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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.
Summary
The bill creates a 2-year pilot program under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to award competitive grants to local governments and community-based organizations to retain, employ, and train workers. At least 50 percent of grant funds must be used to prevent layoffs of public service employees due to budget cuts, with remaining funds available for new hiring and training. The program prioritizes units and organizations in areas with high unemployment, foreclosure, and poverty rates, and encourages grantees to hire veterans, people with disabilities, and dislocated workers. The bill authorizes $1 billion for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The Secretary of Labor must report on hiring, training, and retention results within 2 years.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Frederica S. Wilson’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- LEHMAN DEALERSHIP ENTERPRISES $10,000
- CITY OF NORTH MIAMI $6,500
- KEMET GROUP $6,500
- STATE OF FLORIDA $6,000
- THE HAGGARD LAW FIRM $5,000
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Frederica S. Wilson → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- Jan 23, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce. · house
- Jan 23, 2025 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
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.”. <all>
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