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S4371119th CongressWALLET

TECH Act

Sponsored By: Senator Curtis, John R. [R-UT]

Introduced

Summary

Gives qualified technical schools equal access to certain federal education and workforce grants. The TECH Act would let postsecondary vocational institutions that run eligible career-pathway or short-term job training programs compete for specific Department of Education and Department of Labor grants on the same basis as 2‑ and 4‑year colleges.

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  • Qualified technical schools would be eligible for covered grants, including the Strengthening Institutions Program, Federal TRIO programs, CCAMPIS, and the Department of Labor’s Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants. These schools must offer defined career-pathway or eligible job training programs to qualify.
  • Students and local employers would gain more support for short-term training and career-pathway programs in in-demand sectors such as healthcare, critical manufacturing, transportation, public safety, and national security. This aims to strengthen local workforce pipelines for aging and retiring workers.
  • The Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Labor would be required to update grant eligibility and application procedures and issue guidance within 180 days, and the Secretary of Education would generally decide program eligibility within 60 days after submission with state board certification required.

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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 make a "qualified technical school" eligible for certain federal grants on the same basis as 2‑ and 4‑year colleges. Covered grants named include the Department of Education's Strengthening Institutions program, Federal TRIO programs, and CCAMPIS, and the Department of Labor's Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants. Each relevant Secretary would have 180 days after enactment to change eligibility rules and application steps and to issue guidance on how grants should be shared between technical schools and colleges to support workforce pipelines.

Which technical schools and programs qualify

If enacted, the bill would create clear definitions for which short career and job training programs and which technical schools count as eligible. Eligible job training programs 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 State WIOA provider list, train for in‑demand or essential sectors, and give a recognized postsecondary credential. The Education Secretary would have 60 days to decide on a submitted program, and a State board must certify that the program meets the law's requirements before approval.

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.

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