmental entities.
SEC. 7. PEER REVIEW.
The Secretary shall establish peer review panels to review the
merits of applications submitted under section 4. In establishing such
panels, the Secretary shall seek the widest participation of qualified
individuals from eligible entities. Each peer review panel shall report
the findings and recommendations of the panel to the Secretary with
respect to applications submitted under section 4.
SEC. 8. FEDERAL AND NON-FEDERAL SHARE.
(a) Federal Share.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the
Federal share under a grant provided under section 3 may not
exceed 50 percent of the total cost of the program established
and carried out under section 5 for any fiscal year.
(2) Exception.--If the Secretary, after consultation with
the peer review panel, determines that to do so will further
the purposes of this Act, the Secretary may increase the amount
of the Federal share with respect to the program.
(b) Non-Federal Share.--The non-Federal share shall be provided
from non-Federal sources and may be in cash or in-kind, fairly
evaluated.
SEC. 9. REPORTS.
(a) Reports to the Secretary.--The Secretary may not provide a
grant under section 3 to an eligible entity unless the entity agrees
that it will prepare and submit an annual report to the Secretary which
shall include--
(1) a summary of the progress of the activities established
and carried out under the grant to achieve the purposes of this
Act;
(2) a summary of the expenditures involved in establishing
and carrying out such activities;
(3) a plan that describes the proposed use of funds for the
subsequent fiscal year;
(4) a description of the success or failure of the
implementation of the program in accordance with 1 or more of
the guidelines described in section 5, where appropriate; and
(5) any other information that the Secretary determines to
be appropriate.
(b) Reports to the Congress.--The Secretary shall annually prepare
and submit to the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the
Senate a report that shall include an evaluation of the progress made
in achieving the purposes of this Act.
SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act
$10,000,000 for fiscal year 1995 and such sums as may be necessary for
each of the fiscal years 1996 through 1999.
<all>