Sponsors (2)
The bill invests a portion of WIOA funds to build connected education–workforce data systems that can improve training alignment, accountability, and individual credential portability, but it shifts money away from direct services and raises privacy and equity risks unless protections and supplemental funding are provided.
State agencies (and local partners) gain dedicated grant funding (5–10% of WIOA section 132(a)(2)(A) annually) to build or upgrade statewide longitudinal education–workforce data systems.
Unemployed workers, students, and employers get more timely, standardized labor‑market and skills data so training programs can be better aligned to in‑demand occupations and improve job matching.
States will be better able to report employment and earnings outcomes for WIOA accountability, strengthening program evaluation and evidence‑based decision making that affects service delivery.
Unemployed workers and local workforce programs may see reduced direct services because 5–10% of WIOA funds are redirected to grants for data systems unless Congress provides additional funding.
Students' and workers' personal education and employment records will be collected and linked at greater scale, increasing the risk of privacy breaches or misuse if data protections are insufficient.
Grant‑funded data systems could enable expanded employer or third‑party access to worker data, creating potential commercial uses or unanticipated sharing of individuals' records.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates competitive grants (funded by 5–10% of certain WIOA funds) to build statewide longitudinal workforce and education data systems that link UI wage records, LMI, and WIOA data.
Official title: Amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to establish a grant program for a workforce data quality initiative, and for other purposes.
Introduced April 23, 2026 by John Wright Hickenlooper · Last progress April 23, 2026
Creates a new competitive grant program that uses 5–10% of certain WIOA state funding (with authority to use other available funds) to help states build and improve statewide longitudinal workforce data systems that link education, labor market, unemployment insurance wage records, and WIOA program data. Grants fund activities to improve data quality, standardization, privacy/security, reporting for performance measures, real-time labor market information, and capacity to produce evidence and meet accountability requirements.