Federal Jobs Guarantee Development Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Representative Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12]
Introduced
Summary
Creates a federal job guarantee pilot that would fund guaranteed, paid jobs with health insurance, paid family and sick leave, and training in communities with high unemployment. It would award competitive grants to local governments and Tribal entities to run programs that meet wage and benefit standards.
Show full summary
- Residents and workers: People 18 and older in eligible areas would be offered jobs that meet a local wage floor, provide health insurance comparable to the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program, and include paid family and sick leave. The program also funds up to eight weeks of paid training and supports like child care, transportation, housing, and reentry services.
- Local governments and Tribal entities: Areas with unemployment at least 150 percent of the national rate could apply for grants. The Secretary would select at most 15 grantees and fund projects for up to three years.
- Employers and hiring incentives: The Work Opportunity Tax Credit would expand to cover hires who spent at least three months in a job guarantee program within the prior six months for employees who start after December 31, 2026.
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Higher pay and benefits for workers
If enacted, jobs created under the pilot would pay at least the highest of the applicable local required wage, a comparable federal prevailing wage, or any union wage. Employers would provide health insurance similar to the Federal Employee Health Benefits program. Jobs would include at minimum paid family leave and paid sick leave and up to eight weeks of paid training. Grant funds could also pay for child care, transportation, housing help, reentry supports, adult education, and financial literacy. Grantees could not use funds to displace current employees or break contracts.
Tax credit for hiring program grads
If enacted, the bill would add job guarantee graduates to the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. Employers could claim the credit for hiring someone certified to have participated at least three months in a job guarantee program during the six months before the hire. This change would apply to workers who begin work after December 31, 2026.
Federal agencies can offer pilot jobs
If enacted, the Secretary would ask federal agencies what jobs they can offer under the pilot and require agencies to report that information. Agency placements would follow the pilot's wage and benefit rules and federal hires could last up to three years per person. Agency jobs would be posted on the program website. At the end of each fiscal year, the Secretary would reimburse agencies from the program trust fund for the full cost of employing participants.
Pilot grants for local job programs
If enacted, this would create a competitive pilot to fund up to 15 local job guarantee programs. Eligible areas must have unemployment at least 150% of the national rate and grants would generally last up to three years. Applicants would need to provide local data on unemployment, poverty, housing, crime, and job demand, and must post all jobs on a public website. Grantees would file yearly reports within 90 days after each calendar year. The Labor Inspector General would audit grants, and the Secretary could recoup funds or revoke eligibility for misuse. A rigorous federal evaluation would study employment, poverty, health, incarceration, environment, and local impacts.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12]
NJ • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5]
MN • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12]
PA • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10]
NJ • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]
MI • D
Sponsored 2/24/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov