S. 1400

119th CONGRESS 1st Session

To amend the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to strengthen adult education.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES · April 9, 2025 · Sponsor: Mr. Reed · Committee: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

S. 1400

SEC. 1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the or the .

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
- Section 3 () is amended— 29 U.S.C. 3102
(c) State workforce development boards
- Section 101 () is amended— 29 U.S.C. 3111
  - in subsection (b)(1)(C)(ii)(IV), by inserting after ; and
  - in subsection (d)—
    - in paragraph (7)(A), by striking ;
    - in paragraph (11), by striking and at the end;
    - by redesignating paragraph (12) as paragraph (13); and
      - 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
    - by inserting after paragraph (11) the following:
(d) Program specifics for State plans
- Section 102(b)(2) () is amended— 29 U.S.C. 3112(b)(2)
  - in subparagraph (D)(ii)—
    - integrated education and training, including how costs for such activities will be shared among relevant core programs;
    - in subclause (II), by striking item (dd) and inserting the following:
    - in subclause (V), by adding at the end; and
      - 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;
    - by adding at the end the following:
  - in subparagraph (E)(iii)(II), by inserting after .
(e) Local boards
- Section 107 () is amended— 29 U.S.C. 3122
  - (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.
  - in subsection (c)(1), by adding at the end the following:
  - in subsection (d)—
    - in paragraph (5), by striking secondary and postsecondary educationand inserting secondary, postsecondary, and adult education;
    - in paragraph (7)(C)—
      - (i) by inserting after ;
      - (ii) by inserting after ; and
      - (iii) by inserting after ; and
      - (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.
    - by adding at the end the following:
(f) Local plans
- Section 108 () is amended— 29 U.S.C. 3123
  - in subsection (b)(13), by inserting after ; and
  - in subsection (d)(3), by inserting after .
(g) Indicators of performance
- Section 116(b)(2)(A) () is amended— 29 U.S.C. 3141(b)(2)(A)
  - the percentages of program participants who, during participation in the program—
  - obtain a recognized postsecondary credential or a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent; and
  - 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;
  - the percentages of program participants who, within 1 year after exit from the program—
  - obtain a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent;
  - have obtained or retained employment; and
  - are in an education or training program leading to a recognized postsecondary credential; and
  - in clause (i), by striking subclauses (IV) and (V) and inserting the following:
    - (iii) 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.
  - by striking clause (iii) and inserting the following:
  - in clause (iv), by striking clauses (i)(VI)and inserting clause (i)(VI).
(h) Common participant individual record layout
- Section 116 () is amended by adding at the end the following: 29 U.S.C. 3141
  - (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 () is amended— 29 U.S.C. 3151
  - in subsection (d)(2)(B)—
    - by redesignating clauses (ii) through (vi) as clauses (iii) through (vii), respectively; and
      - (ii) a public library;
    - by inserting after clause (i) the following:
  - in subsection (e)—
    - 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);
      - (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—
        
        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;
        
        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
        
        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.
    - by adding at the end the following:
(j) Digital literacy skills; information literacy skills
- Section 134(c) () is amended— 29 U.S.C. 3174(c)
  - in paragraph (2)(A)—
    - in clause (iii), by inserting after ; and
    - in clause (xii)(VI), by inserting after ; and
  - in paragraph (3)(D)—
    - by redesignating clauses (x) and (xi) as clauses (xii) and (xiii), respectively; and
      - (x) digital literacy skills training; and
      - (xi) information literacy skills training;
    - by inserting after clause (ix) the following:
(k) Library-Based and community-Based college and career navigators
- Subtitle D of title I is amended by inserting after section 171 () the following: 29 U.S.C. 3226
  - (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 entity
    - In this section, the term eligible entity means a partnership between a State board or local board and 1 or more of the following:
      - A community-based organization.
      - A library (as defined in section 213 of the Library Services and Technology Act ()) that offers workforce development activities at no cost to individuals. 20 U.S.C. 9122
  - (c) Grants authorized
    - From funds made available under section 172(g), the Secretary is authorized to make grants to eligible entities to carry out the purpose of this section.
  - (d) Application
    - To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an eligible entity shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.
  - (e) Uses of funds
    - (1) In general
      - An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall use funds made available through the grant to establish a college and career navigator program within the library, community-based organization, or agency that is a partner of such eligible entity.
    - (2) Activities of program
      - A college and career navigator program established under paragraph (1) may hire, train, support, or retain 1 or more college and career navigators to provide career navigation services in coordination with a State or local workforce development system.
(l) Authorization of appropriations
- Section 172 () is amended by adding at the end the following: 20 U.S.C. 3227
  - (g) Library-Based and community-Based navigators
    - There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 171A, $135,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 and each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.

TITLE II—Adult Education and Literacy

Sec. 201. Purpose

Section 202(1) of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act () is amended— 29 U.S.C. 3271(1)
- by inserting after ; and
- by striking and economic self-sufficiencyand inserting , economic self-sufficiency, and full participation in all aspects of adult life.

Sec. 202. Definitions

Section 203 of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act () is amended— 29 U.S.C. 3272
- in paragraph (1)—
- by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (9) and (10) through (17) as paragraphs (6) through (12) and (14) through (21), respectively;
- by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
- in paragraph (7), as redesignated by paragraph (2), in subparagraph (C)(i), by striking is basic skills deficientand inserting has foundational skills needs;
- in paragraph (9), as redesignated by paragraph (2), in subparagraph (B)(i)—
- in paragraph (12), as redesignated by paragraph (2), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting after ;
- by inserting after paragraph (12), as redesignated by paragraph (2), the following:
- in paragraph (15), as redesignated by paragraph (2), by inserting after ;
- in paragraph (17), as redesignated by paragraph (2), by striking and solve problems, at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job, in the family of the individual, and in societyand inserting solve problems, and use digital literacy skills and information literacy skills at levels of proficiency necessary to function effectively as an employee, a parent or family member, and a member of society; and
- in paragraph (21), as redesignated by paragraph (2)—

Sec. 203. Authorization of appropriations

Section 206 of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act () is amended by striking this titleand all that follows through the period at the end and inserting this title $810,000,000 for fiscal year 2026, $945,000,000 for fiscal year 2027, inserting,080,000,000 for fiscal year 2028, inserting,215,000,000 for fiscal year 2029, and inserting,350,000,000 for fiscal year 2030.. 29 U.S.C. 3275

Sec. 204. Reservation of funds

Section 211 of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act () is amended in subsection (a)(1), by striking striking5,000,000and inserting 5,000,000. 29 U.S.C. 3291

Sec. 205. Performance and accountability system

Section 212 of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act () is amended to read as follows: 29 U.S.C. 3292
- (a) In general
  - (1) In general
    - Except as provided in subsection (b), programs and activities authorized under this title are subject to all of the performance accountability provisions described in section 116.
  - (2) Additional measurable skill gains
    - With respect to the application to programs and activities authorized under this title of the indicator of measurable skill gains under section 116(b)(2)(A)(i)(IV), such measurable skill gains may include those relating to the purpose described in section 202.
- (b) Pilot for innovative performance accountability systems
  - (1) In general
    - The Secretary shall approve an application from an eligible agency to pilot, for a subset of eligible providers within its State and as an alternative to the performance accountability system described in section 116, an innovative performance accountability system that uses alternative indicators of performance that have the potential to more accurately reflect the objectives and adult education and literacy activities of the eligible providers’ programs if the Secretary determines that an application from such an eligible agency meets the requirements of this subsection.
  - (2) Pilot period
    - An eligible agency applying to pilot an innovative performance accountability system under this subsection shall propose in its application the period of time that the agency desires to implement such system, except that the period shall not exceed 5 years.
  - (3) Extension of a pilot period
    - The Secretary shall approve an eligible agency’s request to extend the period of a pilot under this subsection if the Secretary determines that the innovative performance system is meeting the objectives of this subsection.
  - (4) Application
    - (A) In general
      - An eligible agency desiring to undertake a pilot under this subsection shall submit an application at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may require.
    - (B) Contents
      - An application described in subparagraph (A) shall include—
        
        (i) a description of how the eligible agency engaged in an outreach process with eligible providers within its State to—
        
        inform the eligible providers of the opportunity to implement a pilot under this subsection; and
        
        engage with the eligible providers in the development of alternative indicators of performance;
        
        (ii) an explanation of whether and how the eligible agency established any standards or criteria for the alternative measures of performance that participating eligible providers could elect to use;
        
        (iii) a listing of the eligible providers that will participate in the proposed pilot and a description of the indicators of performance that each such provider will make use of through the pilot;
        
        (iv) a description of why the eligible agency and the participating eligible providers believe the proposed indicators of performance would more accurately measure the attainment of the objectives of such providers’ adult education and literacy activities than would the indicators of performance described in section 116(b)(2);
        
        (v) an explanation of how the proposed indicators of performance will be valid and reliable measures of education and employment consistent with purposes of this title;
        
        (vi) a description of how the eligible agency will collect, report to the Secretary, and make publicly available the proposed indicators of performance from each participating eligible provider on a timely basis; and
        
        (vii) an assurance that the eligible agency will, at the end of the pilot period, report to the Secretary on the outcomes of the pilot, including on whether the eligible agency met the objectives of the pilot.
    - (C) Secretarial review and approval
      - The Secretary shall determine whether to approve an application under this subsection by not later than 90 days of receiving the application.
    - (D) Disapproval
      - The Secretary shall not disapprove an application under this subsection without giving the applicant the opportunity to revise and resubmit the application.
  - (5) Additional secretarial responsibilities
    - The Secretary shall—
      - through the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences, carry out national evaluations of the implementation and outcomes of the pilots authorized under this subsection, with the first such evaluation to be completed not later than 5 years after the Secretary approves the first application from an eligible entity;
      - in consultation with the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences, identify best practices in the development and implementation of innovative performance accountability systems under this subsection;
      - disseminate information on those practices, including by making the information available on the website of the Department of Education; and
      - provide a report to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Education and Workforce of the House of Representatives on the results of the pilot program, including a comparison of the outcomes as measured by the innovative performance accountability systems implemented under this subsection and the performance measures described in section 116.

Sec. 206. Matching requirement

Section 222(b) of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act () is amended by inserting after paragraph (2) the following: 29 U.S.C. 3302(b)
- (3) Public availability of information on matching funds
  - Each eligible agency shall maintain, on the website of such agency and in an easily accessible format, information documenting the non-Federal contributions made available to adult education and literacy programs pursuant to this subsection, including the sources of such contributions and, in the case of funds made available by the State, the distribution of such funds to eligible providers.

Sec. 207. State leadership activities

Section 223(a) of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act () is amended— 29 U.S.C. 3303(a)
- in paragraph (1)(C)—
  - in clause (i), by striking programs,and inserting , family literacy,; and
  - in clause (iii), by inserting after ; and
- in paragraph (2)—
  - in subparagraph (B), by inserting after ;
  - by redesignating subparagraphs (E) through (L) and subparagraph (M), as subparagraphs (F) through (M) and subparagraph (O), respectively;
    - Developing content and models for family literacy programs.
  - by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following:
  - in subparagraph (J), as redesignated by subparagraph (B), in clause (i), by striking and English language acquisitionand inserting English language acquisition, digital literacy skills, and information literacy skills;
  - in subparagraph (K), as redesignated by subparagraph (B), by inserting after ;
  - in subparagraph (L), as redesignated by subparagraph (B)—
    - (i) by striking adult learners with learning disabilities orand inserting specific groups of adult learners, such as those with learning disabilities, those at the lowest levels of literacy, or those who are; and
    - (ii) by striking at the lowest achievement levelsand inserting in appropriate and meaningful ways; and
      - Strengthening the quality of adult education and literacy programs in the State through support for improved credentials, program quality standards, and certification and accreditation requirements.
  - by inserting after subparagraph (M), as redesignated by subparagraph (B), the following:

Sec. 208. Grants and contracts for eligible providers

Section 231 of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act () is amended— 29 U.S.C. 3321
- in subsection (d), by striking subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 203(4)and inserting subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 203(8); and
- in subsection (e)(2), by striking learning disabilitiesand inserting learning differences.

Sec. 209. Local administrative cost limits

Section 233(a) of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act () is amended— 29 U.S.C. 3323(a)
- in paragraph (1), by inserting after ; and
- in paragraph (2), by striking .

Sec. 210. National leadership activities

Section 242 of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act () is amended— 29 U.S.C. 3332
- in subsection (b)—
  - assistance to help States meet the requirements of section 116 in order to ensure—
    - that the outcomes and other data required pursuant to section 116 are collected and reported in a timely and accessible manner; and
    - that such data are reported consistently across States and eligible providers and are reviewed for quality and consistency at the Federal level.
  - by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
  - by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (4) as paragraphs (5) through (7), respectively; and
    - technical assistance to participating eligible agencies and eligible providers in implementing innovative performance accountability systems under section 212(b)(1);
    - grants to such agencies and providers to assist them in implementing such systems;
    - carrying out the national evaluations required under section 212(b)(5)(A);
  - by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
- in subsection (c)—
  - in paragraph (1)(C), by inserting after ; and
  - in paragraph (2)—
    - (i) in subparagraph (C)(vii)—
    - in the matter preceding subclause (I), by striking best practicesand inserting effective practices;
    - in subclause (I), by striking adults with learning disabilities and withand inserting specific populations, such as adults with learning differences, adults with the lowest levels of literacy or numeracy, adults who are supporting the education of their children, and;
    - by redesignating subclauses (III) and (IV) as subclauses (IV) and (V), respectively;
      - family literacy programs;
    - by inserting after subclause (II) the following:
    - in subclause (IV), as redesignated by subclause (III), by inserting after ;
    - (ii) in subparagraph (D)—
    - in clause (ii), by inserting after ; and
    - in clause (iii), by inserting after ;
    - (iii) in subparagraph (F), by striking after the semicolon;
    - (iv) by redesignating subparagraph (G) as subparagraph (K); and
    - (v) by inserting after subparagraph (F) the following:
      - developing and rigorously evaluating model programs for the preparation of highly effective adult educators;
      - carrying out initiatives to support the professionalization of adult education through the creation and implementation of full-time staffing models;
      - providing professional development and technical assistance to adult educators that is designed to help ensure that adult education and family literacy programs build pathways to future success for all adult learners; and
      - strengthening the quality of adult education and literacy programs through support for improved credentials, program quality standards, and certification and accreditation requirements that States may adopt on a voluntary basis; and

Sec. 211. Integrated English literacy and civics education

Section 243 of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act () is amended— 29 U.S.C. 3333
- in subsection (a), by striking ; and
- in subsection (c), by striking designedand all that follows through the period at the end and inserting the following: .