S. 4611

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4611 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4611

To provide for alignment of the Job Corps with the defense industrial 
base, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 20, 2026

Mr. Reed (for himself and Ms. Collins) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To provide for alignment of the Job Corps with the defense industrial 
base, 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 ``Job Corps Shipbuilding-Defense 
Industrial Base Pipeline Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. ALIGNMENT OF JOB CORPS WITH THE DEFENSE INDUSTRIAL BASE.

(a) In General.--The National Imperative for Industrial Skills 
program of the Department of Defense (or a successor program) shall 
maximize the use of and expand on the activities of Job Corps centers 
and registered apprenticeship programs to train the skilled industrial 
workers that are needed in the defense industrial base.
(b) Referral of Military Recruits to Job Corps.--Military 
recruiters shall make each military recruit who is ineligible to enlist 
in the military as a result of the requirements of section 520 of title 
10, United States Code, aware of the opportunity to enroll in Job Corps 
and registered apprenticeship programs in order to meet the standards 
for enlistment or learn skills that can contribute to the defense 
industrial base.
(c) Job Corps Trade Realignment.--In order to address shortages of 
skilled industrial workers in the defense industrial base, the 
Secretary of Defense may, through the National Imperative for 
Industrial Skills program (or a successor program) and grants to Job 
Corps center operators as provided in accordance with section 158(f) of 
the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3208(f)), 
support the change of trades offered at a Job Corps center, including 
at a Job Corps transition hub at an existing center or at a new site in 
close proximity to a shipyard or other defense industrial base 
suppliers, to align with the needs of the defense industrial base, 
including through investments in curricula development, equipment, and 
facilities.
(d) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
(1) Enrollee; job corps; job corps center.--The terms 
``enrollee'', ``Job Corps'', and ``Job Corps center'' have the 
meanings given such terms in section 142 of the Workforce 
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3192).
(2) Job corps center operator.--The term ``Job Corps center 
operator'' has the meaning given the term ``operator'' in such 
section of such Act.
(3) Job corps transition hub.--The term ``Job Corps 
transition hub'' means an advanced career training program 
under section 148 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 
Act (29 U.S.C. 3198) that facilitates the onboarding and 
retention of enrollees into the defense industrial base.
(4) Registered apprenticeship program.--The term 
``registered apprenticeship program'' means an apprenticeship 
program that is registered under the Act of August 16, 1937 
(commonly known as the ``National Apprenticeship Act''; 50 
Stat. 664, chapter 663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.).

SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF SHIPBUILDING SPECIAL INCENTIVE TO THE JOB CORPS.

Section 8696(b)(2) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
``(G) The Job Corps program established under 
section 143 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 
Act (29 U.S.C. 3193) or an individual Job Corps center 
operator as defined in section 142 of the Workforce 
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3192).''.

SEC. 4. JOB CORPS CONFORMING REFORMS.

(a) Success in Military Recruitment as a Graduate of Job Corps.--
Section 142(5) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
U.S.C. 3192(5)) is amended by inserting ``enlisted in the military with 
a score on the Armed Forces Qualification Test that is above the 
thirty-first percentile,'' before ``or completed''.
(b) Grants to Job Corps Centers.--Section 158(f) of the Workforce 
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3208(f)) is amended--
(1) by striking the heading and inserting ``External 
Funding'';
(2) by striking ``The Secretary may accept on behalf of the 
Job Corps or individual Job Corps centers charitable donations 
of cash'' and inserting the following:
``(1) In general.--The Secretary (or the Secretary of 
Agriculture, as appropriate), on behalf of the Job Corps, or a 
Job Corps center operator, on behalf of such center, may accept 
grants and charitable donations of cash'';
(3) by inserting ``grants and'' before ``donations are'';
(4) by striking ``available for appropriate use'' and 
inserting ``used exclusively''; and
(5) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) Transfer of property.--Notwithstanding sections 
501(b) and 522 of title 40, United States Code, any property 
acquired by a Job Corps center shall be directly transferred, 
on a nonreimbursable basis, to the Secretary.
``(3) Prohibition of offset using external funding.--An 
operator that accepts a grant or charitable donation under 
paragraph (1) may not use the grant or charitable donation to 
fulfill the cost of any obligation imposed on the operator 
under an agreement under section 147.
``(4) Prohibition on restrictions for job corps 
placement.--A grant or charitable donation under paragraph (1) 
may not include terms that restrict the placement or employment 
options of an enrollee or graduate.
``(5) Public reporting.-- The Secretary shall publicly 
disclose on annual basis a list of grants and charitable 
donations received under paragraph (1), which shall include the 
amount and source of each grant or charitable donation and the 
Job Corps center that was designated as the beneficiary of each 
grant or charitable donation.''.
(c) Local Authority To Realign Trades.--Section 151 of the 
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3201) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
``(d) Local Authority.--Subject to the limitations of the budget 
approved by the Secretary for a Job Corps center, the operator of a Job 
Corps center shall have the authority, without prior approval from the 
Secretary, to--
``(1) hire staff and provide staff professional 
development;
``(2) set terms and enter into agreements with Federal, 
State, or local educational partners, such as secondary 
schools, institutions of higher education, child development 
centers, units of Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps 
programs established under section 2031 of title 10, United 
States Code, or employers; and
``(3) engage with and educate stakeholders (including 
eligible applicants for the Job Corps) about Job Corps 
operations, selection procedures, and activities.''.
(d) Streamlined Enrollment of Veterans and Military Recruits Into 
the Defense Industrial Base.--
(1) In general.--Subsection (b) of section 144 of the 
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3194) is 
amended--
(A) in the heading, by inserting ``and Certain 
Other Armed Forces Members'' after ``Veterans''; and
(B) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
inserting ``or a member of the Armed Forces eligible 
for pre-separation counseling of the Transition 
Assistance Program under section 1142 of title 10, 
United States Code,'' after ``a veteran''.
(2) Background check exemption.--Section 145(b) of the 
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3195(b)) is 
amended--
(A) in paragraph (1)(C), by inserting ``except with 
respect to an individual described in paragraph (4),'' 
before ``the individual''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) Individuals exempted from background check.--An 
individual described in this paragraph is--
``(A) an individual who is--
``(i)(I) a member of the Armed Forces 
eligible for pre-separation counseling of the 
Transition Assistance Program under section 
1142 of title 10, United States Code; or
``(II) a veteran who left the Armed Forces 
not more than 90 days before the date on which 
the veteran applies to enroll in the Job Corps; 
and
``(ii) not ineligible for retired pay as 
provided by section 12740 of title 10, United 
States Code; or
``(B) a military recruit who--
``(i) is ineligible to enlist in the 
military as a result of the requirements of 
section 520 of title 10, United States Code; 
and
``(ii) not more than 90 days before the 
date on which the recruit applies to enroll in 
the Job Corps, passed a background check as 
part of the enlistment process.''.
<all>