Strengthening Communities through Summer Employment Act

This bill would fund more paid summer jobs for young people and let programs try new ideas that boost school success, employment, and community safety. It would set aside $200 million in 2026, rising to $240 million in 2030, for Labor Department grants to run and improve these programs. Money would be split mostly to expand programs (45%) and to test innovative add‑ons (45%), with the rest for program evaluations (5%) and a federal advisory board (5%).

To qualify, programs must offer paid summer work for at least 4 weeks to people under 25; pay at least the highest minimum wage in the area; match youth with employers; provide coaching and mentoring; help with next steps after summer; support employers; and offer training like digital skills and financial literacy. Grants would favor communities with higher youth unemployment and violent crime, programs with strong quality, and those serving more underserved youth, including rural and suburban areas . Programs may add supports like one‑on‑one mentoring; small‑group training and tutoring; social‑emotional learning; help with food, housing, and transportation; mental health and addiction treatment; continued support after summer; virtual learning to build digital skills; “learn and earn” options; more private‑sector jobs in in‑demand fields; city‑issued digital badges; and multi‑summer job ladders. Each grantee must measure results and take part in independent studies that track graduation, college, jobs, wages, and crime 1, 3, and 5 years after the program, using strong research methods when possible. A federal advisory board would review applications, share best practices, identify new ideas, and publish a database of impact studies.

• Who is affected: Youth under 25; states, cities/counties, and nonprofits that run summer youth employment programs .
• What changes: More paid summer jobs with required supports; options to add mentoring, training, mental health help, and other services; funding mainly for expansion and innovation, with set-asides for evaluation and oversight .
• When: Funding would run from 2026 through 2030; impact evaluations must begin within 3 years of a program first receiving support .