October 21, 2025
Mr. Smith of Washington introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce
To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to establish a fund to provide support services for individuals participating in certain training activities under such Act.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Empowering Individuals to Succeed Through Education and Workforce Training Act
.
Sec. 2. Support services training fund
Subtitle D of title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3221 et seq.) is amended—
(1)
by redesignating section 172 as section 173; and
(2)
by adding after section 171 the following new section:
172. Support services training fund
(a) Establishment of specified support services training fund
From the amounts appropriated to carry out this section, the Secretary shall award competitive grants to qualified applicants to provide specified support services for individuals participating in training activities covered under section 134(c)(3) of title I and section 231 of title II of this Act.
(b) Qualified applicant
For purposes of this section, the term
qualified applicantmeans a local board, a consortium of local boards, or a State board acting on behalf of or in partnership with a consortium of local boards.(c) Application
To receive a grant under subsection (a), a qualified applicant shall submit to the Secretary an application in such manner, at such time, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including a description of how such qualified applicant plans to partner with other organizations, including the State agency responsible for administering the State program for temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act and the supplemental nutrition assistance program under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012 et seq.), to provide specified support services.
(d) Use of funds
(1) Eligible participant
Individuals participating in training services covered under section 134(c)(3) of title I or section 231 of title II of this Act are eligible to receive specified support services provided under this section.
(2) Specified support services
The qualified support services to be provided by a grantee under this section include—
(A)
supportive services described in section 3(59), and
(B)
such other services or funding not described in such section as a grantee identifies as important for an individual to successfully complete training services covered under this section, including funding for, or the provision of, groceries and after-hours childcare.
(e) Individual grant amounts
The amount of an individual grant awarded under this section shall not exceed more than $2,000,000 per year.