H.R. 10156

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10156 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                               H. R. 10156
     To authorize workforce development innovation grants for the
 implementation, expansion, and evaluation of evidence-based workforce
                   programs, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                            August 27, 2026
 Mr. Harder of California (for himself and Mrs. McBath) introduced the
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and
                               Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
                                 A BILL
     To authorize workforce development innovation grants for the
 implementation, expansion, and evaluation of evidence-based workforce
                   programs, 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 ``Better Jobs through Evidence and
Innovation Act''.
SEC. 2. EVALUATIONS AND RESEARCH.
    (a) In General.--Section 169 of the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3224) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
    ``(c) Workforce Development Innovation Fund.--
            ``(1) Program authorized.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary may, on a
                competitive basis and in accordance with subparagraph
                (B), award workforce development innovation grants
                described in subparagraph (C) to eligible entities to
                enable such entities to--
                            ``(i) establish, implement, replicate, or
                        take to scale evidence-based, field-initiated
                        innovation programs or services for improving
                        the design and delivery of employment and
                        training services--
                                    ``(I) that generate demonstrated
                                sustained improvements in earnings and
                                employment outcomes for participants
                                (including participants who are
                                individuals with barriers to
                                employment); and
                                    ``(II) that may demonstrate
                                improvements in--
                                            ``(aa) the performance or
                                        impact of the workforce
                                        development system with respect
                                        to the purposes of this Act
                                        described in section 2 (29
                                        U.S.C. 3101), such as
                                        increasing access to and
                                        opportunities for employment,
                                        education, training, and
                                        support services for
                                        individuals with barriers to
                                        employment;
                                            ``(bb) addressing employer
                                        and labor market needs; or
                                            ``(cc) the cost-
                                        effectiveness of such
                                        innovation programs or
                                        services, particularly for
                                        participants and communities
                                        not sufficiently served by
                                        existing models such as
                                        participants and communities in
                                        rural areas; and
                            ``(ii) except with respect to an expansion
                        grant described in subparagraph (C)(iii) for
                        which the Secretary waives an evaluation
                        because the Secretary determines there are
                        multiple compelling examples of high-level
                        evidence, perform--
                                    ``(I) a well-designed, well-
                                implemented, and rigorous impact
                                evaluation, through a partnership with
                                a third-party research organization or
                                a third-party researcher, of such
                                innovation programs or services that--
                                            ``(aa) assesses for
                                        effectiveness in achieving any
                                        demonstrated long-term
                                        improvements in earnings and
                                        employment outcomes for
                                        participants and for
                                        improvements in other relevant
                                        outcomes, such as the outcomes
                                        described in item (aa), (bb),
                                        and (cc) of clause (i)(II); and
                                            ``(bb) is accompanied by a
                                        process or implementation
                                        evaluation for the purpose of
                                        programmatic improvement and
                                        supporting scale-up; or
                                    ``(II) in the case of an early-
                                phase grant described in subparagraph
                                (C)(i), an early-stage evaluation (such
                                as a feasibility study, pilot, or
                                rapid-cycle evaluation) that prepares
                                the innovation program or service for
                                an evaluation described in subclause
                                (I) for a potential subsequent grant.
                    ``(B) Grant awards.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The Secretary--
                                    ``(I) shall award grants under
                                subparagraph (A) on the primary basis
                                of--
                                            ``(aa) reliable evidence
                                        presented with respect to
                                        potential achievements of the
                                        innovation program or service
                                        proposed by the eligible entity
                                        with respect to demonstrated,
                                        long-term improvements in an
                                        outcome described in subclause
                                        (I) or (II) of subparagraph
                                        (A)(i);
                                            ``(bb) the anticipated cost
                                        of the program or service
                                        relative to anticipated
                                        earnings and employment
                                        outcomes for participants;
                                            ``(cc) the anticipated
                                        contribution of the evaluation
                                        of the program or service to
                                        the overall evidence base,
                                        including evidence on cost-
                                        effectiveness; and
                                            ``(dd) the existence of
                                        supporting projects in
                                        geographically diverse sites,
                                        including rural areas, or that
                                        serve populations with diverse
                                        needs; and
                                    ``(II) may award, under
                                subparagraph (A), different types of
                                grants described under subparagraph (C)
                                to an eligible entity for separate
                                innovation programs or services that
                                meet the relevant criteria for such
                                different types of grants.
                            ``(ii) Duration of award.--A grant awarded
                        under subparagraph (A) shall be awarded for a
                        period determined appropriate by the Secretary.
                            ``(iii) Amount of award.--The Secretary
                        shall ensure that any grants awarded under
                        subparagraph (A) shall include sufficient
                        funding for the cost of the evaluation and
                        program implementation.
                            ``(iv) Use of award.--An eligible entity
                        that receives a grant awarded under
                        subparagraph (A) shall use not less than 60
                        percent of such award for direct program
                        implementation.
                    ``(C) Description of grants.--The grants described
                in subparagraph (A) shall, to the extent feasible,
                include--
                            ``(i) early-phase grants for an innovation
                        program or service supported by any level of
                        evidence described in clause (i), (ii), or
                        (iii) of subparagraph (D), for the purposes of
                        funding the development, implementation, and
                        evaluation of such program or service;
                            ``(ii) mid-phase grants for an innovation
                        program or service supported by a moderate
                        level of evidence or a high level of evidence
                        (as described in clause (ii) or (iii) of
                        subparagraph (D), respectively) for the
                        purposes of funding the operation, refinement,
                        expansion, and continued evaluation (as
                        described in subparagraph (A)(ii)(I)) of such
                        innovation program or service at a single site
                        that would, if successful, prepare the program
                        or service for a subsequent expansion grant;
                        and
                            ``(iii) expansion grants for an innovation
                        program or service supported by a high level of
                        evidence, as described in subparagraph
                        (D)(iii), for the purposes of--
                                    ``(I) funding the operation of such
                                innovation program or service at an
                                existing site;
                                    ``(II) expansion or such innovation
                                program or service to another site;
                                    ``(III) implementation of a multi-
                                site experimental rigorous impact
                                evaluation of such innovation program
                                or service; and
                                    ``(IV) if necessary, continued
                                refinement and adaption of the program
                                or service model to address new
                                contexts or needs.
                    ``(D) Level of evidence standards.--The levels of
                evidence described in this subparagraph are the
                following:
                            ``(i) Low level of evidence.--An innovation
                        program or service is supported by a low level
                        of evidence if such program or service has
                        demonstrated, through a reasonable hypothesis
                        and credible research findings (such as a
                        correlational study with statistical controls
                        for selection bias), a descriptive study (such
                        as a case study), or evidence review and needs
                        assessment, the--
                                    ``(I) ability to achieve positive
                                effects on earnings and employment
                                outcomes for participants (including
                                participants who are individuals with
                                barriers to employment) and earnings
                                for employers; or
                                    ``(II) potential to achieve such
                                effect on such outcomes.
                            ``(ii) Moderate level of evidence.--An
                        innovation program or service is supported by a
                        moderate level of evidence if such program or
                        service has demonstrated the ability to achieve
                        sizable, but not yet conclusive, positive
                        effects on earnings and employment outcomes for
                        participants (including participants who are
                        individuals with barriers to employment) and
                        earnings for employers, through--
                                    ``(I) a well-designed and well-
                                implemented experimental study of such
                                program or service, such as a
                                randomized controlled trial; or
                                    ``(II) a rigorous quasi-
                                experimental study of such program or
                                service capable of drawing causal
                                conclusions about the effectiveness of
                                such program or service.
                            ``(iii) High level of evidence.--An
                        innovation program or service is supported by a
                        high level of evidence if such program or
                        service has demonstrated, through replication
                        of studies, the ability to achieve a
                        substantial and statistically significant,
                        positive impact on earnings and employment
                        outcomes for participants (including
                        participants who are individuals with barriers
                        to employment) and earnings for employers,
                        through--
                                    ``(I) 2 or more well-designed and
                                well-implemented experimental studies
                                of such program or service conducted at
                                different implementation sites; or
                                    ``(II) through a well-designed and
                                well-implemented large, multi-site,
                                experimental study.
                    ``(E) Funding allocation.--Of the funds made
                available to carry out this subsection for a fiscal
                year, the Secretary shall, except when determined that
                there is not a sufficient number of qualifying
                applications to do so, use--
                            ``(i) not less than 50 percent of such
                        funds to award expansion grants described in
                        subparagraph (C)(iii); and
                            ``(ii) not more than 25 percent of such
                        funds to award early-phase grants described in
                        subparagraph (C)(i).
            ``(2) Technical assistance and evaluation research.--Of the
        funds made available to carry out this subsection for a fiscal
        year, the Secretary shall reserve not more than 10 percent of
        the funds to--
                    ``(A) provide technical assistance to eligible
                entities, which may include preapplication workshops,
                web-based seminars, support for conducting feasibility
                studies and other planning activities, assistance with
                methods and requirements for purposes of evaluation
                research under subparagraph (D), and support for
                improving grant implementation and the quality and
                effectiveness of activities and services funded by
                grants awarded under paragraph (1)(A), including the
                use of administrative data and information to improve
                outcomes for participants;
                    ``(B) disseminate information on low-, moderate-,
                and high-evidence-based practices;
                    ``(C) fund staffing and other costs related to such
                activities; and
                    ``(D) conduct evaluation research regarding
                activities or services funded by grants awarded under
                subparagraph (A).
            ``(3) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                    ``(A) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity'
                means an entity that is any of the following:
                            ``(i) A State workforce development board
                        established under section 101 (29 U.S.C. 3111).
                            ``(ii) A local workforce development board
                        established under section 107 (29 U.S.C. 3122).
                            ``(iii) An Indian tribe, tribal
                        organization, Alaska Native entity, Indian-
                        controlled organization serving Indians, or
                        Native Hawaiian organization that is eligible
                        to receive an award under section 166 (29
                        U.S.C. 3221).
                            ``(iv) An institution of higher education
                        (as defined in section 101 of the Higher
                        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)).
                            ``(v) A State workforce agency.
                            ``(vi) An organization--
                                    ``(I) that--
                                            ``(aa) is a community-based
                                        organization, a nonprofit
                                        organization, or a
                                        nongovernment organization,
                                        including a labor organization
                                        (as defined in section 2 of the
                                        National Labor Relations Act
                                        (29 U.S.C. 152)); and
                                            ``(bb) serves an
                                        underserved population; or
                                    ``(II) that is a national or
                                regional organization that intends to
                                use funds awarded under this Act to
                                make direct grants to an organization
                                described in subclause (I).
                            ``(vii) A consortium of any entities
                        described in clause (i) through (vi).
                    ``(B) Field-initiated.--The term `field-initiated',
                with respect to a program or service, means a program
                or service in which the elements of the program or
                service have been developed by practitioners or
                researchers in the policy area, including such a
                program or service model that is--
                            ``(i) a sectoral employment program;
                            ``(ii) an employment social enterprise or
                        other revenue-generating workforce program
                        serving people overcoming barriers to
                        employment;
                            ``(iii) a registered apprenticeship;
                            ``(iv) a re-entry initiative;
                            ``(v) a career pathway model;
                            ``(vi) an industry and sector partnership;
                        or
                            ``(vii) on-the-job or incumbent worker
                        training.
                    ``(C) Innovation program or service.--The term
                `innovation program or service' means a program or
                service designed to demonstrate innovative and cost-
                effective ways to augment and improve employment,
                licensure, or training services.
                    ``(D) Well-designed and well-implemented
                experimental study.--The term `well-designed and well-
                implemented experimental study' means a study that--
                            ``(i) is replicable;
                            ``(ii) uses programmatic and control groups
                        that are representative of the type of
                        population served by the program or service
                        that is subject to the study, including by
                        avoiding over-selection of participants who are
                        highly skilled prior to participation for such
                        programmatic group;
                            ``(iii) uses controls for aggregate shifts
                        that might affect baseline numbers;
                            ``(iv) does not have problems with
                        attrition of participants from the study;
                            ``(v) is conducted in a manner that is
                        consistent with applicable evaluation, data,
                        and privacy standards and practices described
                        in the Foundations for Evidence-Based
                        Policymaking Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-435;
                        132 Stat. 5529) and the amendments made by that
                        Act; and
                            ``(vi) to the extent feasible, is aligned
                        with the standards for experimental studies
                        conducted pursuant to the education innovation
                        and research program under section 4611 of the
                        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
                        (20 U.S.C. 7261).
            ``(4) Authorization of appropriations.--There are
        authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection,
        such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2027
        through 2031.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 132(a)(2)(A) of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3172(a)(2)(A)) is amended by
striking ``169(c)'' and inserting ``169(d)''.
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