Introduced in House — H.R. 8304

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 8304

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 15, 2026

Mrs. McBath (for herself and Mr. Owens) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce

A BILL

To require the Secretary of Labor to establish a grant program for States to improve or establish a credential repository, and for other purposes.

Section 1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the Credential Repository and Transparency in States Act or the CREATES Act.

Sec. 2. Purpose

The purpose of this Act is to provide assistance to States for the collection, development, analysis, and sharing of information on—

(1)

all of the credentials offered in each State;

(2)

the quality of such credentials, including their use by employers for making employment-related decisions;

(3)

education and career pathways that lead to such credentials and occupations in a State; and

(4)

the sharing of such information with individuals in each State, enabling them to make informed education and career choices.

Sec. 3. Program Authorized

(a) Authorization and limitations

(1) In general

From amounts made available under section 4, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to States to establish, expand, or improve a State credential repository that contains information on each covered program, credential, and training provider in the State.

(2) Duration

A grant awarded under this Act shall be awarded for a period of 3 years.

(3) Amount

In awarding a grant under this Act, the Secretary—

(A)

may not award a grant in excess of $10,000,000; and

(B)

in deciding the amount of a grant, shall take into consideration—

(i)

the number of credentials offered in the State; and

(ii)

the number of training providers in the State.

(4) Timing

Not later than 90 days after the Secretary receives an application submitted under subsection (b), the Secretary shall make a determination as to whether the State that submitted such application will receive a grant under this Act.

(5) Limit

The Secretary may only award one grant to a State.

(b) Application

To be eligible to receive a grant, a State shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary shall require, including—

(1)

information on how the State will establish, expand, or improve a credential repository that satisfies requirements under subsection (d);

(2)

information on the data policy a State will establish under subsection (c)(1)(B);

(3)

a description of any products, tools, services, or resources that a State develops pursuant to subsection (c)(1)(E);

(4)

an assurance that the credential repository will be interoperable with other State credential repositories; and

(5)

an assurance that the State will establish and maintain the credential repository in accordance with the requirements under subsection (d).

(c) Uses of funds

(1) Mandatory use

A State awarded a grant under this Act shall—

(A)

establish a credential repository, as described in subsection (d), through a process that includes input from the public;

(B)

establish a data policy for such repository that addresses how the State will ensure that the repository meets the requirements described in subsection (d);

(C)

assist training providers in the State in the collection of information on the primary indicators of performance described in section 116(b)(2)(A) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3141(b)(2)(A)) for each covered program;

(D)

provide guidance to education, job, and career counselors in the State on how to use the credential repository; and

(E)

develop or facilitate access to products, tools, services, and other resources, using the information and linked, open, and interoperable data contained in the credential repository, that benefit workers, employers, educators, counselors, policymakers, and others.

(2) Authorized use

If a State carries out all of the activities under paragraph (1), the State may use any excess grant funds to publicize the repository of the State to individuals in the State.

(d) Credential repository

A State that receives a grant under this Act shall establish a publicly accessible credential repository that—

(1)

identifies—

(A)

each credential offered in the State; and

(B)

each training provider in the State;

(2)

includes information on—

(A)

with respect to each training provider in the State—

(i)

process and outcome quality indicators of such training provider for each covered program offered by such training provider; and

(ii)

each credential for which such training provider offers a covered program;

(B)

with respect to each covered program offered in the State—

(i)

the competencies and skills an individual develops by completing such covered program; and

(ii)

the cost of enrollment for an individual to enroll in such program; and

(C)

with respect to each credential offered in the State—

(i)

the training providers that offer such credential;

(ii)

any assessment that an individual is required to take to earn such credential;

(iii)

the cost to an individual of each such assessment;

(iv)

any postsecondary credit or equivalent transfer value recommendations of such credential, such as the recommendations provided by the American Council on Education’s National Guide, guidance from a statewide education coordinating entity, or recommendations or guidance from a comparably similar entity, as available and appropriate;

(v)

the career pathway or program of study that such credential is a part, as applicable;

(vi)

the outcomes associated with such credential, including—

(I)

the earning and employment status of individuals after earning such credential;

(II)

the completion and pass rates of individuals in each career pathway or program of study for which the individual earned such credential; and

(III)

other calculations, including the return on investment, as determined by the State, for an individual after earning such credential;

(vii)

the job skills an individual develops in earning such credential; and

(viii)

the industries and occupations for which such credential prepares an individual;

(3)

aligns with, complements, and enhances eligibility lists or criteria for training providers, such as the eligibility criteria established under section 122(a) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3152(b)), or a program or pathway approval process required by the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (U.S.C.) or chapter 33 of title 38, United States Code (otherwise known as the Post 9/11 Education Assistance Program);

(4)

is updated on a continuous basis to ensure the accuracy and recency of the information and data in the repository;

(5)

uses data formats that—

(A)

are transparent, linked, open, and interoperable with other State credential repositories;

(B)

are aligned with widely recognized and adopted standards, which may include the use of credential transparency description language specifications; and

(C)

allow for open access to the data in the repository across State and national borders and industry sectors for guidance counseling, career navigation, and other comparably similar activities;

(6)

has functions to search, discover, compare, and analyze each credential, covered program, and training provider in the State; and

(7)

includes any other information as determined by the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Education.

(e) Privacy protections

In carrying out the activities under this Act, a State shall not collect or include in the repository any personally identifiable information.

(f) Report

(1) In general

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and on an annual basis thereafter, a State that receives a grant under this Act shall submit to the Secretary a report at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including information on the improvement or development and implementation of the credential repository in such State.

(2) Reduced burden

The Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of Education, and in consultation with the States receiving a grant under this Act, shall implement processes to reduce the burden of reporting information required to be reported under this Act.

(g) Definitions

In this Act:

(1) Covered program

The term covered program means a program that is offered to individuals to earn a credential.

(2) Credential

The term credential means an education or occupational qualification or achievement used to indicate suitability for a future educational opportunity or career opportunity, including diplomas, digital badges, certificates, certifications, a recognized postsecondary credential, occupational or professional licenses, microcredentials, and degrees of all types and levels.

(3) Secretary

The term Secretary, unless otherwise specified in this Act, means the Secretary of Labor.

(4) Training provider

The term training provider means an entity that offers a covered program.

(5) WIOA terms

The terms career pathway, recognized postsecondary credential, and State have the meanings given such terms in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3113).

Sec. 4. Authorization of appropriations

(a) In general

There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act for fiscal year 2028.

(b) Remain available

The funds appropriated under this section shall remain available until September 30, 2029.