The Reducing Arbitrary Barriers to Apprenticeship Act of 2026 amends federal veterans' education benefits to remove financial and administrative obstacles for those pursuing apprenticeships or on-the-job training. The bill increases the monthly housing stipend for full-time apprentices to match the rate paid to military members with dependents, rather than the lower rate currently applied to students without dependents. Additionally, it waives the minimum monthly attendance requirement for veterans enrolled in construction industry programs, allowing them to receive benefits even if their on-site training hours fall below standard thresholds. These changes apply to recipients of Post-9/11 GI Bill, All-Volunteer Force, and Selected Reserve educational assistance.
The Better Jobs through Evidence and Innovation Act amends the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to create a competitive grant program that funds innovative employment and training services. The bill directs federal resources toward initiatives that have demonstrated improvements in participant earnings and job placement, with specific attention to individuals facing barriers to employment and underserved communities such as rural areas. Eligible recipients include state and local workforce boards, tribal organizations, colleges, and nonprofit groups that design or implement these field-initiated programs.
The legislation establishes a tiered funding structure based on the strength of existing evidence, offering early-phase grants for new pilots, mid-phase grants for refinement, and expansion grants for proven models. Grantees are required to partner with independent researchers to conduct rigorous impact evaluations, ensuring that at least 60 percent of each award is spent directly on program implementation rather than administrative costs. The bill authorizes appropriations for this initiative through fiscal year 2031.
Senate, August 10, 2026 -- The committee on Labor and Workforce Development, to whom was referred the petitions (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1355) of Liz Miranda, Mindy Domb and Jason M. Lewis for legislation to establish extreme temperature worker protections; and (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1357) of Mark C. Montigny and Jason M. Lewis for legislation to establish protections for workers in hot conditions, report the accompanying bill (Senate, No. 3240).
The Green New Deal for Public Housing Act directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide grants to public housing agencies and tribal entities for the comprehensive rehabilitation, energy upgrades, and modernization of public housing stock. These funds are intended to transform properties into zero-carbon homes by installing renewable energy systems, electrifying appliances, and repairing infrastructure, while also establishing workforce development programs that offer training, apprenticeships, and stipends to residents and local low-income workers. The bill mandates strict labor standards, including prevailing wages and the use of U.S.-made materials, and requires agencies to maintain or increase the total number of public housing units while prioritizing resident participation through elected councils and community engagement processes.
The Workforce Recovery and Resilience Act amends the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to direct federal resources toward communities significantly affected by high rates of substance use disorders. It requires the Secretary of Labor to annually update and distribute evidence-based practices to states and local areas for addressing the economic impacts of these disorders. Additionally, the bill creates a new category of national dislocated worker grants that can be awarded to entities providing employment and training related to addiction treatment, mental health care, and pain management in areas where demand exceeds local resources. Eligible recipients for this assistance include dislocated workers, long-term unemployed individuals, those underemployed due to widespread substance use, and healthcare professionals involved in these treatment fields.
The Lifelong Learning Act amends the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to increase the percentage of federal funds that states must reserve for incumbent worker training and transitional jobs programs. It requires states to report on the performance outcomes of these specific training initiatives, which will then be used to adjust performance targets for other adult and dislocated worker programs. Additionally, the bill expands flexibility by allowing local boards to serve as one-stop operators if they enter into written agreements with local officials and adhere to strict conflict-of-interest controls.
This bill creates a temporary National Workforce Transition Fund to help workers and employers manage labor market changes caused by artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. The fund is financed by exempting AI data centers from certain tax depreciation limits, with the resulting revenue transferred to the Treasury and then allocated to the fund over five years. A new National Workforce Transition Board will oversee the program, developing strategies to assess workforce impacts and directing resources toward training, job placement, and employer retention initiatives. The legislation prioritizes support for workers facing employment disruption without requiring them to prove that technology was the sole cause of their job loss, while also funding improvements to labor market data systems. All provisions related to the fund and workforce activities are set to expire five years after the bill is enacted.
The RESULTS Act of 2026 provides federal funding to help states build and modernize systems that connect data across education and workforce sectors, from early childhood programs to employment outcomes. These grants require states to create secure databases that link records from schools, colleges, and job training programs while protecting student privacy and allowing for data analysis by researchers and policymakers. The bill also mandates that states establish specific leadership roles, such as a Chief Data Officer, and use the funds to improve how they report on student success and labor market trends. Additionally, the legislation updates existing rules to allow states to use national wage records for measuring job placement outcomes and encourages the adoption of standardized data formats to ensure information can be easily shared across different states.
The Rural Hospital Cybersecurity Enhancement Act directs the Department of Health and Human Services to create a workforce development plan aimed at training cybersecurity professionals specifically for rural hospitals. This strategy requires the Secretary to consult with various federal agencies and healthcare representatives while focusing on partnerships, curriculum development, and identifying local security challenges. Additionally, the bill mandates the publication of free instructional materials and an awareness campaign to help rural hospital staff learn fundamental cybersecurity skills. The legislation does not authorize any new funding, relying instead on existing resources to implement these training and educational initiatives.
The Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Expansion Act aims to address the national shortage of qualified cybersecurity personnel by creating two new pilot programs within the Department of Homeland Security. The first initiative establishes an apprenticeship program that hires up to 25 individuals annually to gain on-the-job training and related education, with the goal of placing them in permanent federal cyber workforce positions after completion. The second program offers free cybersecurity training to veterans and military spouses, providing virtual and hands-on learning opportunities that lead to recognized postsecondary credentials. Both pilots include provisions for recruiting underrepresented communities and require regular reporting to Congress on participant demographics, completion rates, and employment outcomes. Additionally, the bill extends the deadline for a federal cybersecurity workforce assessment from 2022 to 2028 to better track staffing needs.
