“A bill to reauthorize the YouthBuild program, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section revises the YouthBuild program, which provides education, occupational skills training, leadership development, and work-based learning to at-risk youth aged 16-24 through community improvement projects such as housing rehabilitation, by (1) requiring the Secretary of Labor, if annual appropriations exceed $125 million, to reserve 20% of the excess for grants to rural areas or programs benefiting Indians, Alaska Natives, or Native Hawaiians; (2) expanding allowable grant activities to include provision of meals with other activities, assistance applying for means-tested benefits such as SNAP and child care assistance, and supportive services for participants with disabilities; (3) permitting use of grant funds to satisfy matching requirements under the National and Community Service Act; (4) updating eligibility terminology from "youth offender" to "youth justice-involved individual" and from "basic skills deficient" to "foundational skill needs"; (5) requiring annual consultation with grantees on performance levels and, to the extent practicable, annual funding announcements at the same time each year; and (6) requiring states to facilitate YouthBuild programs' access to participants' wage data without reducing privacy protections. The section also authorizes appropriations of $159.5 million for FY2027, $167.5 million for FY2028, $175.9 million for FY2029, $184.7 million for FY2030, $193 million for FY2031, and $203.6 million for FY2032.
This section establishes a new grant program (section 171A of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) under which the Secretary of Labor awards grants to consortia—consisting of a YouthBuild program entity and a public or private employer—to develop partnerships and employment and training opportunities aligned with local labor market needs for YouthBuild participants. (YouthBuild programs serve at-risk youth ages 16-24 with education, occupational skills training, and leadership development, often focused on housing rehabilitation and construction.) The Secretary must prioritize applications proposing partnerships with joint labor-management apprenticeship programs and authorizes $20 million annually for the program for FY2027 through FY2032.