Proposed and Enacted Legislation

4.1 A Stronger Workforce for America Act (H.R. 6655, 118th Congress; reintroduced 119th as A Stronger Workforce for America Act of 2026)

The principal vehicle for WIOA reauthorization. Passed the U.S. House in April 2024 (118th Congress); died in the Senate. Reintroduced in 2026. Expands accepted credential criteria to include on-the-job experience and non-traditional learning; strengthens performance accountability with credential-level outcomes data; creates a Critical Industry Skills Fund and a 50% training-spend mandate (House version); proposes moving Adult Education and Family Literacy Act programs from ED to DOL.

Source: Congress.gov: H.R. 6655 (118th) bill text

4.2 Validate Prior Learning to Accelerate Employment Act (H.R. 1446, 119th Congress)

Amends WIOA to require states to identify or develop assessments measuring an individual's prior knowledge, skills, competencies, and experiences; and to help individuals communicate their skills to employers through skills-based resumes, profiles, or portfolios — language that maps directly onto LER use cases. Reintroduced from H.R. 6166 (118th Congress).

Source: Congress.gov: H.R. 1446 bill text

4.3 Credential Repository and Transparency in States (CReatES) Act (H.R. 6704, 118th Congress)

Bill to require the Secretary of Labor to establish a grant program for states to improve or establish credential registries — directly aligned with the credential-registry component of LER ecosystems and Talent Marketplaces.

4.4 College Transparency Act (multiple sessions; H.R. 2957, S. 839 in 117th; reintroduced 119th Congress)

Establishes a privacy-protected postsecondary student data system at NCES with periodic data matches across federal agencies. Provides post-completion outcome data — earnings, employment, further education — by program of study and credential level. Foundational data infrastructure for comparing credential value, the type of data Talent Marketplaces depend on. Bipartisan support across multiple Congresses.

Source: Congress.gov: H.R. 2957 (118th) · Congress.gov: S. 839 (117th)

4.5 Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act (118th–119th Congress)

Extends federal Pell Grants to high-quality, short-term workforce training programs (8–15 weeks). Passed as a component of subsequent legislation; eligibility goes live July 1, 2026. Quality framework requires programs to demonstrate placement and earnings outcomes — the same data backbone needed for credential transparency and LER ecosystems.

4.6 Chance to Compete Act of 2024 (Public Law)

Bipartisan law (enacted December 2024) requiring federal agencies to embed skills-based recruitment and technical assessments in hiring practices, share certificates of eligibles across agencies, and reduce reliance on self-assessments. Operationalized through OPM's Merit Hiring Plan and Rule of Many regulation.

4.7 Lifelong Learning Act (S. 3877, 118th Congress)

Amends WIOA to provide greater flexibility for incumbent-worker training programs, supporting upskilling and continuous learning that aligns with LER and credential transparency objectives.

Source: Congress.gov: S. 3877 bill text

4.8 Advancing Research in Education Act (AREA) — ESRA Reauthorization (118th Congress)

Senate HELP Committee bill to reauthorize the Education Sciences Reform Act. Includes provisions directing ED's research efforts to use linked, open, and interoperable data standards — the technical foundation underlying LERs and credential registries.

4.9 Federal Cyber Workforce Training Act of 2025 (H.R. 3435, 119th Congress)

Bill addressing federal cyber workforce training pipelines; aligned with the broader skills-based hiring agenda and the U.S. Tech Force.

Source: Congress.gov: H.R. 3435 bill page

4.10 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (H.R. 7148, signed February 3, 2026)

Maintains separate WIOA accounts and rejects the Make America Skilled Again (MASA) consolidation proposed in America's Talent Strategy. Continues Title II (AEFLA), keeps Job Corps open under federal injunction, and maintains existing federal workforce program structure pending WIOA reauthorization.