One Door to Work Act
Sponsored By: Representative Owens, Burgess [R-UT-4]
Introduced
Summary
State Innovation Demonstration Authority would let states test consolidated funding and targeted waivers under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to redesign youth and adult job training. The bill focuses on five-year demonstrations with rigorous third-party evaluations to identify what improves outcomes for jobseekers, employers, and taxpayers.
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- Jobseekers and priority groups: Prioritizes veterans, people on public assistance, low-income individuals, and those with basic skills gaps, and requires projects to enroll at or above historical or negotiated targets.
- States and local areas: A State, local area, or consortium could receive a consolidated sum equal to its usual allotments for each fiscal year of a 5-year demonstration, with administrative costs capped at 10% annually.
- Accountability and limits: Projects are capped at 8 per State and 8 per local/consortium per 5-year period, must undergo third-party evaluation with reports to Congress, and face sanctions or renewal ineligibility if agreed performance levels are not met.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.
More flexible job-training grants for states
This bill would let States apply to combine youth, adult, and dislocated worker funds into one five-year grant. Each year, the approved State, local area, or consortium would get the full combined funds to run its project. Projects would have to serve more people than before, or meet a pre-set minimum number. Services would give priority to veterans and spouses, people on public assistance, low‑income people, and those with basic skills needs. No more than 10% of the grant could be used for admin costs each year.
Flexible rules for demo job programs
For approved demonstrations, the Secretary could waive many program rules for the State or local area. Waivers would only apply during the demonstration period. Some protections could not be waived, like performance reporting, board membership rules, and priority of service.
Tough performance rules for demos
A demo area's results would not count toward the State’s normal totals while the demo runs. The State would set new performance agreements for areas not in the demo. Sanctions could start in year three if goals are missed, and those demos could not be renewed. Each demo would last five years. To renew for five more years, it would need to meet targets in each of the last three years and show at least a 5% average improvement in the final year. Performance goals would be adjusted each year for participant mix and the economy.
Stronger reporting and faster approvals
Projects would send yearly reports on outcomes and accountability. Within 180 days of the first approval, the Secretary would hire an outside evaluator to study each five-year project. Results would go to Congress within two years after each project ends. The Secretary would have 60 days to approve or give a written initial disapproval of a State’s application. If the Secretary does not act in time (and no special limits apply), the application would be treated as approved.
Caps on state and local demos
The Secretary could approve no more than eight State-level demos and eight local-area demos in each five-year period. Each State could have only one approved demonstration. A local-area demo would count as that State’s single project. These caps could limit where the new model is available.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Owens, Burgess [R-UT-4]
UT • R
Cosponsors
Biggs (SC)
SC • R
Sponsored 4/23/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov