Dec. 5, 2024 -- As we reported on November 27, Congressional committee leaders have reached a bipartisan, bicameral agreement to reauthorize WIOA. Since that time, NAWB, as well as partners from our local coalition, have been actively engaged with committee staff on aspects of the bill which stand to jeopardize the ability of local boards to fulfill their mission.

Through all these conversations, we have reiterated the importance of local boards being empowered to serve those individuals seeking paths to employment and businesses needing to hire that talent. Local boards are best positioned to understand economies on the ground, talent needs in their region (which could include training but should not be unnecessarily required), and build strategies to address those needs and connect people with work.

The bill’s training mandate, redesignation, and the additional state set-aside provisions as currently constructed threaten a local board’s ability to meet that objective and would severely limit its ability to be demand-driven. By directing a majority of a local board’s resources to be used for explicit and limited purposes, tens of thousands of employers will no longer be effectively served by the American Job Centers. More job openings will remain unfilled and the system will add fewer new workers to our nation’s tax base.

There are currently a handful of Senators who have placed a hold on the bill, which stops it from moving. The deadline for the hotline process on the Republican side is Thursday, Dec. 5 and the Democratic side is Friday, Dec. 6. As we continue to have ongoing discussions with Senate and House Committees on ways to refine and improve the agreement in the areas of greatest concern to our membership, we urge you to contact your Senators and ask them to place a hold or to continue their hold on ASWA to prevent these harmful provisions from impacting your board’s operations. Please free to share these perspectives and also connect them with NAWB directly for any questions regarding these efforts.