Tag Archives: Rush Holt

House passes the Workforce Investment Act

Posted on March 19, 2013 by | 1 Comment

On March 15, 2013, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 803, the Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills (SKILLS) Act which would reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act (WIA).

The ALA Washington Office has been working with Members on both sides of the aisle on this legislation and is encouraged that H.R. 803 would help to ensure greater participation of libraries in our nation’s workforce investment system.  In particular, H.R. 803 includes provisions that:

  • Ensure the state workforce investment plan includes a description      of the actions that will be taken by the state to foster communication,      coordination, and partnerships with non-profit organizations – including      public libraries (under section 112(b));
  • Ensure the local state workforce investment plan includes a      description of the strategies and services that will be used in the local      area to better coordinate workforce development programs with employment,      training, and literacy services carried out by non-profit organizations –      including libraries (under section 118(b)); and
  • Authorize public libraries that carry out employment, training, and      literacy services as additional one-stop partners so they can better      assist with workforce development activities (under section 121(b)(2)(B)).

In addition, the ALA Washington Office would like to think Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) on his efforts to make sure that libraries were included in H.R. 803.

Next, this legislation will move on to the U.S. Senate where it will have a monumental task at getting passed.  However, we are beginning to reach out to the Senate to help ensure that their version of WIA reauthorization legislation also includes provisions that would encourage greater participation of libraries in the workforce development system.

About Jeffrey Kratz

Jeffrey Kratz is the Assistant Director of ALA Washington Office's Office of Government Relations (OGR).

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House Ed and Workforce Committee Reports a Workforce Investment Bill

Posted on March 7, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Yesterday, the House Education and Workforce Committee marked-up (reported out of committee) H.R. 803, the Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Life Long Skills (SKILLS) Act, on a 23-0 vote after the 18 Democrats serving on the committee walked out mid mark-up and did not vote on the legislation.  This legislation would reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act, which has been up for reauthorization since 2003.

The American Library Association, Washington Office sent a letter to the committee thanking Chairman John Kline (R-MN) and Representative Virginia Foxx (R-NC) for their leadership by ensuring libraries are included in this critical legislation.  H.R. 803 includes the following provisions for libraries:

  • Ensures the state plan includes a description of the actions that will be taken by the state to foster communication, coordination, and partnerships with non-profit organizations – including public libraries;
  • Ensure the local plan includes a description of the strategies and services that will be used in the local area to better coordinate workforce development programs with employment, training, and literacy services carried out by non-profit organizations – including libraries; and
  • Authorize public libraries that carry out employment, training, and literacy services as additional one-stop partners.

The Democrats on the committee released the following statement after they chose to walk out of the mark-up.

“We didn’t come to this decision lightly. Unfortunately, we viewed boycotting this proceeding as our only alternative after many months of repeatedly requesting bipartisan negotiations and being rebuffed by committee Republicans. The Republican bill has scant support and has garnered significant opposition. Democrats can only come to the conclusion that this bill is being advanced for political reasons, not to make the workforce investment system work better. It would have been a dereliction of duty to continue to participate.”

Because the Democrats chose not to participate in this mark-up, Representative Rush Holt (D-NJ) was unable to introduce an amendment that would further help libraries in this legislation.  Representative Holt’s amendment would have allowed states to also have the ability to support employment resource centers in public libraries.  It is unclear at this point if Holt plans to introduce this amendment on the floor.

Thank you to all ALA members who called their representatives to support the Holt amendment.  We will need your help again when this bill is on the House floor, which should occur sometime within the next few weeks.

About Jeffrey Kratz

Jeffrey Kratz is the Assistant Director of ALA Washington Office's Office of Government Relations (OGR).

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WILL Act Reintroduced in House

Posted on January 8, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Last week, Representative Rush Holt (D-NJ) reintroduced H.R. 113, the Workforce Investment through Local Libraries (WILL) Act for the new 113th Congress.  This legislation proposes including libraries in the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), and is co-sponsored by Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), and Rep. Jared Polis (CO-2).

H.R. 113, is the exact same WILL Act bill that was introduced in the 112th Congress in April, 2011.  This legislation will amend the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) to include library representation on state and local workforce investment boards as well as assure coordination of employment, training, and literacy services carried out by public libraries.  Furthermore, H.R. 113 also recognizes public libraries as an allowable “One-Stop” partner and authorizes new demonstration and pilot projects to establish employment resources in public libraries.  This will allow library users access to workforce activities and information related to training services and employment opportunities, including but not limited to resume development, job bank web searches, literacy services, and workshops on career information.  The goal of the WILL Act is to allow libraries the access to WIA funds to continue to provide job search support in communities all across America.

The ALA Washington Office would like to thank Reps. Holt, Grijalva, and Polis for their continued support of libraries in reintroducing this legislation in this new Congress.

About Jeffrey Kratz

Jeffrey Kratz is the Assistant Director of ALA Washington Office's Office of Government Relations (OGR).

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IMLS holds Hill Briefing on Workforce Investment

Posted on October 5, 2012 by | Leave a comment
IMLS Briefing on Workforce Investment

Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) speaks at the IMLS briefing. View more photos on our flickr page.

Recently, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) sponsored a Congressional briefing titled “How Libraries Support Workforce Development.” The briefing featured several speakers from a variety of libraries and agencies that have seen firsthand the important role libraries have been playing in helping patrons find work and offering training to small businesses.

Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) was in attendance and remarked on the many needs libraries serve in communities across the country including workforce development. Rep. Holt re-iterated his hope that the principles laid out in the Workforce Investment through Libraries (WILL) Act, which he sponsored, will be included in the authorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) when it is brought to the House floor.

MaryEllen Firestone, Director of Library Services at the East Brunswick Public Library in New Jersey spoke about the success they’ve had by opening a business resource center.  After offering classes like “Facebook Marketing for Your Business,” the library saw an explosion of interest. One woman who had been laid off after more than 30 years on the job and had never operated a computer used the business resource center to take classes in basic computer skills. After learning skills like operating word processors and navigating the internet she was able to obtain a new job, putting her training to use.

Kevin Perez, Project Manager for the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, provided data on workforce development supported by libraries in New York state and nationally. He stated 96 percent of New York libraries offer workforce development services and 92 percent offer job databases and other online resources.  Mr. Perez emphasized that libraries offer unintimidating access and carry few social stigmas. And with more public libraries than McDonald’s restaurants nationally, libraries are a key access point in so many communities.

Jane Brady, Director of the Middlesex County Office of Workforce Development in Middlesex, NJ and Linda Carlisle, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources both spoke to the importance of government offices partnering with libraries on job-searching and training programs.

For more information on workforce development programs happening in libraries across the country, visit IMLS’s website.  For more information on the Congressional briefing please visit IMLS’s blog.

About Jeffrey Kratz

Jeffrey Kratz is the Assistant Director of ALA Washington Office's Office of Government Relations (OGR).

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Posted in Funding, OGR, Public Libraries

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House Reports WIA from Committee

Posted on June 8, 2012 by | Leave a comment

On Thursday, the U.S. House Education and the Workforce Committee reported out of committee H.R. 4297, also known as the Workforce Investment Act (WIA).  The bill was reported with a party line vote of 23-15, and contains several provisions that will be beneficial to libraries including:

  1. Ensuring that state plans includes a description of the actions that will be taken by the state to foster communications, coordination, and partnerships with non-profit organizations – including public libraries, and
  2. Ensuring that local plans include a description of the strategies and services that will be used in the local area to better coordinate workforce development programs with employment, training, and literacy services carried out by non-profit organizations – including libraries, and
  3. Authorizes public libraries that carry out employment, training, and literacy services as additional one-stop partners.

Unfortunately, an amendment offered by Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) that would have allowed states to also have the ability to support employment resource centers in public libraries, was narrowly defeated by the committee.  Representatives Todd Platts (R-PA), Richard Hanna (R-NY), and Joe Heck (R-NV) crossed party lines to vote in favor of Rep. Holt’s amendment.

Next H.R. 4297 will be brought before the House Floor. No date has yet been scheduled for such an action.

About Jeffrey Kratz

Jeffrey Kratz is the Assistant Director of ALA Washington Office's Office of Government Relations (OGR).

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