# 119-hr-8181: Critical Industry Skills Act

119-hr-8181, Critical Industry Skills Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Messmer, Mark B. [R-IN-8] (R-IN); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8181
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-8181
- Congress: 119
- Title: Critical Industry Skills Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-04-02
- Sponsor: Rep. Messmer, Mark B. [R-IN-8] (R-IN)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Labor and Employment
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**Creates state-run funds that pay employers and training partners for industry-focused skills training tied to job placement.** This bill would let Governors reserve a portion of WIOA allotments to fund competency-based, employer-led training and to reward programs with performance-based, per-worker payments. - Workers and youth: More short, work-based and competency-based training would be supported, including for youth ages 18–24, with payments tied to program completion and a six-month job retention milestone. - Employers and small businesses: Participating employers could receive staged, per-worker payments after completion and after six months of employment. Federal cost shares are capped at up to 90 percent for firms with 25 or fewer employees, 75 percent for firms with 26–99 employees, and 50 percent for firms with 100 or more employees. - States and partnerships: Governors may reserve up to 10 percent of certain state allotments, require matching from state or other federal sources, award grants to industry or sector partnerships (grants up to 2 years), and run priority competitions for high-growth or high-wage industries with required performance reporting and annual state reports to the Secretary.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Better Reporting, Assessments, and Notices: benefit, medium. Local workforce boards and training providers would have to use quarterly wage records and the National Directory of New Hires for performance reporting. States would work with employers and colleges to approve and share competency-based assessments that can give credentials or college credit and h…
- Grants for Employer Partnerships and Pathways: benefit, medium. A State could establish a Partnership and Career Pathways Fund to award grants up to two years to employer-led partnerships in State high-growth industries. Grants must prioritize geographic diversity, sustainability, and serving people with barriers to employment. Applications must include an empl…
- Per-Worker Payments for Industry Jobs: benefit, medium. A State could create a Critical Industry Skills Fund to pay staged, per-worker payments to employers or intermediaries for eligible skills programs. Payments would be split: part after program completion and the rest after six months of employment with the hiring employer. Federal share caps depend…
- Governor can Reserve State Workforce Funds: mixed, medium. This bill would let a Governor reserve up to 10% of certain State workforce allotments to create two new State funds. Reserved money must be matched with other Governor reservations, other Federal funds, or State funds. The Governor could not reserve more than the amount they commit from those matc…
- New Rules for State Fund Allocations: mixed, low. Reallocations among local workforce areas would be provided as performance-based incentive payments. To get reallocated youth, adult, or dislocated worker funds, a local area would need an average of 100% of its local performance across all indicators for the most recent year and no Governor correc…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-3633: Digital Asset Market Clarity Act
- 119-hr-2725: Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025
- 119-hr-2570: Maximum Pressure Act
- 119-hr-4317: PBM Reform Act of 2025
- 119-hr-471: Fix Our Forests Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-8181 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8181)

## Related
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-3633: Digital Asset Market Clarity Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3633)
- [119-hr-2725: Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2725)
- [119-hr-2570: Maximum Pressure Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2570)
- [119-hr-4317: PBM Reform Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4317)
- [119-hr-471: Fix Our Forests Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-471)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8181 (as of 2026-04-21).