Sponsors (35)
Introduced April 14, 2025 by Josh Harder · Last progress April 14, 2025
The bill directs federal funds to expand coordinated, employer-aligned youth workforce programs and accountability, improving job readiness for many young people, while increasing federal spending and administrative requirements that may favor larger providers and narrow educational supports.
Children, teens, and young adults will gain expanded, multi-year, coordinated workforce-readiness programs nationwide that include mentoring, paid work experiences, occupational training, and pathways to recognized postsecondary credentials.
Nonprofit providers and program recipients will receive predictable multi-year grant support and targeted funding (including national grantee opportunities), enabling program stability, scaling, and improved administrative capacity to deliver services.
Students and employers will benefit from stronger alignment between training and local labor-market needs because programs require employer engagement, credential pathways, and coordination with schools and workforce systems.
Local boards, schools, state agencies, and nonprofit providers will face substantial new administrative and compliance burdens to form councils, apply for grants, collect performance data, disclose budgets, and meet program criteria—diverting staff time and resources from direct services.
Taxpayers will bear new federal spending—authorized at $100 million per year (totaling $500 million over five years)—which increases federal outlays and could affect deficits or crowd out other priorities.
Authorization does not guarantee appropriations: communities and providers may still face funding uncertainty if Congress declines to appropriate the authorized amounts.
Based on analysis of 10 sections of legislative text.
Requires local youth councils and funds competitive grants to national youth organizations to run out‑of‑school workforce readiness programs for youth.
Requires local workforce development boards to create youth councils and directs the Department of Labor to award competitive grants to national youth‑serving entities to develop and run out‑of‑school workforce readiness programs for young people. The bill defines eligible youth (ages 6–18, or 19 if still in secondary school), sets program and application requirements, requires data collection and evaluations, and authorizes $100 million per year for FY2026–2030.