The House Committee on Education and the Workforce yesterday held a mark-up session to amend and approve the Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills Act (SKILLS Act, H.R. 803) that underscored the deep partisan divide that has developed over this legislation. After the committee members delivered statements on the underlying legislation, during which several Democratic committee members bemoaned the lack of member-level negotiations on the bill, the Democrats walked out of the mark up. Subsequently, one Republican en bloc amendment was introduced and passed by voice vote of the remaining Republican committee members, and the bill was approved. H.R. 803 is expected to be considered on the House floor as early as next week.
Part of the Republican en bloc amendment was a provision by Rep. Susan Brooks that would incent states and local areas to implement pay-for-performance contract strategies for training providers, giving priority to high-performing “priority” providers.
Read the WIA AACC ACCT Letter on HR 803 [PDF].