Pennsylvania HB 455: An Act providing for grants to organizations that host or offer education, workforce training or skills development to young adults; establishing the Building a Better Future Grant Program; imposing duties on the Department of Labor and Industry; and making an appropriation.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 437
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 455
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY HILL-EVANS, PROBST, GIRAL, KHAN, KENYATTA,
FREEMAN, GUENST, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, PARKER, SANCHEZ, DALEY AND
CIRESI, FEBRUARY 3, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND INDUSTRY, FEBRUARY 3, 2025
AN ACT
Providing for grants to organizations that host or offer
education, workforce training or skills development to young
adults; establishing the Building a Better Future Grant
Program; imposing duties on the Department of Labor and
Industry; and making an appropriation.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Building a
Better Future Grant Program Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Department." The Department of Labor and Industry of the
Commonwealth.
"Program." The Building a Better Future Grant Program
established under section 3.
"WIOA." The provisions of 29 U.S.C. Ch. 32 (relating to
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workforce innovation and opportunity).
Section 3. Program.
(a) Establishment.--The Building a Better Future Grant
Program is established within the department.
(b) Purpose.--The program shall provide grants to
organizations that host or offer comprehensive education,
workforce training and skills development to individuals 16 to
24 years of age who have been disconnected from other
educational opportunities. An organization shall be located in
this Commonwealth and focused on construction and building
trades, and may also include workforce development offerings in
health care, customer service, child care and other vocational
training and certifications that are relevant to local labor
market opportunities.
Section 4. Eligibility.
(a) Participant requirements.--To be eligible for the
program, an organization must enroll individuals 16 to 24 years
of age who can provide self-attestation that the individual is a
member of a low-income family and meets at least two of the
following:
(1) has previously been convicted or adjudicated
delinquent;
(2) is the child of an incarcerated parent, a parent who
has been released from a term of incarceration on parole or
who is serving a sentence on probation;
(3) has been placed in foster care;
(4) has a disability;
(5) is the child of migrant laborers;
(6) has dropped out of school before graduation or has
dropped out and subsequently reenrolled;
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(7) is experiencing homelessness;
(8) has foundational skills needs or is basic-skills
deficient;
(9) is pregnant or parenting;
(10) is part of another young-adult population,
including a racial group, that is experiencing disparate
levels of youth disconnection as defined by the local
workforce development board; or
(11) was approved for participation or enrollment in
WIOA Youth Formula Services or Job Corps.
(b) Organization requirements.--In order to receive a grant
award, an organization must provide to participants at least two
or more of the following:
(1) work experience and skills training;
(2) occupational skills training;
(3) other paid and unpaid work experiences, including
internships and job shadowing;
(4) services and activities necessary for participants
to achieve a high school diploma or equivalency;
(5) counseling services and other wraparound services;
(6) activities designed to foster leadership
development; or
(7) career services, including job search, placement and
follow-up support.
Section 5. Grant award.
(a) Duties of department.--The department shall develop
guidelines that specify requirements for grants. The guidelines
shall include:
(1) The grant application process and timeline.
(2) Allowed and disallowed expenses.
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(3) The method by which individuals who apply for grants
are evaluated.
(b) Awards.--The department may not award a grant in excess
of $1,000,000 per organization. Up to 5% of money available for
grants may be awarded to a Statewide nonprofit that serves
multiple organizations that have been awarded funding under the
program to provide technical assistance to those organizations.
Section 6. Reports.
An organization awarded a grant from the program shall
provide program and fiscal reports as required by the
department.
Section 7. Appropriation.
The sum of $5,000,000 is appropriated from the General Fund
to the department to provide grants for the program.
Section 8. Additional funding.
In addition to the appropriation provided under section 7,
the department may:
(1) Expend money from the restricted accounts
administered by the department for the program.
(2) Accept grants, gifts, donations and ot