REAUTHORIZATION OF THE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT
WHEREAS, Congress has an opportunity this year to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act
of 1998 (WIA) which sunsets on September 30, 2003; and
WHEREAS, Mayors believe that since WIA has only been fully operational for just under three
years, it is not time for a major overhaul of the legislation; and
WHEREAS, WIA created a national network of statewide, locally-driven workforce investment
systems, led by chief local elected officials and their local Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs)
who have responsibility for system-wide coordination of resources and services and are responsible
for creating a local workforce system that responds to local labor markets, local employers and
residents, and local economic development strategies; and
WHEREAS, unemployment, the lack of job growth, and the skills gap have become a significant
national issue and the nation's workforce system is critical to address these needs; and
WHEREAS, while Congress created a universally accessible One-Stop system in WIA, the system
is underfunded and the lack of funding to support the local One-Stop system infrastructure has
contributed to limited financial contributions, limited commitment of One-Stop partners and
reduced WIA training dollars,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors calls on
Congress to ensure that strong local authority and flexibility of local elected officials and their
WIBs remain at the core of any WIA reauthorization; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that WIA reauthorization should strengthen the authority and
flexibility of local elected officials and their WIBs to design and implement innovative local
workforce systems that are responsive to the local economy; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to ensure that
any WIA reauthorization will in no way lessen funding for local areas and, in fact, increasing direct
funding to where the services are provided - the local level; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to
maintain current law regarding designation of local workforce investment areas; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The Conference of Mayors calls on the U.S. Department of
Labor (DOL) and Congress to address the timeliness of giving federal discretionary funding from
DOL to local areas, including DOL's discretionary dislocated worker funds, currently called
National Emergency Grants (NEGs) and, to include in WIA reauthorization legislation a provision
stating that if DOL discretionary funds are not distributed to local areas within at least 90 days
after applications are received, the dollars will be transferred to the formula funds in accordance
with the formula to local areas; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to ensure that
WIA reauthorization provides the resources and improves the capacity of local elected officials and
their WIBS to improve job and educational prospects for all youth, both in and out of school,
includes a strong summer jobs component, applies the lessons learned in the Youth Opportunity
and Rewarding Youth Achievement grants, and allows eligibility for the National School Lunch
Program as a criterion for serving youth under WIA, which was part of the technical amendment
passed in the House of Representatives in the second session of the 106th Congress under H.R.
4216; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The Conference of Mayors urges Congress to make a
major funding investment in skills training, both basic and occupational in order to attain and
sustain economic recovery; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to ensure that
WIA reauthorization reinforces strong business partnerships at the local level, provides more
flexibility and resources to work with the employer community, including industry sector training
initiatives and incumbent worker training, and provides for a straightforward business-oriented
report card to measure the success of the system; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The Conference of Mayors urges Congress to fully fund the
One-Stop System with direct funding - which must not be taken from WIA formula dollars and to
ensure that all partners contribute financially to the One-Stop System in a meaningful way through
WIA reauthorization legislation; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to ensure that
WIA reauthorization provides resources and tools to work with high poverty populations and to
address the huge poverty issues in cities; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to ensure that
WIA reauthorization provides both the tools to help individuals attain jobs with career paths
making family-sustaining wages and facilitates more efficient leveraging of resources across state
and federal programs. To this end, the definition of a "low income individual" should be aligned to
the definition used in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of
1996 (PRWORA), which is 235 percent of the poverty line; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to ensure that
any WIA reauthorization legislation that is not a major overhaul of current law, should be quickly
resolved in order for states and local areas to focus on the growing business demand for a skilled
workforce and the need to respond to the growing unemployment and joblessness pressures.
©2003 U.S. Conference of Mayors 
