CAREERS Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 291
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Agriculture and Food
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-02-14: Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.
- Last Updated
- 2026-02-27T09:07:02Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The CAREERS Act (H.R. 291) aims to strengthen rural economies by expanding the Rural Innovation Stronger Economy (RISE) Grant Program under the Department of Agriculture. It focuses on improving access to workforce training, education, and career development in rural areas to address challenges like job displacement, an aging workforce, and youth outmigration, ultimately promoting economic resilience and innovation.
Key Provisions
- Eligible Entities and Partnerships: Expands who can receive grants to include area career and technical education schools (specialized schools offering vocational training) and requires involvement of local workforce development boards (groups that coordinate job training programs) for career pathway programs (structured steps toward employment or further education).
- Grant Purposes: Grants can now fund career pathway programs and industry or sector partnerships (collaborations between businesses, educators, and workers in specific industries) to tackle rural workforce issues, such as skills training aligned with local job needs in sectors like telecommunications, healthcare, manufacturing, and agribusiness.
- Evaluation Criteria: When awarding grants, the Secretary of Agriculture must consider an applicant's ability to address worker displacement, aging workforces, and youth migration, while ensuring geographic diversity across rural regions.
- Reporting Requirements: Grantees must report on outcomes like employment rates, earnings, and credential attainment for participants in career pathways or partnerships, using metrics from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (a federal law supporting job training).
- Funding Extension: Authorizes funding for the RISE program from 2025 through 2030.
- Effective Date: Changes take effect no later than one year after enactment, as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
The bill amends Section 379I of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008w), which established the RISE program:
- Adds definitions for "career pathway" and "industry or sector partnership" from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to integrate rural grants with broader national workforce strategies.
- Broadens eligible recipients and activities to explicitly include technical education schools and partnerships, beyond previous focuses on higher education and innovation hubs.
- Updates grant uses to prioritize rural-specific industries (e.g., broadband, water services, conservation, childcare) identified as in-demand by local workforce boards.
- Replaces outdated geographic distribution rules with requirements for regional diversity in funding jobs accelerators, career programs, and partnerships.
- Extends the program's authorization period from 2019–2023 to 2025–2030, ensuring continued support.
- Enhances performance metrics to track long-term employment and earnings outcomes.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: The Department of Agriculture will need to update grant administration, evaluation processes, and reporting to incorporate new criteria and integrations with workforce boards, potentially increasing administrative workload but aligning rural programs with national initiatives.
- Citizens: Rural residents, especially youth, displaced workers, and older employees, gain better access to targeted training and jobs in essential sectors, which could reduce outmigration and boost local economies. This may lead to higher employment and wages in underserved areas.
- International Relations: Minimal direct impact, as the bill focuses on domestic rural development; however, stronger rural agribusiness and manufacturing could indirectly enhance U.S. competitiveness in global trade.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Rural Communities and Workers: Primary beneficiaries through improved job training and economic opportunities.
- Educational Institutions: Universities, technical schools, and career education providers gain eligibility for funding and partnerships.
- Workforce Development Boards: Local boards under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act must collaborate on program design and implementation.
- Industries in Rural Areas: Sectors like healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture, and utilities benefit from targeted skills development to address labor shortages.
- Department of Agriculture: Responsible for overseeing grants, ensuring diversity, and evaluating outcomes.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens alignment between agricultural rural development and federal workforce laws (e.g., Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), potentially streamlining funding but requiring inter-agency coordination. No new enforcement mechanisms are added, relying on existing USDA authority.
- Constitutional: Supports Congress's spending power under Article I to promote general welfare, particularly in rural areas, without raising federalism concerns as it targets voluntary grant programs.
- Political: Bipartisan introduction (by Rep. Langworthy and Rep. Tokuda) highlights rural economic priorities, which could appeal across party lines in agricultural states. It addresses ongoing debates on rural decline and workforce gaps, potentially influencing future farm bills or appropriations without introducing controversial mandates.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Langworthy, Nicholas A. [R-NY-23]
Cosponsors (4)
Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2], Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7], Rep. Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6], Rep. Davis, Donald G. [D-NC-1]
Recent Actions
- 2025-02-14: Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.
- 2025-01-09: Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
- 2025-01-09: Introduced in House
- 2025-01-09: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Creating Access to Rural Employment and Education for Resilience and Success Act — issued 2025-01-09 — PDF (9 pages)