Two Smucker bills pass House as part of larger workforce development legislation

Two pieces of legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA) passed the U.S. House of Representatives on April 9 as part of a larger workforce development bill.

“The best anti-poverty program is a great job. This bill will help connect individuals to programs to learn new skills to excel in family-sustaining careers,” Rep. Smucker said on Wednesday. 

The House voted 378-26 to approve the bipartisan A Stronger Workforce for America Act, H.R. 6655, which includes Rep. Smucker’s Workforce Reentry Act, H.R. 6472, and the Building Youth Workforce Skills Act, H.R. 5649.

The Workforce Reentry Act, which Rep. Smucker sponsored in November 2023 with lead original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT), would amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to codify the Reentry Employment Opportunity Program, a grant program to promote and assist in the reentry of justice-involved individuals into the workforce, according to the bill’s text.

The Building Youth Workforce Skills Act, which Rep. Smucker cosponsored in September 2023 with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-TX), would permit in-school youth to access Individualized Training Accounts to participate in career training programs.

“I am thankful that my legislation to provide congressional oversight of workforce reentry programs and make resources available to in-school youth to upskill with individual training accounts was included as part of this [larger] bipartisan bill,” said Rep. Smucker.

The congressman also cosponsored the broader H.R. 6655, which U.S. Reps. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Bobby Scott (D-VA) proposed last year to amend and reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

H.R. 6655 was received in the U.S. Senate on April 10 and was referred for consideration to the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.

“This legislation makes needed improvements to federal workforce development programs, and I urge the Senate to take up this bill without delay so we can connect more Americans to work,” Rep. Smucker said.