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HR8210119th CongressWALLET

A Stronger Workforce for America Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Representative Walberg, Tim [R-MI-5]

In Committee

Summary

This bill would rename and reauthorize WIOA as the A Stronger Workforce for America Act of 2026 and would modernize and expand the national workforce system. It shifts Title II Adult Education into the Department of Labor, creates new competitive funds and pilots, tightens performance and data rules, and reforms Job Corps into residential 'Campuses'.

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  • Workers and jobseekers: Expands training choices, emphasizes foundational, digital and AI literacy, and requires at least 50% of local adult/dislocated funds be used for training services. It also adds employer‑directed contracts, incumbent worker upskilling accounts, and pay‑for‑performance options.
  • Youth, community colleges, and training providers: Boosts youth apprenticeship, pre‑apprenticeship, and YouthBuild supports, and funds Job Corps campuses. Annual authorizations include about $1.8 billion for Job Corps and $105 million for YouthBuild.
  • States, regions, and agencies: Strengthens state plans, regional consortium options, public provider/talent marketplaces, machine‑readable reporting, and a Workforce Data Quality Initiative using 5–10% of certain funds. Title II moves to Labor one year after enactment.

*Includes explicit annual authorizations across programs, for example about $1.8 billion for Job Corps, $1.3 billion for Dislocated Worker activities, and $729.2 million for Adult Education through FY2027–2032.*

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

23 provisions identified: 11 benefits, 0 costs, 12 mixed.

Annual program funding authorizations

If enacted, the bill would authorize multi‑year appropriations for key workforce programs for FY2027–FY2032. Examples include Job Corps at about $1.76 billion per year, Youth programs $948 million/year, Adult programs $876 million/year, Dislocated Worker programs $1.33 billion/year, Strengthening Community Colleges $65 million/year, Native American programs $62.5 million/year, Migrant farmworker programs $97.396 million/year, and Wagner‑Peyser workforce info $52.892 million/year.

Adult education moved to Labor

If enacted, Title II adult education would move from Education to the Department of Labor one year after enactment and be authorized at $729.2 million per year for FY2027–FY2032. Programs would add digital and AI literacy, postsecondary preparation, and workforce-aligned instruction. Eligible agencies would have to pay multiyear providers within 45 days of award and Title II would be subject to performance accountability and public reporting. States would get new authority and funding to develop data matching, instructional materials, and provider incentives.

More training money and ITA rules

If enacted, local workforce areas would have to use at least 50% of certain funds for training services. A new Job Training Grants pool would return 12% of funds to the Treasury each year and set aside $65 million for community college programs. Individual training accounts (ITAs) would generally have a $5,000 minimum and a 5-year lookback on prior ITA use. Rapid response would explicitly give eligible dislocated workers access to ITAs and add layoff-aversion tools and remote‑worker support.

Native, migrant, and SUD workforce help

If enacted, Native American program grants would be limited to 15% admin costs, allowed to transfer unobligated funds, and must report performance publicly. Migrant and seasonal farmworker grants would also have a 10% admin cap, require wage‑record evaluations, add digital literacy training, and publish annual reports. National Dislocated Worker Grants could fund jobs and training for substance use disorder prevention and treatment in high‑need areas and would collect and publish non‑PII performance data.

New reentry employment grants

If enacted, the bill would create a Reentry Employment Opportunities Program and authorize $110 million per year for FY2027–FY2032. Grants would fund projects for justice‑involved adults and youth, require at least 20% for national/regional intermediaries and at least 20% for youth projects, and include pay‑for‑performance set‑asides. Applicants must show experience, budgets, and promise to collect disaggregated participant data and provide required matches.

Stronger one-stop centers and boards

If enacted, one-stop centers must coordinate with Employment Service offices so adults can get job listings, labor market info, help filing unemployment, and referrals for supports like child care or Medicaid. Local workforce boards would add new members and standing committees for youth, labor, education, and offender services. The bill sets rules for virtual one‑stop centers, partner infrastructure contributions, and technical help so States can keep accurate lists of eligible training providers. Local boards must also include covered veterans and give them priority consistent with veterans’ rules.

YouthBuild funding and timing

If enacted, YouthBuild would be authorized at $105 million per year for FY2027–FY2032. The program could provide meals tied to YouthBuild activities and refer participants to means‑tested programs. The Secretary must reserve at least 5% for tribes and 10% for rural applicants and is asked to announce grant opportunities around the same time each year.

Better data, reporting, and evaluations

If enacted, Labor must create standard templates and common data elements within 24 months so States and local areas report comparable performance data. The bill expands use of quarterly wage records and the National Directory of New Hires for reporting and YouthBuild evaluation. It funds $6 million a year for evaluations through FY2032 and requires studies on pay‑for‑performance and analytics.

Phased start dates and rule deadlines

If enacted, the Act would largely take effect on the first day of the first full program year after enactment, with many program changes phasing in on the first day of the second full program year. The Secretary could act immediately to plan an orderly transition. Proposed regulations would be due within 180 days and final rules within 12 months after enactment.

Job Corps campuses: rules and access

If enacted, Job Corps 'centers' would be renamed 'campuses' and colleges could partner with campuses. The bill would raise the age limit to 24 and allow some service members eligible for preseparation counseling to enroll. Campuses would face stronger performance reviews, safety and behavior plan rules, and a three‑year improvement process for low-performing campuses. Approved graduates could stay on campus up to one month after graduation to help with housing and the job transition.

One‑stop access, virtual tools, and referrals

If enacted, the bill would define and support talent marketplaces, learning and employment records, and credential registries to help match people to jobs. One‑stop centers could be virtual and must refer people who lack skills to adult education and may provisionally enroll youth for up to 40 days while getting documents. Local partners may cover shortfalls in one‑stop infrastructure costs under local MOUs.

Tighter provider rules and data

If enacted, States would set minimum performance levels and publish standardized provider performance reports that include credential rates, job placement, and a median earnings gain metric. States would verify provider outcomes using administrative data and could limit payments to out-of-state online-only providers unless they appear on the State list. The bill would also expand near-real-time labor market data and allow some reallocated funds to be paid as local incentive payments to top performers.

Employer training and provider rules

The bill would let local workforce funds pay for employer-facing services like recruitment, sector strategies, apprenticeships, layoff-aversion help, and referrals. It would expand which training providers can get money to include community colleges, institutions that award postsecondary credentials, and registered apprenticeships. On-the-job training and employer-directed programs would face fewer procedural rules, and employers could directly refer and certify people for OJT. Employer-directed training would require employers to pay a share: 10% if they have 50 or fewer workers, 25% for 51–100 workers, and 50% for more than 100 workers. Employers that pay at least 25% per participant could get an employer-sponsored designation and must guarantee an interview or meaningful consideration for program graduates.

New industry grants and employer shares

If enacted, Governors could reserve up to 10% of certain State allotments to create a Critical Industry Skills Fund and a Sector Partnership fund, subject to matching. The bill would create competitive grants for industry partnerships with employer commitments to hire completers for at least one year. Employer federal cost shares would vary by employer size (70% for ≤25 employees; 55% for 26–99; 40% for ≥100), and employers must consult unions before training unionized employees.

Five‑Year consolidated pilot grants

If enacted, the bill would create a 5‑year "Make America Skilled Again" pilot letting States or local consortia combine multiple workforce grants into one consolidated grant. Pilots must reserve at least 25% for evidence‑based workforce activities and follow performance reporting. The Secretary could waive some statutory rules for approved pilots and limit the number of approved pilots nationwide.

Move Adult Education to Labor

If enacted, Title II adult education functions would transfer from the Department of Education to the Department of Labor one year after enactment. Labor would issue guidance and approve pilot applications and must contract for third‑party evaluations on transition activities. OMB could move staff and assets as needed and must certify no net increase in Federal full‑time equivalents.

State and local redesignation rules

If enacted, States must review and either revise or keep planning regions before the second full program year. Governors must keep existing local boundaries through the third full program year unless exceptions apply. The bill permits single‑State local area designations for small States, lets States pay incentives to encourage redesignation or consortia, allows pooling of local funds, and authorizes up to 5% reductions for certain local violations.

State performance, allotments, and penalties

If enacted, the Secretary must publish the statistical model used to set State performance expectations and let States submit counterproposals. States that miss performance targets could face reductions in amounts Governors can reserve (5% or 8%), with total cuts capped at 10% in a program year. The bill also adjusts allotment rules for territories and low‑density States and changes which activities are included in some State allotment formulas.

More Job Corps experiment support

The bill would raise the Job Corps set-aside for experimental projects and technical assistance from 0.25 percent to 1.25 percent. It would add allowed uses like help developing behavior management plans and assistance meeting campus and student safety rules. This would increase the portion of Job Corps funds available for experiments and student supports.

Worker protections and disability help

If enacted, the bill would create a Center to help employers and State agencies move people with disabilities into competitive integrated employment. The bill would also require recipients of certain workforce funds to assure they follow specified labor protections before getting funds.

Governor cap on provider bonuses

The bill would require Governors to set up performance incentive payments to eligible providers from funds they reserve. The total pool for those provider bonuses could not be more than 5 percent of the Governor-reserved workforce funds. Providers could get awards for exceeding performance targets or for serving people with barriers, but the 5 percent cap limits the overall money available.

Youth program and supportive service changes

If enacted, the bill would raise two numeric limits in youth program rules from 5 to 10, expanding some program ceilings. It would also change youth eligibility language to focus on those who "have foundational skill needs" and adjust age and attendance rules for out‑of‑school youth. At the same time, funds under this title could only pay supportive services for participants who cannot get the services from other listed programs and need them to participate.

Technical program and remedy changes

If enacted, the bill would broaden wording for allowable uses of certain job training grant funds and require a specified remedy to last at least two years. These are technical statutory changes that may expand allowable activities but also lengthen compliance periods.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Walberg, Tim [R-MI-5]

MI • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. James, John [R-MI-10]

    MI • R

    Sponsored 6/8/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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