H.R. 8304

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8304 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8304

To require the Secretary of Labor to establish a grant program for 
States to improve or establish a credential repository, and for other 
purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 15, 2026

Mrs. McBath (for herself and Mr. Owens) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To require the Secretary of Labor to establish a grant program for 
States to improve or establish a credential repository, and for other 
purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Credential Repository and 
Transparency in States Act'' or the ``CREATES Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

The purpose of this Act is to provide assistance to States for the 
collection, development, analysis, and sharing of information on--
(1) all of the credentials offered in each State;
(2) the quality of such credentials, including their use by 
employers for making employment-related decisions;
(3) education and career pathways that lead to such 
credentials and occupations in a State; and
(4) the sharing of such information with individuals in 
each State, enabling them to make informed education and career 
choices.

SEC. 3. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

(a) Authorization and Limitations.--
(1) In general.--From amounts made available under section 
4, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of 
Education, shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to 
States to establish, expand, or improve a State credential 
repository that contains information on each covered program, 
credential, and training provider in the State.
(2) Duration.--A grant awarded under this Act shall be 
awarded for a period of 3 years.
(3) Amount.--In awarding a grant under this Act, the 
Secretary--
(A) may not award a grant in excess of $10,000,000; 
and
(B) in deciding the amount of a grant, shall take 
into consideration--
(i) the number of credentials offered in 
the State; and
(ii) the number of training providers in 
the State.
(4) Timing.--Not later than 90 days after the Secretary 
receives an application submitted under subsection (b), the 
Secretary shall make a determination as to whether the State 
that submitted such application will receive a grant under this 
Act.
(5) Limit.--The Secretary may only award one grant to a 
State.
(b) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant, a State shall 
submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, 
and containing such information as the Secretary shall require, 
including--
(1) information on how the State will establish, expand, or 
improve a credential repository that satisfies requirements 
under subsection (d);
(2) information on the data policy a State will establish 
under subsection (c)(1)(B);
(3) a description of any products, tools, services, or 
resources that a State develops pursuant to subsection 
(c)(1)(E);
(4) an assurance that the credential repository will be 
interoperable with other State credential repositories; and
(5) an assurance that the State will establish and maintain 
the credential repository in accordance with the requirements 
under subsection (d).
(c) Uses of Funds.--
(1) Mandatory use.--A State awarded a grant under this Act 
shall--
(A) establish a credential repository, as described 
in subsection (d), through a process that includes 
input from the public;
(B) establish a data policy for such repository 
that addresses how the State will ensure that the 
repository meets the requirements described in 
subsection (d);
(C) assist training providers in the State in the 
collection of information on the primary indicators of 
performance described in section 116(b)(2)(A) of the 
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 
3141(b)(2)(A)) for each covered program;
(D) provide guidance to education, job, and career 
counselors in the State on how to use the credential 
repository; and
(E) develop or facilitate access to products, 
tools, services, and other resources, using the 
information and linked, open, and interoperable data 
contained in the credential repository, that benefit 
workers, employers, educators, counselors, 
policymakers, and others.
(2) Authorized use.--If a State carries out all of the 
activities under paragraph (1), the State may use any excess 
grant funds to publicize the repository of the State to 
individuals in the State.
(d) Credential Repository.--A State that receives a grant under 
this Act shall establish a publicly accessible credential repository 
that--
(1) identifies--
(A) each credential offered in the State; and
(B) each training provider in the State;
(2) includes information on--
(A) with respect to each training provider in the 
State--
(i) process and outcome quality indicators 
of such training provider for each covered 
program offered by such training provider; and
(ii) each credential for which such 
training provider offers a covered program;
(B) with respect to each covered program offered in 
the State--
(i) the competencies and skills an 
individual develops by completing such covered 
program; and
(ii) the cost of enrollment for an 
individual to enroll in such program; and
(C) with respect to each credential offered in the 
State--
(i) the training providers that offer such 
credential;
(ii) any assessment that an individual is 
required to take to earn such credential;
(iii) the cost to an individual of each 
such assessment;
(iv) any postsecondary credit or equivalent 
transfer value recommendations of such 
credential, such as the recommendations 
provided by the American Council on Education's 
National Guide, guidance from a statewide 
education coordinating entity, or 
recommendations or guidance from a comparably 
similar entity, as available and appropriate;
(v) the career pathway or program of study 
that such credential is a part, as applicable;
(vi) the outcomes associated with such 
credential, including--
(I) the earning and employment 
status of individuals after earning 
such credential;
(II) the completion and pass rates 
of individuals in each career pathway 
or program of study for which the 
individual earned such credential; and
(III) other calculations, including 
the return on investment, as determined 
by the State, for an individual after 
earning such credential;
(vii) the job skills an individual develops 
in earning such credential; and
(viii) the industries and occupations for 
which such credential prepares an individual;
(3) aligns with, complements, and enhances eligibility 
lists or criteria for training providers, such as the 
eligibility criteria established under section 122(a) of the 
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3152(b)), 
or a program or pathway approval process required by the Carl 
D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (U.S.C.) 
or chapter 33 of title 38, United States Code (otherwise known 
as the Post 9/11 Education Assistance Program);
(4) is updated on a continuous basis to ensure the accuracy 
and recency of the information and data in the repository;
(5) uses data formats that--
(A) are transparent, linked, open, and 
interoperable with other State credential repositories;
(B) are aligned with widely recognized and adopted 
standards, which may include the use of credential 
transparency description language specifications; and
(C) allow for open access to the data in the 
repository across State and national borders and 
industry sectors for guidance counseling, career 
navigation, and other comparably similar activities;
(6) has functions to search, discover, compare, and analyze 
each credential, covered program, and training provider in the 
State; and
(7) includes any other information as determined by the 
Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Education.
(e) Privacy Protections.--In carrying out the activities under this 
Act, a State shall not collect or include in the repository any 
personally identifiable information.
(f) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, and on an annual basis thereafter, a 
State that receives a grant under this Act shall submit to the 
Secretary a report at such time, in such manner, and containing 
such information as the Secretary may require, including 
information on the improvement or development and 
implementation of the credential repository in such State.
(2) Reduced burden.--The Secretary, in coordination with 
the Secretary of Education, and in consultation with the States 
receiving a grant under this Act, shall implement processes to 
reduce the burden of reporting information required to be 
reported under this Act.
(g) Definitions.--In this Act:
(1) Covered program.--The term ``covered program'' means a 
program that is offered to individuals to earn a credential.
(2) Credential.--The term ``credential'' means an education 
or occupational qualification or achievement used to indicate 
suitability for a future educational opportunity or career 
opportunity, including diplomas, digital badges, certificates, 
certifications, a recognized postsecondary credential, 
occupational or professional licenses, microcredentials, and 
degrees of all types and levels.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'', unless otherwise 
specified in this Act, means the Secretary of Labor.
(4) Training provider.--The term ``training provider'' 
means an entity that offers a covered program.
(5) WIOA terms.--The terms ``career pathway'', ``recognized 
postsecondary credential'', and ``State'' have the meanings 
given such terms in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and 
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3113).

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 
as may be necessary to carry out this Act for fiscal year 2028.
(b) Remain Available.--The funds appropriated under this section 
shall remain available until September 30, 2029.
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