Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
This bill adds a new Section 172 to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act creating an Ex-offenders Reentry Program Start-up Grants program. It authorizes competitive grants and pay-for-performance contracts for up to four years to eligible entities to provide workforce training, job placement, mentoring, and related reentry activities, sets matching and administrative limits, excludes grant-funded substance abuse, mental health, and housing services (while allowing coordination), requires performance reporting and an independent evaluation, and specifies that no new appropriations are authorized.
Use of existing WIOA funds versus new appropriations concerns
Narrow, administratively focused bill likely to attract bipartisan support but must clear committee and funding linkages.
This bill adds a new Section 172 to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act creating an Ex-offenders Reentry Program Start-up Grants program.
It authorizes competitive grants and pay-for-performance contracts for up to four years to eligible entities to provide workforce training, job placement, mentoring, and related reentry activities, sets matching and administrative limits, excludes grant-funded substance abuse, mental health, and housing services (while allowing coordination), requires performance reporting and an independent evaluation, and specifies that no new appropriations are authorized.
Modest, technical expansion of WIOA with no new funding reduces fiscal resistance, but passage hinges on committee priority and appropriations.
How solid the drafting looks.
Use of existing WIOA funds versus new appropriations concerns
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Use of existing WIOA funds versus new appropriations concerns
Generally supportive of programs that reduce recidivism and expand employment for formerly incarcerated people.
Concerned that the ban on using funds for substance abuse, mental health, and housing services and the high matching and pay-for-performance emphasis could undermine comprehensive reentry support and disadvantage smaller community providers.
Favors evidence-based workforce reentry efforts, accountability, and employer ties while being cautious about fiscal and implementation details.
Sees value in evaluations and performance reporting but worries about funding source, matching burdens, and service exclusions that could limit effectiveness.
Likely supportive because the bill promotes employment, employer-led training, pay-for-performance, matching contributions, and does not create new appropriations.
May still question federal program expansion or administrative details but generally favors the work-first approach.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Modest, technical expansion of WIOA with no new funding reduces fiscal resistance, but passage hinges on committee priority and appropriations.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Use of existing WIOA funds versus new appropriations concerns
Modest, technical expansion of WIOA with no new funding reduces fiscal resistance, but passage hinges on committee priority and appropriati…
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