CONSTRUCTS Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 1055
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Labor and Employment
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-02-06: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-10T08:06:29Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
The Creating Opportunities for New Skills Training at Rural or Underserved Colleges and Trade Schools Act of 2025 (CONSTRUCTS Act) aims to strengthen workforce development in the residential construction sector by funding expanded training, education, and outreach programs. It targets junior or community colleges and career/technical education schools, with a focus on rural areas and underserved groups, to build skills for construction jobs and support affordable housing growth.
Key Provisions
- Program Establishment: The U.S. Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, will award competitive grants (up to 4 years) to eligible entities to enhance their ability to offer training, education, and outreach for residential construction careers.
- Eligible Entities: Junior or community colleges (two-year institutions offering associate degrees and vocational training), area career and technical education (CTE) schools (local programs focused on job skills), or approved training providers under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA, a federal law supporting job training and employment services).
- Definitions:
- Incumbent worker: Current employees needing skill upgrades (as defined in federal regulations).
- Rural area: Non-city locations or areas designated as rural under housing laws.
- Underserved population: Groups underrepresented in construction (e.g., based on gender, race, ethnicity), low-income individuals, those with employment barriers (like disabilities), or veterans.
- Opportunity youth: Out-of-school young people aged 16-24 facing employment challenges, with some flexibility for those still in school.
- Application Requirements: Entities must describe program details, target populations (e.g., incumbent workers, rural residents, youth, underserved groups), partnerships (ensuring fair wages/benefits), expected outcomes (e.g., credentials, degrees, performance metrics), and local housing impacts (e.g., increasing affordable homes).
- Grant Priorities and Uses:
- Priority for entities serving rural areas or underserved populations.
- Required uses: Develop/expand evidence-based training in skills like carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning), and construction management; upskill incumbent workers; form partnerships with businesses, nonprofits, labor groups, or youth programs (prioritizing underserved recruitment); outreach to elementary/secondary students, including dual-enrollment options (high school students earning college credit).
- Permissive uses: Hire expert instructors; operate training clinics in underserved areas; create promotional materials; offer scholarships/support services for program completion and certifications.
- Operational Requirements: Programs must use flexible schedules (e.g., nights, part-time, online) for working or rural participants; provide job placement support post-training; ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local labor laws (e.g., wage, safety, anti-discrimination rules) via attestations; no ongoing violations with agencies like the Department of Labor or Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
- Accountability: Grantees report performance metrics (e.g., employment rates, earnings) annually starting 18 months in; Secretary of Labor reports to Congress within 6 months of initial data.
- Funding: Authorizes $20 million annually from fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill amends the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) by inserting a new Section 172 in Subtitle D of Title I, focused specifically on residential construction training. It redesignates the existing Section 172 (on appropriations) to Section 173 and updates WIOA's table of contents. No other major overhauls to WIOA; it builds on existing frameworks for grants, performance measures (Section 116), and eligible training providers (Section 122).
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: The Department of Labor (DOL) will administer grants and reporting, increasing workload but with dedicated funding; Department of Education provides consultation. Congress receives oversight reports, potentially influencing future workforce budgets.
- Citizens: Improves access to job training for rural residents, underserved groups, youth, and workers, leading to better employment in construction (e.g., higher wages, credentials). Could boost affordable housing supply by addressing skilled labor shortages, benefiting low-income communities.
- International Relations: No direct impact; focuses on domestic workforce and housing.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Educational Institutions: Junior/community colleges and CTE schools, which gain funding to expand programs and hire staff.
- Workers and Students: Incumbent construction workers, rural individuals, underserved populations (e.g., minorities, veterans, low-income), opportunity youth, and K-12 students via outreach.
- Industry Partners: Residential construction businesses, developers, labor unions, nonprofits, and apprenticeship sponsors, who collaborate on training and hiring.
- Communities: Local housing markets in rural/underserved areas, potentially seeing more affordable homes and economic growth from skilled labor.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Reinforces labor law compliance, reducing risks of violations in funded partnerships; ties into WIOA's performance standards for accountability without creating new enforcement mechanisms.
- Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's spending power under Article I (funding education/workforce programs) and equal protection principles by prioritizing underserved groups, promoting equity without mandating quotas.
- Political: Supports bipartisan goals of workforce development, rural investment, and housing affordability; may appeal to construction industry lobbies and education advocates, but funding levels could spark debates on federal spending priorities. No major controversies anticipated, as it extends existing WIOA structures.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (32)
Rep. Perez, Marie Gluesenkamp [D-WA-3], Rep. Zinke, Ryan K. [R-MT-1], Rep. Davis, Donald G. [D-NC-1], Rep. Alford, Mark [R-MO-4], Rep. Torres, Ritchie [D-NY-15], Rep. Newhouse, Dan [R-WA-4], Rep. Vindman, Eugene [D-VA-7], Rep. Edwards, Chuck [R-NC-11], Rep. Meuser, Daniel [R-PA-9], Rep. Trahan, Lori [D-MA-3], Rep. Bergman, Jack [R-MI-1], Rep. Evans, Gabe [R-CO-8], Rep. Calvert, Ken [R-CA-41], Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2], Rep. Wittman, Robert J. [R-VA-1], Rep. Magaziner, Seth [D-RI-2], Rep. Rutherford, John H. [R-FL-5], Rep. Lee, Susie [D-NV-3], Rep. Vasquez, Gabe [D-NM-2], Rep. Miller, Carol D. [R-WV-1], Rep. Leger Fernandez, Teresa [D-NM-3], Rep. Bynum, Janelle S. [D-OR-5], Rep. McBride, Sarah [D-DE-At Large], Rep. Golden, Jared F. [D-ME-2], Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-9], Rep. Subramanyam, Suhas [D-VA-10], Rep. Shreve, Jefferson [R-IN-6], Rep. De La Cruz, Monica [R-TX-15], Rep. Olszewski, Johnny [D-MD-2], Rep. Amo, Gabe [D-RI-1], Rep. Costa, Jim [D-CA-21], Rep. Keating, William R. [D-MA-9]
Recent Actions
- 2025-02-06: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- 2025-02-06: Introduced in House
- 2025-02-06: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Creating Opportunities for New Skills Training at Rural or Underserved Colleges and Trade Schools Act of 2025 — issued 2025-02-06 — PDF (12 pages)