By Shannon Holmes
May 23, 2005

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee passed May 18 by unanimous consent a bi-partisan Manager's Amendment to S. 1021 (formerly S. 9), The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 2005. This legislation is now ready for consideration on the Senate floor. Senators Michael Enzi (WY), Chairman of the Committee, and Edward Kennedy (MA), Ranking Member, co'sponsors of the bill, are eager to get a floor vote and move onto conference with the House. The schedule for the floor debate has not been set.

Under the leadership of Enzi, the bill moved quickly through the bi-partisan mark up process. S. 1021 maintains the current governance structure of WIA. This includes the authority of local elected officials and their workforce investment boards over the local workforce system and does not provide additional waiver authority for states.

S. 1021 also includes:

• No WIA Plus;
• No consolidated block grant;
• Increases to 45 percent the flexibility to transfer between adult and dislocated worker funding at the local level (current law is 20 percent with appropriations language allowing 30 percent);
• Directs the Secretary of Labor's discretionary youth funding to competitive grants to be used for "first jobs" (summer) and people with disabilities;
• Department of Labor waiver authority response time limit of 60 days, instead of 90 in current law;
• Adds the Employment Service to the local Workforce Investment Board;
• Expanded services to business;
• Increased emphasis on access for individuals with disabilities.

The House of Representatives passed March 2 WIA reauthorization legislation, the Job Training Improvement Act, H.R. 27 offered by Representative Buck McKeon (CA), Chairman of the 21st Century Competitiveness Subcommittee. It is expected that a conference on WIA reauthorization could be held in the summer.

If you would like a copy of the Manager's Amendment that will be reported on the Senate floor, please contact Shannon Holmes at 202-861-6728 or send e-mail to sholmes@usmayors.org.