Sponsors (3)
The bill offers guaranteed, well-paid public jobs with health benefits and supportive services to reduce unemployment in high-need areas, but does so at significant federal cost and administrative complexity with risks of short-termism and private-sector crowding out.
Residents (18+) in high-unemployment areas gain access to guaranteed paid public jobs when they apply, directly reducing local unemployment and providing immediate income.
Program participants receive wages at or above the applicable standard and benefits including FEHB-level health insurance and paid family/sick leave, improving earnings stability and access to health care and leave.
Grants fund supportive services (child care, transportation, housing, needs payments) and training, lowering barriers to work and supporting workforce participation and reentry for justice-involved individuals.
Requiring wages at prevailing/collective/minimum levels plus FEHB-equivalent insurance and paid leave raises program costs substantially, likely increasing federal spending and taxpayer burden.
Public jobs and grant funding risk crowding out private hiring or displacing existing public positions and could shift local public budgets, potentially reducing private-sector job growth in affected communities.
Complex eligibility, reporting, auditing, and IT requirements create administrative burdens for local and Tribal governments applying for grants, increasing implementation costs and capacity challenges.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes a DOL competitive pilot to fund local and Tribal programs that guarantee employment to residents 18+ in very high-unemployment areas with specified wage and benefit floors.
Introduced February 12, 2026 by Cory Anthony Booker · Last progress February 12, 2026
Creates a Department of Labor competitive pilot grant program that funds local governments, Tribal entities, or contiguous combinations located in high-unemployment areas to run a guaranteed-employment program. Eligible areas must have unemployment at least 150% of the national rate; any resident aged 18 or older may apply and be offered a job that runs for the pilot’s duration, pays a defined minimum wage floor, and provides health insurance and paid leave benefits. Grants run up to three years and include rules on collective bargaining coverage, compensation, benefits, and disciplinary procedures.