Federal RuleAug 21
62
DOL Rewrites Disability Rules for 'Merit-Based Opportunity' Push
RuleLabor DepartmentFederal Contract Compliance Programs OfficeSignificant Wallet
119-s-4957119th CongressWALLET
A bill to improve the administration of the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and for other purposes.
Sponsored By: Senator Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA]
Introduced
Summary
Would require Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership centers to hold mandatory cooperative agreements and tighten financial oversight and operator transitions. The bill would add explicit financial-management reviews, speed required reevaluations, and constrain sanctions to cases with non-positive evaluations.
Show full summary
- HMEP centers and operators: Would require the Secretary to enter cooperative agreements for eligible centers and add financial-management evaluations, including monitoring for potential fraud or misuse.
- Probation and performance checks: Would convert some probation steps into required actions and force a reevaluation no later than 180 days to determine if deficiencies were remedied or showed significant improvement.
- Operator transitions and timelines: If a center fails to improve, the Secretary must start a competition within 30 days and run an application window up to 90 days, and remaining financial assistance would be transferred to the selected operator.
- Limits on adverse actions: The Secretary could not suspend, cancel, or decline to renew assistance unless a center's evaluation is not positive. All changes are subject to the availability of appropriations.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
Faster competitions and fund transfers
If your HMEP Center is placed on probation, the bill would require a reevaluation within 180 days after the probation notice. The bill would change a permissive probation step into a required one. If the center fails to fix problems before probation ends, the Secretary would start a competition within 30 days. Application windows for those competitions could not exceed 90 days, and the Secretary would pick an operator within 30 days after the window closes. If financial assistance is not renewed or is canceled, the Secretary would start a competition within 30 days and transfer any remaining allocated funds to the selected operator, subject to available appropriations. These rules would take effect upon enactment.
Mandatory awards and financial oversight
If you run or apply to run an HMEP Center, this bill would require the Secretary to use cooperative agreements for eligible centers. Evaluations would explicitly include financial-management reviews, including checks for fraud and misuse of funds. The Secretary would only be able to suspend, cancel, or not renew assistance when a center's evaluation is not positive. These changes would take effect upon enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA]
CA • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Husted, Jon [R-OH]
OH • R
Sponsored 7/13/2026
Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ]
NJ • D
Sponsored 7/13/2026
Sen. Moreno, Bernie [R-OH]
OH • R
Sponsored 7/13/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov