Workforce Recovery and Resilience Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8203
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Labor and Employment
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-04-06: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- Last Updated
- 2026-05-01T12:42:01Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Workforce Recovery and Resilience Act (H.R. 8203) amends the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to help states and local workforce areas address the workforce and economic effects of substance use disorders (SUDs, such as addiction to drugs or alcohol). It provides information on best practices and funds training programs for SUD prevention and treatment.
Key Provisions
- Technical Assistance (Section 2): The Secretary of Labor must share with states and local areas:
- Evidence-based and promising practices to tackle economic and job loss from high SUD rates.
- Annual updates based on the latest research.
- Examples of effective state/local strategies.
- Guidance on applying for related grants.
- National Dislocated Worker Grants (Section 3): Expands grants to support employment and training for SUD prevention/treatment (including addiction care, mental health support, and pain management) in high-need areas where local resources are insufficient.
- Eligible recipients: Specific entities like workforce boards or nonprofits.
- Eligible individuals:
- Dislocated workers (those who lost jobs due to business closure or layoffs).
- Long-term unemployed people.
- Those unemployed or underemployed due to widespread SUD in their area.
- Workers or job seekers in healthcare roles focused on SUD prevention/treatment.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Adds a new subsection (d) to WIOA Section 168 for SUD-specific technical assistance.
- Adds a new grant category (E) to WIOA Section 170(b)(1) for SUD-related activities.
- Expands eligibility rules in WIOA Section 170(c)(2) to include SUD-impacted workers and healthcare professionals, while reorganizing existing subparagraphs.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: U.S. Department of Labor gains duties to research, update, and distribute SUD workforce info; states/local areas get tools and funding access.
- Citizens: Improves job training and employment for SUD-affected individuals and treatment providers in hard-hit communities, potentially reducing unemployment and overdose rates.
- International Relations: None directly addressed.
Main Stakeholders
- States and local workforce development boards.
- Workers impacted by SUD (unemployed, underemployed, or in recovery).
- Healthcare professionals in addiction, mental health, and pain management.
- Nonprofits and entities eligible for dislocated worker grants.
- U.S. Department of Labor.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Builds on existing WIOA framework without creating new agencies; focuses on federal funding for voluntary state/local programs.
- Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's spending power to support workforce development; no apparent free speech, privacy, or federalism issues.
- Political: Targets opioid/SUD crisis by linking workforce policy to public health, potentially aiding economic recovery in rural and urban areas with high addiction rates.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8]
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 Recovery and Resilience Act — issued 2026-04-06 — PDF (4 pages)