PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
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People & committees
Rep. Sherrill, Mikie [D-NJ-11] · D–NJ
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Jul 21, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-18 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed Strengthening Communities through Summer Employment Act would authorize federal funding for competitive grants to create, expand, and improve summer jobs programs for people under 25. Funded programs would provide at least four weeks of paid work, mentoring, and help finding later education or employment opportunities. A second grant program would support additional approaches, such as mental health support, help with basic living costs, and training. These are proposed requirements, not evidence that funding has been provided or outcomes achieved.
This Act may be cited as the Strengthening Communities through Summer Employment Act.
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Labor to carry out this Act
the Secretary of Labor shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to develop and implement new, or expand existing, summer youth employment programs
Provides youth participants under the age of 25 with subsidized employment for at least 4 weeks during the summer. (2) Pays at least the greater of the applicable Federal, State, or local minimum wage.
Provides coaching and mentoring services for each youth participant to support the participant’s completion of the summer employment program. (6) Provides assistance to each youth participant in obtaining educational and employment opportunities after the completion of the program
the Secretary of Labor shall provide grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities that operate summer youth employment programs that include each of the program elements listed in section 3(d) to integrate innovative approaches in carrying out such programs
(4) Wrap-around financial assistance services, including for food, shelter, and transportation. (5) Mental health supports for youth participants, as applicable.
High-quality job training, career counseling, or educational tutoring programs
Section 2 would authorize Congress to provide $200 million for fiscal year 2026, $210 million for 2027, $220 million for 2028, $230 million for 2029, and $240 million for 2030. This authorization would not itself provide the money.
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Labor to carry out this Act— (1) $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2026; (2) $210,000,000 for fiscal year 2027; (3) $220,000,000 for fiscal year 2028; (4) $230,000,000 for fiscal year 2029; and (5) $240,000,000 for fiscal year 2030.
Of any money appropriated under this authorization, the Labor Department would have to allocate 45% to creating or expanding programs, 45% to innovative approaches, 5% to evaluations, and 5% to the Advisory Board.
Of the amounts appropriated under subsection (a), the Secretary of Labor shall use— (1) 45 percent of such amount to award grants under section 3; (2) 45 percent of such amount to award grants under section 4; (3) 5 percent of such amount to carry out evaluation activities under section 5(b); and (4) 5 percent of such amount to fund the Advisory Board under section 6.
Eligible applicants would include states or state boards, general local governments or local boards, nonprofit organizations, and groups of these entities. The bill's definition of a state would include the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
The term eligible entity means a State (or State board) or unit of general local government (or a local board), or a nonprofit organization, or a consortium of any of such entities.
The term State means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Section 3 would require competitive grants to create or expand summer youth employment programs. The stated goals would be better graduation, further education, employment, wage, and criminal justice outcomes; the text does not establish that these improvements would occur.
the Secretary of Labor shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to develop and implement new, or expand existing, summer youth employment programs in a State or local area, for the purpose of improving academic, economic, and criminal justice outcomes for participants, including— (1) high school graduation rates; (2) enrollment rates in postsecondary education; (3) employment and wage rates; and (4) arrest, conviction, and incarceration rates.
Both grant programs would prioritize applicants serving areas with higher youth unemployment and violent crime, offering stronger programs, and reaching more young people historically underserved by summer jobs programs, including rural and suburban youth. Innovation grants would also prioritize the quality and rigor of the proposed innovative approach. Prior evaluations and their findings would be considered where available.
the Secretary of Labor, in coordination with the Advisory Board, shall prioritize eligible entities that, based upon the applications submitted under subsection (c)— (1) have higher youth unemployment rates and violent crime rates in the local areas to be served; (2) will offer higher quality and more rigorous the summer youth employment programs (which shall include a consideration of whether the program has been evaluated and, if so, the impact of the program on the youth outcomes listed under subsection (a)); and (3) will serve a higher number of youth historically underserved by summer youth employment programs, including youth in rural and suburban local areas.
the Secretary of Labor, in coordination with the Advisory Board, shall prioritize eligible entities that, based upon the applications submitted under subsection (c)— (1) have higher youth unemployment rates and violent crime rates in the local areas to be served; (2) will offer a higher quality and more rigorous summer youth employment program (which shall include a consideration of whether the program has been evaluated and, if so, the impact of the program on the youth outcomes listed in section 3(a)); (3) will offer a higher quality and more rigorous innovative approach for such program (which shall include a consideration of whether that innovative approach has been evaluated and, if so, the impact of the innovative approach on the youth outcomes listed under section 3(a)); and (4) will serve a higher number of youth historically underserved by summer youth employment programs, including youth in rural and suburban local areas.
Applicants for creation or expansion grants would have to demonstrate that their programs would include every required program element. Innovation applicants would have to describe plans to integrate at least one listed innovative approach. The Secretary of Labor would set application timing and submission requirements.
an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may determine to be necessary, which shall include information that demonstrates that the eligible entity will use such grant to develop and implement, or expand, a summer youth employment program that includes each of the elements listed in subsection (d).
an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, and in such manner as may be required by the Secretary, which includes a description of the plan to integrate one or more of the innovative approaches listed in subsection (d)
The core program requirements would include subsidized summer employment—jobs supported with program funding—for participants under 25 for at least four weeks. Pay would have to meet the highest applicable federal, state, or local minimum wage.
(1) Provides youth participants under the age of 25 with subsidized employment for at least 4 weeks during the summer. (2) Pays at least the greater of the applicable Federal, State, or local minimum wage.
Programs would have to conduct outreach to ensure equitable access to information, applications, and hiring, including eligibility documentation. They would match each participant with an employer based on the employer's needs and the participant's skills and interests.
(3) Provides community engagement and outreach to ensure equitable access to the program in terms of awareness, application process, and completion of the hiring process, including documentation of eligibility. (4) Matches each youth participant with an employer based on the needs of the employer and the skills and interests of the youth participant.
Programs would have to provide coaching and mentoring to help participants finish their summer jobs, assistance finding education or employment afterward, and support before, during, and after participation. Examples of support include digital skills, financial education, job training, and career counseling.
(5) Provides coaching and mentoring services for each youth participant to support the participant’s completion of the summer employment program. (6) Provides assistance to each youth participant in obtaining educational and employment opportunities after the completion of the program, such as by connecting participants with secondary school programs, postsecondary education opportunities, apprenticeships, career and technical education, or adult job training programs, if applicable.
(8) Provides program supports to youth participants before, during, and after their program (such as digital literacy training, work-readiness opportunities, financial literacy training, specific job training for their summer job placement, and career counseling services).
Participating employers would receive training, coaching, mentoring, and technical assistance to structure jobs around their needs and support young workers' success.
(7) Provides training, coaching, and mentoring services, and technical assistance to participating employers to best help such employers structure the job opportunities of the employers to meet the employer’s needs and the support the success of youth participants.
Section 4 would fund competitive innovation grants for operators whose programs include all the core requirements. Recipients would have to add one or more permitted innovative approaches; they would not have to provide every approach on the list.
the Secretary of Labor shall provide grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities that operate summer youth employment programs that include each of the program elements listed in section 3(d) to integrate innovative approaches in carrying out such programs
shall use funds received under this section to integrate into such program one or more of the following innovative approaches
One permitted innovation would give each participant a dedicated mentor for individual meetings before starting work, after starting, and regularly during the program. Mentors would help develop education and employment goals, address barriers to completing the job, provide recommendation letters, and make educational or social-service referrals where needed.
(1) Individualized mentoring and coaching for youth participants, under which each youth participant— (A) before and after the participant starts the program and regularly during the program, meets one-on-one with a dedicated mentor; (B) develops a comprehensive success plan with the mentor, including academic and employment goals and the steps needed to achieve such goals; (C) receives other support from the mentor, which shall include— (i) coaching to overcome barriers that could impact progress in completing the employment received under the summer youth employment program; (ii) providing letters of recommendation; and (iii) making referrals to educational and social services, where necessary.
Another permitted innovation would offer small-group job training, career counseling, or tutoring before the program, on evenings and weekends during it, and afterward. It would include help with resumes, interviews, and financial skills, as well as high school completion and literacy classes where applicable.
(2) High-quality job training, career counseling, or educational tutoring programs to be delivered in small group settings before the program, on evenings and weekends during the program, and after the program, with the goal of preparing youth participants for future employment, which shall include assisting youth participants— (A) with developing resumes and interviewing skills, and financial literacy; and (B) in completing a regular high school diploma or its recognized equivalent and literacy classes, if applicable.
Other permitted innovations would include activities to build emotional and interpersonal skills, financial help with needs such as food, shelter, and transportation, and mental health or addiction treatment support where applicable.
(3) Social-emotional learning for youth participants, including proven interventions to help develop empathy, self-efficacy, positive decision-making, and communication skills. (4) Wrap-around financial assistance services, including for food, shelter, and transportation. (5) Mental health supports for youth participants, as applicable. (6) Substance abuse and addiction treatment supports for youth participants, as applicable.
An innovation grant could support continuing services after the summer job ends, coordinated with participants' school districts. This option would make financial assistance available to youth who continue participating in those services.
(7) The continuation of certain program elements (particularly the individualized mentoring, mental health and behavioral supports, and career counseling), in coordination with their school districts, for a period of time after the employment portion of the program ends to help participants continue their engagement with the education and employment system, with financial assistance available to youth who continue to participate in these program elements after their summer employment has ended.
Innovation grants could also fund remote delivery of core services to build digital and remote-work skills, or opportunities pairing courses during nonsummer months with related work experience during the summer.
(8) The provision of one or more of the program elements listed in section 3(d) virtually to develop digital literacy and remote work skills that are a part of many professional settings. (9) The provision of Learn and Earn opportunities, in which participants take postsecondary or training courses during nonsummer months coupled with work experience in related fields during the summer.
Other options would expand private-sector placements in occupations or industries defined as in demand, develop city-issued digital records of skills recognized by schools and employers, and help participants move into more senior jobs over successive summers.
(10) The expansion of private sector opportunities with employers in in-demand occupations or industry sectors (as defined in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102)), such as information technology, health care, life sciences, and vocational careers. (11) The development of skill-based digital badges issued by cities that are recognized by high schools, community colleges, and employers. (12) The laddering of job opportunities from one summer to the next to enable participants to build skills over multiple summers by progressing from entry-level to more senior positions that further develop soft skills (such as leadership skills) or hard skills (such as technical skills).
Innovation funding could support additional approaches identified by the Advisory Board. Applicants could also propose unlisted approaches for the Secretary to assess, in consultation with the Board, under the bill's expectation-of-evidence standard. The Board's role would include identifying approaches that demonstrate, or are reasonably expected to demonstrate, evidence of improving youth outcomes.
(13) A program element identified by the Advisory Board under section 6(i)(3). (14) A new innovative program element that is not identified by the Advisory Board under section 6(i)(3) and is not listed in this subsection, which is— (A) proposed by the eligible entity in the application submitted under subsection (b); (B) determined by the Secretary, in consultation with the Advisory Board, as being reasonably expected to demonstrate evidence, in the case of an element in which such evidence does not exist, in carrying out the purposes described in subsection (a).
Identifying any innovative approaches to summer youth employment programs for purposes of paragraph (13) of section 4(d) that are not listed in section 4(d), which demonstrate or are reasonably expected to demonstrate evidence of improving the youth outcomes listed under section 3(a).
Each grant recipient would have to begin assessing whether its program meets the applicable requirements within one year of receiving the grant, and repeat that assessment each succeeding year of the grant period, in consultation with the Advisory Board.
Beginning not later than 1 year after receiving such grant and for each succeeding year of the grant period, each eligible entity receiving a grant under section 3 or 4, in consultation with the Advisory Board established under section 6, shall develop and implement a performance measurement assessment of such program to assess whether the program is being implemented in a way that meets the requirements of section 3 or 4, respectively.
The Secretary would contract with one or more independent research organizations or nonprofit organizations to evaluate every funded program. Evaluations would have to begin within three years after the program first receives support and use administrative records to measure education, employment, wage, and crime-related outcomes one, three, and five years after participants finish.
the Secretary of Labor shall, in consultation with the Advisory Board established under section 6, award a contract to one or more independent research organizations or nonprofit organizations to carry out evaluations to measure the impact of each summer youth employment program that is being supported by a grant awarded under section 3 or 4.
(A) The evaluation begins not later than 3 years after the program first receives such support.
The evaluation uses administrative data to assess the impact of the program as a whole on participants for 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years after the completion of the program on each of the following: (I) High school graduation rates. (II) Enrollment rates in postsecondary education. (III) Employment and wage rates. (IV) Crime rates (such as arrest, arraignment, or incarceration rates).
Evaluators would share their research methods with the Board before starting and use surveys during the program to assess short-term changes in interpersonal skills, goals, and readiness for work. They would use random assignment when feasible, or otherwise use methods offering the strongest possible evidence about whether the program caused observed changes. The Board would provide evaluation resources and assistance.
(i) Impact evaluation design and analysis methods are shared with the Advisory Board before the beginning of the evaluation.
(iii) The evaluation uses survey data collected during the program to assess program impacts on short-term changes in soft skills (such as such as interpersonal, communication, and time management skills), academic and career goals, and job readiness. (iv) The evaluation uses randomized experimental designs, when feasible, or other research methods that allow for the strongest possible causal inferences when random assignment is not feasible.
the Advisory Board established under section 6 shall provide additional resources to such organization to carry out the evaluations under this subsection, including assistance with using randomized experimental designs.
Section 6 would establish an Advisory Board within the Labor Department. The Secretary would choose its size and appoint members with summer youth employment expertise or experience in workforce program evaluation and evidence-based policy. Members would serve renewable four-year terms; replacements would finish unexpired terms, and members could remain until successors take office.
the Secretary of Labor shall establish within the Department of Labor an Advisory Board
The Secretary shall determine the number of members to serve on the Advisory Board.
Each member of the Advisory Board shall be appointed by the Secretary of Labor, and shall have expertise in designing and administering summer youth employment programs or experience in program evaluation and evidence-based policy in the workforce development field.
Each member shall be appointed for a term of 4 years, and may be reappointed for subsequent terms by the Secretary.
Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for which the member’s predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only for the remainder of that term. A member may serve after the expiration of that member’s term until a successor has taken office.
The Secretary would set Board member and staff pay, but members who are full-time federal officers or employees could not receive additional pay, allowances, or benefits for Board service. Members would receive travel expenses under the referenced federal travel rules.
Except as provided in paragraph (2), Advisory Board Members and staff, including the Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, and Director, shall each be paid at a rate determined by the Secretary.
Members of the Advisory Board who are full-time officers or employees of the United States may not receive additional pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of their service on the Advisory Board.
Each member shall receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with applicable provisions under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code.
The Board would meet monthly and when called by its chair or a majority of members. The Secretary would designate a chair and vice chair for four-year terms. The bill would require 'fifty percent plus one' members for a quorum—the minimum attendance for conducting business—while allowing fewer members to hold hearings.
Fifty percent plus one members of the Advisory Board shall constitute a quorum but a lesser number may hold hearings.
The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Advisory Board shall be designated by the Secretary at the time of the appointment. The term of office of the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson shall be 4 years.
The Advisory Board shall meet monthly and at the call of the Chairperson or a majority of its members.
The chair would appoint a director and could appoint additional staff under the referenced federal competitive-service hiring rules. The Board could obtain temporary expert or consultant services and request temporary assignments of federal agency employees, with reimbursement to their agencies.
The Advisory Board shall have a Director who shall be appointed by the Chairperson.
The Advisory Board Chairperson may appoint additional personnel as they consider appropriate.
The Director and staff of the Advisory Board shall be appointed subject to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service.
The Advisory Board may procure temporary and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code.
Upon request of the Advisory Board, the head of any Federal department or agency may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of that department or agency to the Advisory Board to assist it in carrying out its duties under this Act.
The Board would assist with application review and provide technical assistance to section 3 recipients using evidence from existing programs. It could establish a working group to share implementation practices. The application-review provision contains cross-references whose meaning is uncertain, as explained in the limitations.
The Advisory Board shall assist the Secretary in carrying out each of the following: (1) Application review Reviewing applications submitted by eligible entities under sections 4(d) and 5(b) to ensure that each eligible entity selected to receive a grant under this Act will use such grant as required under this Act.
Providing technical assistance to eligible entities receiving grants under section 3, for the purpose of assisting such eligible entities to best implement the summer youth employment programs to be assisted with such grants, by identifying existing summer youth employment programs that demonstrate, through evaluations conducted under section 5(b) or through outside studies, that each of the program elements listed in section 3(d) and implemented under such programs have a significant impact on academic, economic, and criminal justice outcomes.
Technical assistance may be provided under subparagraph (A) through the creation and administration of a working group of the administrators of eligible entities to share best practices regarding the implementation of summer youth employment programs.
The Board would recommend whether newly proposed program elements meet the evidence standard and publish a database of completed evaluations documenting the impact of funded programs and their components.
Providing recommendations to the Secretary with respect to whether any new program element proposed by any eligible entity under section 4(d)(14) demonstrate or are reasonable expected to demonstrate such evidence.
Publishing a database of completed evaluations conducted under section 5(b), which maintains evidence on the impact of programs (including the program elements of programs) supported with grants under this Act.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated July 21, 2025, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Education and Workforce on February 18, 2025. It does not establish what happened after the recorded actions.
Source snapshot updated 2025-07-21T19:44:15Z. 2025-02-18: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce. 2025-02-18: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-18. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy rider was identified in the complete supplied introduced-text version. This conclusion does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced-text version. This text-based conclusion does not establish formal earmark status or absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow carve-out, special exemption, or preferential treatment warranting a finding was identified in the complete supplied introduced-text version. Ordinary program eligibility, access protections, and program priorities are not treated as special benefits. This conclusion is limited to this version.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Jul 21, 2025. How PlainBill uses AI