# 119-hr-8196: Workforce Data Quality Initiative Act of 2026

119-hr-8196, Workforce Data Quality Initiative Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Baumgartner, Michael [R-WA-5] (R-WA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8196
- 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-8196
- Congress: 119
- Title: Workforce Data Quality Initiative Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-04-06
- Sponsor: Rep. Baumgartner, Michael [R-WA-5] (R-WA)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Labor and Employment
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

This bill would create a new grant program to fund and build **standardized workforce data systems** across states. It would link education, employment, and training records to improve performance reporting, make labor market and credential data more timely and usable, and require privacy protections. - Workers and families would get better job and earnings tracking and access to interoperable learning and employment records they can own and share, helping with job searches and credential recognition. - State and local agencies could compete for grants that must use between 5 percent and 10 percent of certain reserved WIOA funds each year. Grants may last up to 3 years and require privacy plans, sustainability strategies, and reporting to the Secretary. - Training providers, employers, and researchers would gain clearer performance measures under section 116, more standardized credential data, and improved multistate labor market information for hiring and program design.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Grants to improve workforce data: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would create a Workforce Data Quality Initiative to fund state and multistate data systems. The Secretary of Labor would set aside between 5% and 10% of amounts made available under WIOA section 132(a)(2)(A) each program year for grants, and could also use funds under section 1…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-2570: Maximum Pressure Act
- 119-hr-4895: Afghan Adjustment Act
- 119-hr-1229: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025
- 119-hr-2619: No Paydays for Hostage-Takers Act
- 119-hr-4206: CONNECT for Health Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-8196 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8196)

## Related
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-2570: Maximum Pressure Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2570)
- [119-hr-4895: Afghan Adjustment Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4895)
- [119-hr-1229: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1229)
- [119-hr-2619: No Paydays for Hostage-Takers Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2619)
- [119-hr-4206: CONNECT for Health Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4206)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8196 (as of 2026-04-21).