119-hr714

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 714 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 714

To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to create a pilot 
 program to award grants to units of general local government and 
 community-based organizations to create jobs, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 January 23, 2025

Ms. Wilson of Florida 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 create a pilot 
 program to award grants to units of general local government and 
 community-based organizations to create jobs, 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 ``Jobs Now Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS TO UNITS OF GENERAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

    (a) Pilot Program.--Subtitle D of title I of the Workforce 
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3221 et seq.) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:

``

SEC. 173. PILOT PROGRAM.

 ``

    (a) Program Authorized.--Notwithstanding 

section 181

    (e) , from the 
amounts appropriated under subsection

    (h) , the Secretary shall carry 
out a 2-year pilot program to award grants, on a competitive basis, to 
units of general local government or community-based organizations to 
retain, employ, or train employees providing a public service for a 
unit of general local government.
 ``

    (b) Unit of General Local Government Defined.--For purposes of 
this section, the term `unit of general local government' means any 
general purpose political subdivision of a State, or the United States 
Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, the freely associated states of the Republic of the 
Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic 
of Palau, that has the power to levy taxes and spend funds, as well as 
general corporate and police powers.
 ``
            (c) Uses of Funds.--
 ``

    (1) Required uses.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph
        (B) , a 
 unit of general local government or community-based 
 organization shall use not less than 50 percent of the 
 grant funds received under this section to--
 ``
            (i) in the case of a unit, retain 
 employees of such unit who are providing a 
 public service for the unit and who would 
 otherwise be laid off as a consequence of 
 budget cuts; and
 ``
            (ii) in the case of an organization, 
 retain employees of the organization who are 
 providing a public service for the unit in 
 which the organization is located and who would 
 otherwise be laid off as a consequence of 
 budget cuts.
 ``
        (B) Exception.--In a case in which 50 percent of 
 a grant amount received under this section would exceed 
 the amount needed for a unit or organization to retain 
 the employees described in subparagraph
        (A) , the unit 
 or organization may use only the amount needed to 
 retain such employees for such purpose.
 ``

    (2) Authorized uses.--After using grant funds received 
 under this section in accordance with paragraph

    (1) , a unit of 
 general local government or community-based organization may 
 use any remaining grant funds provided under this section to--
 ``
        (A) in the case of a unit of general local 
 government--
 ``
            (i) employ individuals in new positions 
 providing a public service for the unit; or
 ``
            (ii) train individuals for new public 
 service positions for the unit; and
 ``
        (B) in the case of a community-based 
 organization--
 ``
            (i) employ individuals in new positions 
 that would provide a public service for the 
 unit in which the organization is located or 
 services in the private sector; or
 ``
            (ii) train individuals for any such 
 positions.
 ``
            (d) Priority for Certain Individuals.--The Secretary shall 
encourage each unit of general local government and each community-
based organization receiving a grant under this section to use such 
grant funds to retain, employ, or train--
 ``

    (1) veterans;
 ``

    (2) individuals with disabilities;
 ``

    (3) individuals who are receiving unemployment benefits; 
 or
 ``

    (4) dislocated workers.
 ``

    (e) Priority for Certain Units and Organizations.--
 ``

    (1) Units.--In awarding grants to units of general local 
 government under this section, the Secretary shall give 
 priority to units of general local government with high 
 unemployment, foreclosure, and poverty rates as compared to 
 other units of general local government applying to receive a 
 grant under this section.
 ``

    (2) Organizations.--In awarding grants to units of 
 general local government under this section, the Secretary 
 shall give priority to community-based organizations located in 
 units of general local government with high unemployment, 
 foreclosure, and poverty rates as compared to other units of 
 general local government applying to receive a grant under this 
 section.
 ``

    (f) Application.--Each unit of general local government or 
community-based organization desiring to receive a grant under this 
section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may 
require.
 ``

    (g) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the first appropriation 
of funds under subsection

    (h) , the Secretary shall submit to Congress, 
a report on--
 ``

    (1) the number and percentage of individuals hired or 
 trained, and the number and percentage of employees of units 
 retained, as a result of a grant under this section; and
 ``

    (2) best practices in carrying out a grant program to 
 hire, train, or retain employees of units of general local 
 government.
 ``

    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated $1,000,000,000 to carry out this section for fiscal years 
2026 and 2027.''.

    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of contents in 

section 1

    (b) of 
the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to 

section 172 the following:

``

Sec. 173. Pilot program.''.
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