Workforce Data Quality Initiative Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8196
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-04-06: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-14T05:23:25Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
This bill, titled the Workforce Data Quality Initiative Act of 2026, amends the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to create a new grant program. The goal is to improve the quality, accuracy, and usability of workforce data by funding states to build longitudinal data systems (ongoing records tracking individuals' education, training, and employment over time).
Key Provisions
- Funding Reservation: Requires the Secretary of Labor to use 5-10% of certain WIOA funds (from Section 132(a)(2)(A)) for grants, plus potential additional appropriations.
- Grant Eligibility and Application:
- Eligible entities: State agencies or consortia (groups) responsible for unemployment insurance wage records, labor market information, and core workforce programs.
- Applications must detail proposed activities, budgets, expected outcomes, support for performance reporting (e.g., employment/earnings data), data standardization, real-time skills/job data, privacy protections, and sustainability plans.
- Award Priorities:
- States new to such grants or with weak data systems; multi-state consortia for cross-state data sharing.
- Projects expanding credential registries (tools to search training credentials), multi-state data collaboratives (for out-of-state job outcomes), private sector partnerships, non-federal matching funds, or existing data systems.
- Allowed Uses of Funds:
- Build/enhance statewide data systems linking to education data.
- Replicate successful data tools across states.
- Pilot projects for timely labor market data.
- Create interoperable learning and employment records (secure, shareable digital records of skills/achievements).
- Develop privacy policies, improve local access, standardize job data, and train staff.
- Administration:
- Grants up to 3 years; must supplement, not supplant (add to, not replace) existing funds.
- Grantees submit reports 180 days post-grant on activities and improvements.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Modifies WIOA Section 132(a)(2)(A) to reserve funds specifically for this new initiative under Section 169(d), removing a reference to dislocated worker projects from one funding clause.
- Adds a new subsection (d) to WIOA Section 169, establishing the grant program for workforce data quality—previously, Section 169 focused on other national activities without this dedicated data focus.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: States gain better tools for performance reporting, decision-making, and cross-program data sharing; reduces administrative burdens through standardization.
- Citizens: Workers and learners access improved info on jobs, skills, credentials, and outcomes, aiding career choices; enhances privacy in data handling.
- Workforce System: Boosts program quality, transparency, and evidence-based policies; enables tracking of emerging job trends.
- No direct international effects.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal: U.S. Department of Labor (administers grants).
- State/Local: Agencies handling workforce programs, labor market data, unemployment insurance; local workforce boards.
- Other: Training providers, employers, economic development groups, workers/learners (via better data access and tools).
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Mandates compliance with federal/state privacy laws (e.g., data security for wage/employment records); promotes interstate data sharing, potentially requiring new agreements.
- Constitutional: No apparent issues; aligns with Congress's spending power for workforce programs.
- Political: Encourages state innovation and collaboration without mandates; prioritizes underserved states, potentially addressing data inequities across regions.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Baumgartner, Michael [R-WA-5]
Recent Actions
- 2026-04-06: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- 2026-04-06: Introduced in House
- 2026-04-06: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Workforce Data Quality Initiative Act of 2026 — issued 2026-04-06 — PDF (9 pages)