Monthly Archives: June 2014

The Senate has passed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), bipartisan, bicameral legislation to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). WIOA passed the Senate on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis, 95-3. The legislation authored by Senators Harkin, Alexander, Murray, and Isakson and Representatives Kline, Miller, Foxx, and Hinojosa will now move to the House.

There were 2 amendments that were debated prior to the vote on H.R. 803 (WIOA bill) and both were defeated. The bill will now go over to the House and could come up for a vote when the House returns from the Fourth of July Recess, although exact timing is unclear.

WIOA is the largest federal funding source for workforce development activities in all 50 states and reauthorizes the outdated Workforce Investment Act (WIA), a nearly $3 billion-a-year program that funds critical job training programs for displaced adults and youth.

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Senate leadership reached an agreement to move the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act (WIOA) forward for Floor action,  expected this week. The agreement lays out terms for the consideration of the bill on the Senate Floor, to include a small handful of amendments that will be offered, which will significantly limit Floor debate.

The Senate will proceed to consideration of H.R. 803, at which point a Murray-Isakson-Harkin-Alexander amendment in the nature of a substitute will be considered, with the following amendments in order to the substitute:

• Flake amendment
• Lee amendment
• A managers’ technical amendment

There will be 10 minutes for debate equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders, or their designees, on each of the above amendments.  Upon the use or yielding back of debate time, the Senate will proceed to vote in relation to the amendments, in the order listed, with no second-degree amendments in order.  more