119-hr1446

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1446 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 1446

 To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to identify or 
 develop assessments to measure the prior knowledge, skills, 
competencies, and experiences of an individual, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 February 21, 2025

 Mr. Allen introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to identify or 
 develop assessments to measure the prior knowledge, skills, 
competencies, and experiences of an individual, 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 ``Validate Prior Learning to 
Accelerate Employment Act''.

SEC. 2. ASSESSMENTS TO MEASURE THE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, 
 COMPETENCIES, AND EXPERIENCES OF AN INDIVIDUAL.

    (a) Statewide Employment and Training Activities.--

Section 134

    (a)

    (2)
        (B) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 
3174

    (a)

    (2)
        (B) ) is amended--

    (1) in clause
            (v) 
            (VI) , by striking ``and'' at the end;

    (2) in clause
            (vi) , by striking the period at the end and 
 inserting a semicolon; and

    (3) by adding at the end the following:
 ``
            (vii) coordinating with industry 
 organizations, employers (including small and 
 mid-sized employers), training providers, local 
 boards, and institutions of higher education to 
 identify or develop competency-based 
 assessments that are a valid and reliable 
 method of measuring and collecting information 
 on the knowledge, skills, and abilities of 
 individuals who are adults or dislocated 
 workers for the purpose of--
 ``
            (I) awarding, based on the 
 knowledge, skills, and abilities of 
 such an individual--
 ``

    (aa) a recognized 
 postsecondary credential that 
 is used by employers in the 
 State for recruitment, hiring, 
 retention, or advancement 
 purposes; or
 ``

    (bb) credit toward a 
 recognized postsecondary 
 credential aligned with an in-
 demand industry sector or 
 occupation in the State;
 ``
            (II) developing individual 
 employment plans under subsection
            (c) (2)
        (A)
            (xii) 
            (II) that identify--
 ``

    (aa) in-demand industry 
 sectors or occupations that 
 require knowledge, skills, and 
 abilities that are similar to 
 the knowledge, skills, and 
 abilities of such an individual 
 to secure employment in such 
 sectors or occupations; and
 ``

    (bb) any upskilling 
 needed to secure such 
 employment; or
 ``
            (III) helping such an individual 
 communicate the knowledge, skills, and 
 abilities of the individual to 
 prospective employers through skills-
 based resumes, profiles, or portfolios; 
 and
 ``
            (viii) disseminating to local areas and 
 employers information relating to the 
 assessments described in clause
            (vii) , 
 including--
 ``
            (I) any credential or credit 
 awarded pursuant to items

    (aa) and

    (bb) of clause
            (vii) 
            (I) ;
 ``
            (II) the industry organizations, 
 employers, training providers, and 
 institutions of higher education 
 located within the State that recognize 
 the knowledge, skills, and abilities of 
 such an individual that are validated 
 by such assessments;
 ``
            (III) how such assessments may be 
 provided to, and accessed by, such an 
 individual through the one-stop 
 delivery system; and
 ``
            (IV) information on how the 
 development of the individual 
 employment plans under subsection
            (c) (2)
        (A)
            (xii) 
            (II) can include an 
 identification of the information 
 described in items

    (aa) and

    (bb) of 
 clause
            (vii) 
            (III) .''.

    (b) Allowable Statewide Employment and Training Activities.--

Section 134

    (a)

    (3)
        (A) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 
(29 U.S.C. 3174

    (a)

    (3)
        (A) ) is amended--

    (1) in clause
            (xiii) , by striking ``and'' at the end;

    (2) in clause
            (xiv) , by striking the period at the end and 
 inserting ``; and''; and

    (3) by adding at the end the following:
 ``
            (xv) supporting employers in the State 
 seeking to implement skills-based hiring 
 practices to evaluate individuals based on the 
 demonstrated knowledge, skills, and abilities 
 of such individuals, as an alternative to 
 relying on postsecondary degree requirements in 
 the hiring process, which may include--
 ``
            (I) technical assistance on the 
 use and validation of employment 
 assessments, such as the competency-
 based assessments identified or 
 developed by the State pursuant to 
 paragraph

    (2)
        (B)
            (vii) ; and
 ``
            (II) support in the creation of 
 skills-based job descriptions.''.
            (c) Authorized Local Employment and Training Activities.--

Section 134
            (c) (2)
        (A) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 
3174
            (c) (2)
        (A) ) is amended--

    (1) in clause
            (iii) , by inserting before the semicolon the 
 following: ``, including a determination (which shall consider 
 factors including prior work experience, military service, 
 education, and in-demand industry sectors and occupations in 
 the local area) of whether such an individual would benefit 
 from a competency-based assessment identified or developed by 
 the State pursuant to subsection

    (a)

    (2)
        (B)
            (vii) to accelerate 
 the time to obtaining employment that leads to economic self-
 sufficiency or career advancement''; and

    (2) in clause
            (xii) 
            (I) (aa) , by inserting before the 
 semicolon the following: ``, including a competency-based 
 assessment identified or developed pursuant to subsection

    (a)

    (2)
        (B)
            (vii) ''.
            (d) Permissible Local Employment and Training Activities.--

Section 134
            (d) (1)
        (A) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 
3174
            (d) (1)
        (A) ) is amended--

    (1) in clause
            (ix) 
            (II) --
        (A) in item
            (cc) , by striking ``and'' at the end;
        (B) in item
            (dd) , by inserting ``and'' at the end; 
 and
            (C) by adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (ee) technical assistance 
 or other support to employers 
 seeking to implement skills-
 based hiring practices, which 
 may include technical 
 assistance on the use and 
 validation of employment 
 assessments, including 
 competency-based assessments 
 developed or identified by the 
 State pursuant to subsection

    (a)

    (2)
        (B)
            (vii) , and support in 
 the creation of skills-based 
 job descriptions.'';

    (2) in clause
            (xi) , by striking ``and'' at the end;

    (3) in clause
            (xii) , by striking the period at the end and 
 inserting ``; and''; and

    (4) by adding at the end the following:
 ``
            (xiii) competency-based assessments for 
 individuals upon the initial assessment of 
 skill levels pursuant to subsection
            (c) (2)
        (A)
            (iii) , or upon completion of training 
 services or other learning experiences.''.
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