[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2789 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2789
To amend the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act and the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act to strengthen adult education.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 9, 2025
Mrs. McBath (for herself and Mr. Mrvan) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act and the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act to strengthen adult education.
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 ``Adult Education Workforce
Opportunity and Reskilling for Knowledge and Success Act'' or the
``Adult Education WORKS Act''.
TITLE I--WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES
SEC. 101. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES.
(a) Amendment to WIOA.--Except as otherwise expressly provided,
whenever in this section an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms
of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, the
reference shall be considered to be made to a section or other
provision of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C.
3101 et seq.).
(b) Definitions.--
(1) In general.--Section 3 (29 U.S.C. 3102) is amended--
(A) by striking paragraph (5);
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (6) through (9) as
paragraphs (5) through (8), respectively;
(C) by inserting after paragraph (8), as
redesignated by subparagraph (B), the following:
``(9) College and career navigator.--The term `college and
career navigator' means an individual who--
``(A) has extensive knowledge of workforce
development programs and services, postsecondary
programs and services, Federal and other student
financial aid for postsecondary education, and case
management techniques;
``(B) supports persons who are accessing services
under this Act, by gathering work history and skills
information, providing tailored college and career
guidance and labor market information, helping
jobseekers identify training and educational options to
best fit their needs, including Federal student aid and
other assistance available to pay the costs of
attendance at an institution of higher education or for
participation in training, facilitating access to
services, and facilitating co-enrollment of individuals
in programs carried out under title I and title II;
``(C) provides or organizes provision of services
to promote job readiness, digital literacy skills,
information literacy skills, and the skills needed for
success in postsecondary education, facilitates the
successful transition of individuals to postsecondary
education, coordinates activities with employers and
with entities and individuals involved in the one-stop
delivery system in the local area, and conducts
community outreach; and
``(D) as determined appropriate by the one-stop
operator or eligible provider of adult education and
literacy activities involved, is responsible for
recruitment of students in adult education and literacy
activities and participants in workforce investment
activities, provision of intensive case management,
provision of career exploration services, and data
collection associated with an activity specified in
this subparagraph.'';
(D) by redesignating paragraphs (12) through (14),
(15) through (21), (22) through (26), and (27) through
(71), as paragraphs (13) through (15), (17) through
(23), (25) through (29), and (31) through (75),
respectively;
(E) by inserting after paragraph (11) the
following:
``(12) Concurrent enrollment.--The term `concurrent
enrollment' has the meaning given the term in section 203.'';
(F) by inserting after paragraph (15), as
redesignated by subparagraph (D), the following:
``(16) Digital literacy skills.--The term `digital literacy
skills' has the meaning given the term in section 203.'';
(G) by inserting after paragraph (23), as
redesignated by subparagraph (D), the following:
``(24) Foundational skill needs.--The term `foundational
skill needs', used with respect to an individual, means--
``(A) in the case of an individual who is a youth,
an individual who has English reading, writing, or
computing skills at or below the 8th grade level on a
generally accepted standardized test; or
``(B) in the case of an individual who is a youth
or adult, an individual who is unable to compute or
solve problems, or read, write, or speak English, at a
level necessary to function on the job, in the
individual's family, or in society.''; and
(H) by inserting after paragraph (29), as
redesignated by subparagraph (D), the following:
``(30) Information literacy skills.--The term `information
literacy skills' has the meaning given the term in section
203.''.
(2) Conforming amendments.--
(A) Section 121(h)(2)(C)(ii) (29 U.S.C.
3151(h)(2)(C)(ii)) is amended by striking ``section
3(13)(D)'' and inserting ``section 3(14)(D)''.
(B) Section 134(c)(3)(H)(i) (29 U.S.C.
3174(c)(3)(H)(i)) is amended by striking ``section
3(44)'' and inserting ``section 3(48)''.
(C) Section 170(b)(1)(D)(i) (29 U.S.C.
3225(b)(1)(D)(i)) is amended by striking ``section
3(15)(E)'' and inserting ``section 3(17)(E)''.
(D) Section 211(e)(3) (29 U.S.C. 3291(e)(3)) is
amended by striking ``section 3(45)'' and inserting
``section 3(49)''.
(c) State Workforce Development Boards.--Section 101 (29 U.S.C.
3111) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)(1)(C)(ii)(IV), by inserting ``, and
representatives of organizations that provide adult education''
after ``out-of-school youth''; and
(2) in subsection (d)--
(A) in paragraph (7)(A), by striking ``(as defined
in section 202 of the Museum and Library Services Act
(20 U.S.C. 9101); referred to in this Act as `digital
literacy skills')'';
(B) in paragraph (11), by striking ``and'' at the
end;
(C) by redesignating paragraph (12) as paragraph
(13); and
(D) by inserting after paragraph (11) the
following:
``(12) in collaboration with providers of adult education
and literacy activities, the promotion of the employment of
college and career navigators by the one-stop centers in the
State; and''.
(d) Program Specifics for State Plans.--Section 102(b)(2) (29
U.S.C. 3112(b)(2)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (D)(ii)--
(A) in subclause (II), by striking item (dd) and
inserting the following:
``(dd) integrated education
and training, including how
costs for such activities will
be shared among relevant core
programs;'';
(B) in subclause (V), by adding ``and'' at the end;
and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(VI) how the eligible agency will
promote, through funding priority or
other means, professionalization of
adult education and literacy activities
through the adoption of staffing models
that include requirements and support
for teacher credentialing, standards,
and support for ongoing in-service
professional development, and career
ladders for professional growth, which
may include more opportunities for
full-time teaching positions;''; and
(2) in subparagraph (E)(iii)(II), by inserting ``providers
of adult education and literacy activities,'' after
``institutions of higher education,''.
(e) Local Boards.--Section 107 (29 U.S.C. 3122) is amended--
(1) in subsection (c)(1), by adding at the end the
following:
``(D) Information on membership.--The chief elected
officials appointing the local board for a local area
shall make publicly available information on the
membership of the board (including information
identifying how the membership composition requirements
of subsection (b) have been met), including by posting
that information on the website of each unit of general
local government included in the local area.''; and
(2) in subsection (d)--
(A) in paragraph (5), by striking ``secondary and
postsecondary education'' and inserting ``secondary,
postsecondary, and adult education'';
(B) in paragraph (7)(C)--
(i) by inserting ``, in consultation with
providers of public access to technology,''
after ``identifying strategies'';
(ii) by inserting ``, including deliveries
through public libraries,'' after ``traditional
service delivery''; and
(iii) by inserting ``and information
literacy skills'' after ``digital literacy
skills''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(14) College and career navigators.--The local board, in
collaboration with providers of adult education and literacy
activities in the local area, shall promote the employment of
college and career navigators by the one-stop centers and
eligible providers (as defined in section 203) in the local
area.''.
(f) Local Plans.--Section 108 (29 U.S.C. 3123) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)(13), by inserting ``, including, in
all local plans after the first such plan, a description of how
the local board carried out such coordination and completed
such review during the previous 4-year period'' after
``submitted under title II''; and
(2) in subsection (d)(3), by inserting ``, along with a
description of the actions the local board took in response to
such comments'' after ``disagreement with the plan''.
(g) Indicators of Performance.--Section 116(b)(2)(A) (29 U.S.C.
3141(b)(2)(A)) is amended--
(1) in clause (i), by striking subclauses (IV) and (V) and
inserting the following:
``(IV) the percentages of program
participants who, during participation
in the program--
``(aa) obtain a recognized
postsecondary credential or a
secondary school diploma or its
recognized equivalent; and
``(bb) are in an education
or training program that leads
to a recognized postsecondary
credential or employment and
who are achieving measurable
skill gains toward such a
credential or employment;
``(V) the percentages of program
participants who, within 1 year after
exit from the program--
``(aa) obtain a secondary
school diploma or its
recognized equivalent;
``(bb) have obtained or
retained employment; and
``(cc) are in an education
or training program leading to
a recognized postsecondary
credential; and'';
(2) by striking clause (iii) and inserting the following:
``(iii) Interim indicators for adult
education.--A State may develop interim
indicators for measuring the percentage of
program participants on track to meet the
indicators described in subclauses (IV) and (V)
of clause (i) for adult education and literacy
activities authorized under title II.''; and
(3) in clause (iv), by striking ``clauses (i)(VI)'' and
inserting ``clause (i)(VI)''.
(h) Common Participant Individual Record Layout.--Section 116 (29
U.S.C. 3141) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(j) Common Participant Individual Record Layout.--The Secretary
of Labor and the Secretary of Education shall establish a common
reporting system that covers, and that accommodates, the core programs,
relating to participant records and the performance accountability
measures described in subsection (b).''.
(i) One-Stop Delivery Systems.--Section 121 (29 U.S.C. 3151) is
amended--
(1) in subsection (d)(2)(B)--
(A) by redesignating clauses (ii) through (vi) as
clauses (iii) through (vii), respectively; and
(B) by inserting after clause (i) the following:
``(ii) a public library;''; and
(2) in subsection (e)--
(A) in paragraph (2)(B)--
(i) in clause (i), by striking ``and'' at
the end;
(ii) in clause (ii), by striking the
semicolon and inserting ``; and''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(iii) through one or more public
libraries in accordance with paragraph (5);'';
and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(5) Information and services provided through public
libraries.--A local board may use funds made available under
subsection (h) to make programs, activities, and services
available through a public library to the extent such library
demonstrates to the local board--
``(A) that the library provides or will provide
career services or other workforce development
activities to address unmet need for such services or
activities, such as by providing career services and
other workforce development activities to individuals
at days or times, and locations, at which the services
or activities are not otherwise made available through
the corresponding one-stop partners;
``(B) that the library will provide a physical
location within the library, which may include a mobile
library site, in which to serve individuals seeking
services provided by a college and career navigator;
and
``(C) the library's ability to leverage additional
resources, such as staff, facilities, computer access,
or learning materials, in order to extend the level of
services otherwise provided through the local one-stop
delivery system, particularly to geographically distant
communities, communities for which physical one-stop
centers are not easily accessible through public
transportation, or communities in which there is
inadequate access for the level of services needed.''.
(j) Digital Literacy Skills; Information Literacy Skills.--Section
134(c) (29 U.S.C. 3174(c)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2)(A)--
(A) in clause (iii), by inserting ``digital
literacy, information literacy,'' after ``(including
literacy,''; and
(B) in clause (xii)(VI), by inserting ``digital
literacy skills, information literacy skills,'' after
``learning skills,''; and
(2) in paragraph (3)(D)--
(A) by redesignating clauses (x) and (xi) as
clauses (xii) and (xiii), respectively; and
(B) by inserting after clause (ix) the following:
``(x) digital literacy skills training;
``(xi) information literacy skills
training;''.
(k) Library-Based and Community-Based College and Career
Navigators.--Subtitle D of title I is amended by inserting after
section 171 (29 U.S.C. 3226) the following:
``SEC. 171A. LIBRARY-BASED AND COMMUNITY-BASED COLLEGE AND CAREER
NAVIGATORS.
``(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to expand the
capacity of State and local workforce development systems by leveraging
the facilities and staff of libraries and community-based organizations
to provide career navigation services to individuals through library-
based and community-based college and career navigators.
``(b) Eligible