Training for Jobs bill

Workforce Reinvestment and Adult Education Act of 2003 - Revises and reauthorizes appropriations through FY 2009 for: (1) Workforce Investment Systems for job training and employment services under title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA-I); (2) Adult Basic Skills Education, including adult education and family literacy programs, under WIA title II (WIA-II); and (3) vocational rehabilitation services under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (RA).Title I: Amendments to Title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 - Amends WIA-I to revise and reauthorize Workforce Investment Systems (WIS) programs.(Sec. 101) Eliminates the requirement that the employer pay at least 50 percent of the cost of customized training. Requires, instead, that the employer pay a significant portion of such cost, as determined by the local workforce investment board (local WIB).Includes as low-income individuals those who receive or are eligible to receive free or reduced price lunch.(Sec. 102) Includes among WIA-I purposes the carrying out of WIS activities so as to promote participants' informed choice and active involvement in decisions affecting their participation in such activities.(Sec. 103) Revises requirements for State workforce investment board (State WIB) membership. Includes as members the director of the designated State entity responsible for carrying out title I of the Rehabilitation Act, as well as State agency officials responsible for economic development. Eliminates required membership for: (1) representatives of individuals and organizations with experience with respect to youth activities; and (2) representatives of individuals and organizations with experience and expertise in the delivery of workforce investment activities, including chief executive officers of community colleges and community-based organizations within the State.(Sec. 104) Revises State plan requirements to provide for a two-year (currently five-year) planning cycle, with respect to strategies and modifications. Includes among those whose employment and training needs must be addressed in such plans: (1) formerly self-employed and transitioning farmers, ranchers, and fishermen; (2) homeless individuals; and (3) ex-offenders. Requires plan information on how the State will serve the employment and training needs of individuals with disabilities, consistent with specified WIA-I requirements and a specified Executive Order relating to community-based alternatives, and including outreach, intake, assessments, and service delivery, performance measures development, and staff training.(Sec. 105) Revises requirements for designation of local workforce investment areas. Authorizes the Governor to deny a request for such designation if the currently designated unit of government did not perform successfully during the preceding two years.(Sec. 106) Revises requirements for local WIB membership. Includes as members: (1) representatives of businesses in the leading industries in the local area, and large and small businesses in the area; and (2) representatives of faith-based organizations. Continues required membership for administrators of entities providing adult education and literacy activities (as well as for superintendents of the local secondary school systems, and the presidents or chief executive officers of postsecondary educational institutions, including community colleges). Eliminates requirements for local WIB: (1) membership of representatives of each of the one-stop partners; and (2) establishment of a youth council as a subgroup to develop the youth portion of the local plan, recommend eligible providers of youth activities, and coordinate youth activities. Authorizes local WIBs to establish councils for information and advice, including a council composed of one-stop partners to a one-stop delivery system operation and a youth council composed of experts and stakeholders in youth programs to advise on activities for youth.(Sec. 107) Revises local plan requirements to provide for two-year (currently five-year) planning cycles.(Sec. 108) Revises requirements for the service delivery system of one-stop career centers with partner programs.Requires such centers to add to their current functions: (1) certain employment services (currently administered by the employment service system under the Wagner-Peyser Act, but eliminated in such Act by title III of this Act); (2) programs relating to child support enforcement under part D of title IV of the Social Security Act; and (3) local area programs for individuals with disabilities, including those carried out by State agencies relating to mental health, mental retardation, and developmental disabilities, State Medicaid agencies, State Independent Living Councils, and Independent Living Centers.Requires State certification of one-stop centers for allocation of infrastructure funds. Requires each State WIB to develop a formula to be used by the Governor in allocating funds to centers. Directs the Governor to determine the portion of such funds to contributed by each one-stop partner program. Directs the Governor, in determining the portion of funds to be contributed by each one-stop partner, to consider the proportionate use of such centers by each partner, the costs of administration unrelated to such use, and other specified factors. Requires funds provided by partner programs for system costs to be: (1) from funds available for each program's administrative costs; and (2) subject to applicable administrative cost limits.(Sec. 109) Directs the Governor to establish criteria and procedures for determining eligible providers of training services.(Sec. 110) Eliminates certain requirements relating to eligible providers of youth activities, including a requirement that there be a competitive basis in the making of grants to providers of services to youth.(Sec. 111) Revises requirements for youth activities. Requires youth training programs to spend a greater portion of their funds on out-of-school youth, and to give a priority to services for school dropouts.Reserves 25 percent of youth activities funds for Youth Challenge Grants. Provides that the remainder of such funds, after reservations for outlying areas and Native Americans, be allotted to States. Allows a Governor to reserve for statewide activities up to ten percent of the funds allocated to a State for youth activities. Requires the Governor to allocate the remainder to local areas as follows: (1) 80 percent, using a formula based on relative numbers of youth aged 16 through 21 who are high school dropouts, jobless and out-of-school, or economically disadvantaged; and (2) 20 percent, according to demographic and economic factors the Governor considers appropriate after consulting with the State and local WIBs. Requires at least 70 percent of local funds to be spent on school dropouts (a priority), recipients of a secondary school diploma or the General Equivalency Diploma (GED), court-involved youth attending an alternative school, and youth in foster care or who have been in foster care. Limits to no more than 30 percent the portion of local funds that may be spent on in-school youth who are low-income.Raises from 21 to 24 years the maximum age for eligibility for participation in local area youth programs providing services to out-of-school youth.(Sec. 112) Consolidates, under a formula grant for a comprehensive program for adult activities, funding for adult job training, dislocated worker retraining, the employment service system, and reemployment grants.Allows a Governor to reserve for statewide activities up to 50 percent of the funds allocated to a State for adult activities. Requires the Governor to allocate the remainder to local areas as follows: (1) 85 percent based on a formula which includes relative numbers of individuals who are unemployed, excess unemployed, in the civilian labor force, and disadvantaged adults; and (2) 15 percent based on a formula developed in consultation with the State and local WIBs which must be objective and geographically equitable and may contain economic and demographic factors the Governor considers appropriate.(Sec. 113) Revises the performance accountability system to reduce the number of required core indicators of performance for adults, dislocated workers, and youth. Makes indicators of customer satisfaction a local option, rather than a requirement.(Sec. 114) Extends through FY 2009 the authorizations of appropriations for activities for: (1) adult employment and training; (2) youth; and (3) dislocated worker employment and training.(Sec. 115) Revises Job Corps requirements relating to business and community participation and to industry councils.(Sec. 116) Revises Native American programs to eliminate assistance for American Samoans in Hawaii.(Sec. 117) Replaces the Youth Opportunity Grants program with a Youth Challenge Grants program for in-school and out-of-school youth. Directs the Secretary of Labor (the Secretary under this title) to use program funds as follows: (1) at least 80 percent for competitive grants to States, local boards, and public or private entities applying with local boards, to assist youth to acquire skills, credentials, and employment experience to succeed in the labor market; and (2) not more than 20 percent for discretionary grants to public or private entities, to assist youth to prepare for, enter, and retain employment.(Sec. 118) Revises requirements for technical assistance. Directs the Secretary to establish a system for States to share information on best practices for operating workforce investment activities.(Sec. 119) Revises demonstration, pilot, multiservice, research and multistate projects.(Sec. 120) Renames national emergency grants as national dislocated worker grants.(Sec. 121) Extends the authorization of appropriations for national activities, including programs for: (1) Native Americans; (2) migrant and seasonal farmworkers; (3) veterans' workforce investment; (4) technical assistance; (5) demonstration and pilot projects; (6) evaluations; and (7) incentive grants.(Sec. 122) Makes discretionary, rather than mandatory, the Secretary's investigation of certain allegations of violations.Eliminates a restriction on using WIA-I funds for employment generating activities, economic development activities, investment in revolving loan funds, capitalization of businesses, investment in contract bidding resource centers, and similar activities that are not directly related to training for eligible individuals under WIA-I.(Sec. 123) Exempts religious organizations from certain nondiscrimination requirements applicable to other WIA-I fund recipients, with respect to such organizations' employment of individuals of a particular religion to perform work connected with such organizations.(Sec. 124) Authorizes the Secretary to establish an expedited process for extending approved waivers to additional States.(Sec. 125) Prohibits WIA-I funds from being used to establish or operate stand-alone fee-for-service enterprises (excluding one-stop centers) that compete with private sector employment agencies.Title II: Adult Education - Part A: Adult Basic Skills and Family Literacy Education - Adult Basic Skills and Family Literacy Education Act - (Sec. 202) Revises, reauthorizes, and renames WIA-II as the Adult Basic Skills and Family Literacy Education Act (ABSFLEA) (currently the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act). Includes among its purposes assistance for immigrants in improving their reading, writing, speaking, and mathematics skills and in acquiring an understanding of the U.S. free enterprise system, individual freedom, and citizenship responsibilities.Extends through FY 2009 the authorization of appropriations for ABSFLEA programs.Requires focus on, and State demonstration of progress in, basic skills, such as English language acquisition, reading, writing, and mathematics. Directs the Secretary of Education to carry out a program of national leadership activities.Eliminates WIA-II provisions for a National Institute of Literacy. (But establishes the National Institute of Literacy in a separate Act under part B of this title.)Part B: National Institute for Literacy - National Institute for Literacy Establishment Act - (Sec. 212) Establishes a National Institute for Literacy (NIL) to be administered under the terms of an interagency agreement of the Secretaries of Education, of Labor, and of Health and Human Services (the Interagency Group). Requires the Interagency Group to appoint a Director to administer NIL, and an Interim Director in case a vacancy occurs. Directs the Secretary of Education (the Secretary under this title) to provide administrative support for NIL, after the Office of Management and Budget has approved NIL's budget.(Sec. 215) Requires the NIL Director to provide leadership for the improvement and expansion of the system for delivery of scientifically based reading instructional practices, through carrying out specified duties, including developing an Internet site for information for educators and the public on reading literacy. Authorizes the NIL Director to award fellowships to outstanding individuals who are pursuing careers in scientifically based research in reading instruction or pre-service or in-service training in reading instruction, including teaching children and adults to read. Authorizes appropriations for FY 2004 through FY 2009 for the Institute.Part C: General Provisions - (Sec. 241) Sets forth provisions for transitions under this title.Title III: Amendments to the Wagner-Peyser Act - (Sec. 301) Repeals Wagner-Peyser Act provisions relating to the U.S. Employment Service (transferring to WIA, in title I of this Act, provisions for employment system services as part of the comprehensive program for adults to be administered by State one-stop delivery system centers).Amends other Wagner-Peyser Act provisions to direct the Secretary of Labor (the Secretary under this title) to oversee a renamed nationwide workforce and labor market information system (currently a nationwide employment statistics system). Eliminates a requirement that the Secretary prepare an annual plan for cooperative management of the nationwide system and the statewide systems that comprise it. Authorizes the Secretary to assist in developing national electronic tools to aid delivery of core services and provide workforce information to individuals through one-stop and other appropriate delivery systems. Revises provisions for coordination with States to direct the Secretary: (1) through the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Employment and Training Administration to consult regularly with State agency representatives on improving the system; and (2) through BLS to conduct formal evaluations at least twice a year regarding BLS programs with representatives of each of the ten Federal regions of the Department of Labor elected from State directors of agencies performing system duties. Extends through FY 2009 the authorization of appropriations for such revised information system.Title IV: Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 - Amends the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (RA) to revise and reauthorize vocational rehabilitation services programs.(Sec. 401) Eliminates an exception to the Statewide Independent Living Council's authority and duty to select a Chairperson from among its voting membership.(Sec. 402) Places the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) in the Department of Education (currently Office of the Secretary).(Sec. 403) Directs the Secretary of Education (the Secretary under this title) to appoint an RSA Director. (Currently the President appoints an RSA Commissioner.)(Sec. 404) Requires State plans to include an assessment of how transitional services, provided under RA and coordinated with such services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), are meeting the needs of special education students moving from school to post-school activities, as well as a description of the methods to be used to improve such coordination and services.(Sec. 405) Extends through FY 2009 the authorizations of appropriations for various programs under RA.(Sec. 406) Amends the Helen Keller National Center Act to extend through FY 2004 the authorization of appropriations for such Act in general and for the Helen Keller National Center Federal Endowment Fund.Title V: Transition and Effective Date - (Sec. 501) Sets forth requirements for transitions under, and the effective date of, this Act.