A Republican bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See all 3 cosponsors
Last activity — Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 758.
Cleared committee, waiting for its first floor vote
A committee approved it and it is on the calendar of the chamber it started in.
This is further than most bills get, and still no promise of a vote: the calendar is a queue, and the majority leadership decides what is called. A bill can sit here until the Congress ends.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- On Calendar
What this bill would do
The bill establishes a five-year pilot program run by the Secretary of Labor to award grants to eligible entities for creating workforce longitudinal data systems and talent marketplaces. These grants aim to help states improve program quality, make better decisions, meet performance reporting requirements, and protect user privacy. Eligible entities can include state agencies or consortia of state agencies that submit an application detailing their proposed activities, budgets, and security measures. The legislation also requires the Secretary of Labor, alongside the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, to support the development and voluntary use of validated skills assessment tools. Finally, the Government Accountability Office must evaluate the pilot program and report its findings to Congress after the program concludes.
Yes· 3 of 8
- Scored +3
Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this?
Digital talent marketplaces provide easier pathways for students and young jobseekers to find employment and training.
- Scored +3
Would students be better off under this?
The bill helps students navigate and compare educational and training opportunities through standardized skill profiles.
- Scored +3
Is this likely to create jobs?
The bill facilitates better matching between individuals and employment opportunities through digital talent marketplaces.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Does this give people more control over their personal data?
The creation of digital, machine-readable employment and education records introduces inherent data security and privacy risks.
- Scored -2
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?
The requirement for digital records and the collection of user data may pose risks to individual privacy.
How the text last changed
Reported in House (10/29/2026), compared with Introduced in House. Each change is on the Text tab.
The newer version of the bill converts the previously permanent workforce data initiative into a pilot program lasting a period not to exceed 5 years, established not later than 1 year after the first date on which funds are allotted under section 132 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act after enactment. It directs the Secretary of Labor to use not less than 5 percent and not more than 10 percent of funds made available pursuant to section 132(a)(2)(A) for each fiscal year beginning after that allotment date and ending with the first fiscal year ending after the 5-year period for the pilot program. The newer text adds new reporting requirements, including an initial report by the Secretary not later than 60 days after grants are awarded, annual reports by the Secretary, and a final evaluation by the Government Accountability Office not later than 1 year after the pilot program concludes. Additionally, it requires the Secretary of Labor, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, to support the development, dissemination, and voluntary use of validated skills assessment tools, and updates the bill's title.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Privacy Protections: Section 2(b)(1)(D) requires grant applicants to describe the methods and procedures they will use to ensure the security and privacy of data collection, storage, and use, while complying with state and federal privacy and confidentiality laws. This helps safeguard the personal information of workers and learners.
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Publicly Available Information and Transparency: Section 2(c) requires websites created through the program to be publicly available, searchable, easily understandable, navigable, and consumer-tested, which allows the public to easily compare eligible programs and view talent marketplaces. Furthermore, section 2(c)(5) explicitly protects individuals by ensuring that no website built under these requirements reveals personally identifiable information without the participant's consent.
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Skills-Based Hiring Tools: Section 2(f)(2) directs the Secretary of Labor and the Office of Personnel Management to support the development and voluntary use of validated skills assessment tools. These tools are designed to measure demonstrated competencies and help employers, educational institutions, and workers identify and validate skills without relying solely on self-attested information.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Data Collection and Sharing Risks: Section 2(b)(3)(A) allows grant funds to be used to develop or enhance State workforce longitudinal data systems that link elementary, secondary, and postsecondary data. While intended for program improvement, the expansion and linking of large databases containing individuals' education, training, and employment history could raise legitimate public concerns regarding government data tracking and the security of sensitive personal information.
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Restrictions on Personal Data Control: Section 2(g)(3) defines learning and employment records and notes that individuals are allowed to control their information for matching with employment opportunities. However, because these systems involve verification from third parties like employers and educational institutions, individuals may face bureaucratic burdens or hurdles if third-party validators fail to accurately or promptly update their records.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would students be better off under this? — The bill helps students navigate and compare educational and training opportunities through standardized skill profiles. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Digital talent marketplaces provide easier pathways for students and young jobseekers to find employment and training. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Improved access to job and training information can help individuals move into more stable employment.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill facilitates better matching between individuals and employment opportunities through digital talent marketplaces. Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The marketplaces provide employers with standardized ways to identify and recruit talent based on specific skills.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — Improved employment matching and access to learning opportunities can help individuals advance economically.
- Education And Technology
- Does this make college cost less? — The bill helps students compare different learning and training programs more effectively. Does this give people more control over their personal data? — The creation of digital, machine-readable employment and education records introduces inherent data security and privacy risks.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The initiative improves transparency regarding labor market trends and required job skills. Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — The requirement for digital records and the collection of user data may pose risks to individual privacy.
A committee approved it and sent it to the floor
What changed from Introduced in House
The newer version of the bill converts the previously permanent workforce data initiative into a pilot program lasting a period not to exceed 5 years, established not later than 1 year after the first date on which funds are allotted under section 132 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act after enactment. It directs the Secretary of Labor to use not less than 5 percent and not more than 10 percent of funds made available pursuant to section 132(a)(2)(A) for each fiscal year beginning after that allotment date and ending with the first fiscal year ending after the 5-year period for the pilot program. The newer text adds new reporting requirements, including an initial report by the Secretary not later than 60 days after grants are awarded, annual reports by the Secretary, and a final evaluation by the Government Accountability Office not later than 1 year after the pilot program concludes. Additionally, it requires the Secretary of Labor, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, to support the development, dissemination, and voluntary use of validated skills assessment tools, and updates the bill's title.
Each change
- Section 2 added a provision stating that the pilot program shall be established not later than 1 year after the first date on which funds are allotted under section 132 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act after enactment, for a period not to exceed 5 years.
- Section 2 updated grant application and administration rules, including adding specific references to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act for performance data reporting requirements.
- Section 2 added priority criteria for grant awards to include the establishment or enhancement of a talent marketplace or a website meeting specific requirements.
- Section 2 modified the allowable uses of grant funds for eligible entities awarded a grant under the subsection.
- Section 2 removed the requirement for grant recipients to submit a report not later than 180 days after the conclusion of the grant period, replacing it with broader reporting requirements.
- Section 2 added requirements for publicly available websites and the availability of talent marketplaces through state one-stop delivery systems.
- Section 2 added new reporting mandates: an initial report by the Secretary not later than 60 days after grant awards, annual reports by the Secretary of Labor, and a final evaluation report by the Government Accountability Office not later than 1 year after the conclusion of the pilot program.
- Section 2 added provisions requiring the Secretary of Labor, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, to support the development, dissemination, and voluntary use of validated skills assessment tools.
- Section 2 added and reorganized definitions for terms including credential registry, eligible entity, learning and employment record, multistate data collaborative, skills profile generator, standardized terminology, and talent marketplace.
- Section 2 added pilot program funding rules specifying that the Secretary shall use not less than 5 percent and not more than 10 percent of section 132(a)(2)(A) funds for each fiscal year starting after the first allotment date after enactment and ending with the first fiscal year ending after the 5-year period.
- The bill title was amended to state it is a bill to direct the Secretary of Labor to establish a pilot program to award grants to establish talent marketplaces, and for other purposes.
Written by an AI model from a comparison of this version’s text with the one before it, not by a person. .
- 10/29/2026
- Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and Workforce. H. Rept. 119-861.
- Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 758.
- 7/22/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/21/2026
- Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 33 - 0.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/13/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/2/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Lucy McBathDemocrat · Georgia
Blake MooreRepublican · Utah
Mark MessmerRepublican · Indiana