Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) today voted in favor of bipartisan legislation, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, to provide men and women with the skills they need to find good-paying jobs. Fischer cosponsored the legislation and released the following statement:
“I’m pleased the Senate came together to pass legislation that will help equip unemployed Americans with necessary training to pursue more job opportunities so they can provide for their families. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act improves the efficiency of job training and workforce development programs by enhancing the role of states, reducing burdensome federal requirements, and cutting waste and duplication. With nearly 10 million Americans still looking for work, these are exactly the type of constructive, bipartisan proposals the Senate should be focused on.”
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act:
- Eliminates 15 duplicative and ineffective programs;
- Bolsters state and local decision-making by reducing federal mandates, specifically 21 rules for state and local workforce board composition;
- Provides greater flexibility to governors to set aside funds for new state and local job training initiatives;
- Strengthens program accountability by reducing federal funding for state and local boards that fail to meet performance standards;
- Requires all workforce programs to undergo independent, third-party evaluations every four years and focuses reporting requirements on employment outcomes;
- Empowers governors to reorganize or consolidate local areas that are low-performing in order to better meet regional economic needs.
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