Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Supportive Services Enhancement Act”.
Supportive Services Enhancement Act
A BILL
To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to update the definition of supportive services, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Supportive services
Inclusion of supportive services in definition of career pathway— Section 3(7) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102(7))—
is amended by striking “and” at the end of subparagraph (F);
in subparagraph (G), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(H) includes supportive services or provides assistance in applying for and accessing direct support services, means-tested Federal benefit programs, or similar State, tribal, or local benefit programs.”
Supportive services defined— Section 3(59) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102(59)) is amended to read as follows:
“(59) Supportive services—The term supportive services means services such as transportation, child care, dependent care, housing, food and nutrition services, mental health care supports, substance use disorder treatment, access to broadband, affordable internet connection, or digital devices with connection to the internet, assistive technology, and needs-related payments, that are necessary to enable an individual to participate in workforce development activities.”
Functions of local board— Section 107(d)(3) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3122(d)(3)) is amended, in the first sentence, by inserting “, including supportive services offered by community-based organizations,” after “resources”.
Program elements for youth workforce investment activities— Section 129(c)(2) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3164(c)(2) is amended—
by amending subparagraph (G) to read as follows:
“(G) Supportive services, including providing supportive services to eligible youth or connecting such youth to supportive services provided by another entity, to enable participation in the a summer or year-round employment program, which may include food and nutrition services, and health and mental health care supports.”
by amending subparagraph (K) to read as follows:
“(K) high-quality financial literacy education, including for eligible youth participating in a summer or year-round employment program, including education on the use of credit and financing higher education, and access to safe and affordable banking.”
Required local employment and training activities— Section 134(c) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 13 U.S.C. 3174(c)) is amended—
in paragraph (1)(A) is amended by striking clauses (iv) and (v) and inserting the following:
“(iv) to provide supportive services described in paragraph (4) to adults and dislocated workers, respectively, through the one-stop delivery system in accordance with such paragraph;”
by adding at the end the following:
“(4) Supportive services—A portion of the funds allocated to a local area for adults under paragraph (2)(A) or (3), as appropriate, of section 133(b), and a portion of the funds allocated to the local area for dislocated workers under section 133(b)(2)(B)—
“(A) shall be used to provide supportive services (that are not needs-related payments) to adults and dislocated workers, respectively—
“(i) who are participating in programs with activities authorized in paragraph (2) or (3) of subsection (c), or who entered unsubsidized employment after participating in such programs, for up to 12 months following the date of first employment; and
“(ii) who are unable to obtain such supportive services through other programs providing such services; and
“(B) may be used to provide needs-related payments to adults and dislocated workers, respectively, who are unemployed and do not qualify for (or have ceased to qualify for) unemployment compensation for the purpose of enabling such individuals to participate in programs of training services under subsection (c)(3).”