TECH Act
Sponsored By: Senator Curtis, John R. [R-UT]
Introduced
Summary
Equal federal grant access for qualified technical schools. This bill would let qualified technical schools compete for certain Education and Labor grant programs on the same terms as 2-year and 4-year colleges and push agencies to guide grant distribution to shore up workforce pipelines.
Show full summary
- Qualified technical schools: Would be eligible to participate in covered federal grant programs to the same extent as 2-year and 4-year institutions. The bill also defines key terms like "qualified technical school" and sets approval and State board certification steps for program eligibility.
- Students and workers: Would expand support for career pathway and job training programs that meet specific standards, including programs of about 150 to 600 clock hours that run at least 8 weeks but less than 15 weeks, and that align to in-demand sectors like healthcare, transportation, critical manufacturing, public safety, and national security.
- Federal agencies and workforce planning: Would require the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Labor to modify eligibility rules and issue guidance within 180 days to ensure grant awards help build pipelines to replace aging and retiring workers.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
More grant access for technical schools
If enacted, the bill would let qualified technical schools compete for certain federal grants on the same basis as 2‑year and 4‑year colleges. Covered programs include the Department of Education Strengthening Institutions program, Federal TRIO student support, CCAMPIS child‑care grants, and the Department of Labor Strengthening Community Colleges training grants. The Education Secretary and Labor Secretary would have 180 days after enactment to change eligibility rules and application procedures and to issue guidance on how grants should be split to keep workforce pipelines strong in the named sectors.
Rules defining eligible short training
If enacted, the bill would define which short job training and career pathway programs count. An "eligible job training program" would run at least 150 but under 600 clock hours and last at least 8 weeks but under 15 weeks. Programs must be on the WIOA provider list, lead to credentials employers accept, train in designated essential sectors (for example, health care, transportation, public safety, or critical manufacturing), and be validated by an industry or sector partnership. The Education Secretary would decide eligibility within 60 days of a submission and could not approve a program without a certification from the appropriate State board. The bill also ties "eligible career pathway program" and other key terms to existing WIOA and Perkins definitions and creates the label "qualified technical school" for U.S. postsecondary vocational institutions that offer these programs.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Curtis, John R. [R-UT]
UT • R
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov