119-s189

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 189 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 189

 To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to expand the 
capacity of junior or community colleges and area career and technical 
education schools to conduct training services, education, and outreach 
 activities for careers in the residential construction industry.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 January 22, 2025

 Ms. Rosen (for herself and Mrs. Blackburn) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
 Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to expand the 
capacity of junior or community colleges and area career and technical 
education schools to conduct training services, education, and outreach 
 activities for careers in the residential construction industry.

 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 ``Creating Opportunities for New 
Skills Training at Rural or Underserved Colleges and Trade Schools Act 
of 2025'' and ``CONSTRUCTS Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR CAREERS IN RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle D of title I of the Workforce Innovation 
and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3221 et seq.) is amended--

    (1) by redesignating 

section 172 as 

section 173; and

    (2) by inserting after 

section 171 the following:

``

SEC. 172. EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR CAREERS IN RESIDENTIAL 
 CONSTRUCTION.

 ``

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:
 ``

    (1) Incumbent worker.--The term `incumbent worker' has 
 the meaning given the term in 

section 680.780 of title 20, Code 
 of Federal Regulations, or a successor regulation.
 ``

    (2) Junior or community college.--The term `junior or 
 community college' has the meaning given the term in 

section 312 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1058).
 ``

    (3) Rural area.--The term `rural area' means any--
 ``
        (A) nonmetropolitan area; or
 ``
        (B) rural area, as defined under 

section 520 of 
 the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490).
 ``

    (4) Underserved population.--The term `underserved 
 population' means a group of individuals with a common 
 demographic trait (such as individuals from the same gender, 
 race, or ethnicity), the members of which--
 ``
        (A) based on the most recent satisfactory 
 demographic and employment data from the Bureau of the 
 Census, comprise a percentage of individuals employed 
 in the construction sector that is lower than the 
 percentage of the total population of the United States 
 comprised by such members;
 ``
        (B) are low-income individuals;
 ``
            (C) are individuals with barriers to employment; 
 or
 ``
            (D) are veterans.
 ``

    (b) Establishment of Program.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--The Secretary of Labor, in consultation 
 with the Secretary of Education, shall establish a program, 
 through which the Secretary of Labor shall award, on a 
 competitive basis, grants to eligible entities to expand their 
 capacity to provide training services, education, and outreach 
 activities for careers in the residential construction 
 industry.
 ``

    (2) Grant period.--A grant awarded under this section 
 shall be for a period of not more than 4 years.
 ``
            (c) Eligible Entities.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
this section, an entity shall be--
 ``

    (1) a junior or community college;
 ``

    (2) an area career and technical education school; or
 ``

    (3) a provider of training services, as described in 
 

section 122

    (a)

    (2) .
 ``
            (d) Applications.--An eligible entity that desires to receive a 
grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary 
of Labor at such time, in such manner, and containing such information 
as the Secretary may require, including the following information:
 ``

    (1) A description of the new or expanded training 
 services, education, or outreach activities supported by the 
 grant, including a description of how the new training 
 services, education, or outreach activities will align with 
 existing programming related to careers in the residential 
 construction industry at the eligible entity, and the relevant 
 faculty or technical instructors employed by the eligible 
 entity on the date of the submission of the application or who 
 may be employed by the eligible entity to carry out the 
 training services, education, or outreach activities supported 
 by the grant.
 ``

    (2) A description of the populations that will be served 
 through the training services, education, or outreach 
 activities supported by the grant, including whether the 
 participants in such training services, education, or outreach 
 activities are--
 ``
        (A) incumbent workers;
 ``
        (B) individuals in rural areas;
 ``
            (C) in-school youth;
 ``
            (D) opportunity youth; or
 ``
        (E) part of an underserved population.
 ``

    (3) A description of the partnerships the eligible entity 
 will facilitate through the grant, including the process by 
 which the eligible entity will ensure that a partner provides 
 fair wages and benefits that are commensurate with local pay 
 and benefit packages, and a plan for sustaining activities and 
 partnerships supported by the grant after the completion of the 
 grant period.
 ``

    (4) A description of the anticipated outcomes of the 
 training services, education, or outreach activities supported 
 by the grant, including, at a minimum, the recognized 
 postsecondary credential, postsecondary credit, or degree to be 
 earned by participants, and a timetable showing how the 
 eligible entity will meet the primary indicators of performance 
 described in 

section 116

    (b)

    (2)
        (A) .
 ``

    (5) A description of the intended impact of the training 
 services, education, or outreach activities on the local 
 housing market, including a description of how the new training 
 services, education, or outreach activities will increase the 
 supply of affordable housing.
 ``

    (6) Such other information as the Secretary may require.
 ``

    (e) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
Secretary of Labor shall give priority to eligible entities that serve 
rural areas or underserved populations.
 ``

    (f) Use of Funds.--
 ``

    (1) Required uses.--An eligible entity that receives a 
 grant under this section shall use the grant funds--
 ``
        (A) to create or expand an evidence-based 
 education or training program to provide skills needed 
 in the residential construction industry, including 
 skills related to--
 ``
            (i) carpentry;
 ``
            (ii) framing;
 ``
            (iii) masonry;
 ``
            (iv) welding;
 ``
            (v) plumbing;
 ``
            (vi) electrical work;
 ``
            (vii) construction management;
 ``
            (viii) architecture;
 ``
            (ix) HVAC;
 ``
            (x) land surveying and geomatics;
 ``
            (xi) construction mathematics;
 ``
            (xii) heavy equipment operation; and
 ``
            (xiii) such other trades as identified by 
 the Department of Labor;
 ``
        (B) to create or expand an education or training 
 program focused on increasing the skills of incumbent 
 workers who are residential construction workers;
 ``
            (C) to create a partnership with a local 
 residential construction business or developer, either 
 alone or in conjunction with a nonprofit organization, 
 labor organization, entity in the State or local 
 workforce development system, sponsor of a pre-
 apprenticeship or apprenticeship program, YouthBuild 
 program, or another community partner, with a focus on 
 engaging with organizations that recruit employees or 
 program participants from underserved populations; and
 ``
            (D) to facilitate outreach to secondary school 
 and elementary school students about the residential 
 construction industry and education and training 
 programs available under this section, which may 
 include developing dual or concurrent enrollment 
 programs (as defined under 

section 8101 of the 
 Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965) for 
 secondary students to participate in such education and 
 training programs or integrating such programs in a 
 relevant career and technical education program 
 administered by an elementary school or secondary 
 school.
 ``

    (2) Permissive uses.--An eligible entity that receives a 
 grant under this section may use the grant funds--
 ``
        (A) to hire technical instructors or other 
 faculty with demonstrated experience and expertise in 
 residential construction to lead education or training 
 programs related to skills and recognized postsecondary 
 credentials needed for a career in the residential 
 construction industry;
 ``
        (B) to operate an education and training clinic 
 in a rural area or area not otherwise served by an 
 entity described in subsection
            (c) , to the extent 
 necessary and practicable;
 ``
            (C) to develop promotion materials for the 
 purpose of increasing awareness of the training 
 services, education, or outreach activities; or
 ``
            (D) to provide supportive services through merit-
 based and needs-based scholarships, to promote 
 retention in, and completion of--
 ``
            (i) an education or training program 
 supported under this section; or
 ``
            (ii) tests or coursework related to 
 certification.
 ``

    (g) Assistance; Flexible Schedules.--An eligible entity that 
receives a grant under this section shall--
 ``

    (1) use flexible schedules in carrying out the education 
 or training program, including night classes, part-time 
 schedules, and online curricula, to accommodate individuals who 
 work during the day or live in rural areas; and
 ``

    (2) provide an individual, upon completion of the 
 education or training program, supportive services for job 
 search and placement to ensure the success of such individuals 
 in achieving the education and career goals.
 ``

    (h) Compliance With Applicable Laws.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--Each recipient of funds under this 
 section, and any entity that enters into a partnership with 
 such recipient for the purpose of this Act, shall attest to the 
 Secretary of Labor that the recipient or entity--
 ``
        (A) is in compliance with each Federal, State, 
 and local labor law;
 ``
        (B) will remain in compliance with each Federal, 
 State, and local labor law; and
 ``
            (C) is not subject to a pending action or case 
 relating to a violation of any law enforced by the 
 Department of Labor, Federal Labor Relations Authority, 
 Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or National 
 Labor Relations Board.
 ``

    (2) Federal, state, and local labor law.--In this 
 subsection, the term `Federal, State, and local labor law' 
 means any Federal, State, or local labor law that would be 
 applicable to the recipient or entity described in paragraph

    (1) , as determined by the Secretary of Labor.
 ``
            (i) Performance Accountability.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--An eligible entity that receives a grant 
 under this section shall, not later than 18 months after 
 receiving such grant and annually thereafter for the duration 
 of the grant period, submit to the Secretary of Labor a report 
 containing the eligible entity's outcomes with respect to the 
 primary indicators of performance described in 

section 116

    (b)

    (2)
        (A) .
 ``

    (2) Report to congress.--Not later than 6 months after 
 receiving initial reports from each eligible entity receiving a 
 grant under this section, the Secretary shall prepare and 
 submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
 Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Education and 
 Workforce of the House of Representatives a report containing, 
 at a minimum, the information described in paragraph

    (1) for 
 each such eligible entity.
 ``

    (j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated $20,000,000 to carry out this section for each of fiscal 
years 2025 through 2029.''.

    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents in 

section 1

    (b) of 
the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is amended--

    (1) by striking the item relating to 

section 172; and

    (2) by inserting after the item relating to 

section 171 the 
 following:

``

Sec. 172. Education and training for careers in residential 
 construction.
``

Sec. 173. Authorization of appropriations.''.
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