Addressing economic and workforce impacts of the opioid crisis

Except as otherwise expressly provided, in this section: The terms “core program”, “individual with a barrier to employment”, “local area”, “local board”, “one-stop operator”, “outlying area”, “State”, “State board”, and “supportive services” have the meanings given the terms in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102). The term “education provider” means— The term “eligible entity” means— The term “participating partnership” means a partnership— including, as members of the partnership, a local board receiving a subgrant under subsection (d) and 1 or more of the following: The term “program participant” means an individual who— The term “provider of peer recovery support services” means a provider that delivers peer recovery support services through an organization described in section 290ee–2(a) of title 42. The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Labor. The term “State workforce agency” means the lead State agency with responsibility for the administration of a program under chapter 2 or 3 of subtitle B of title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3161 et seq., 3171 et seq.). The term “substance use disorder” has the meaning given such term by the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use. The term “treatment provider”— means a health care provider that— may include— The term “Tribal entity” includes any Indian Tribe, tribal organization, Indian-controlled organization serving Indians, Native Hawaiian organization, or Alaska Native entity, as such terms are defined or used in section 166 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3221). The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall carry out a pilot program to address economic and workforce impacts associated with a high rate of a substance use disorder. In carrying out the pilot program, the Secretary shall make grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to enable such entities to make subgrants to local boards to address the economic and workforce impacts associated with a high rate of a substance use disorder. The Secretary shall make each such grant in an amount that is not less than $500,000, and not more than $5,000,000, for a fiscal year. An eligible entity applying for a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time and in such form and manner as the Secretary may reasonably require, including the information described in this subsection. An eligible entity shall include in the application— information that demonstrates significant impact on the community by problems related to opioid abuse or another substance use disorder, by— demonstrating for each such service area, an increase equal to or greater than the national increase in such problems, between— To meet the requirements described in subparagraph (A)(i)(II), the eligible entity may use information including data on— The eligible entity may include in the application information describing how the proposed services and activities are aligned with the State, outlying area, or Tribal strategy, as applicable, for addressing problems described in subparagraph (A) in specific service areas or across the State, outlying area, or Tribal land. An eligible entity shall include in the application information that demonstrates that a high rate of a substance use disorder has caused, or is coincident to— To meet the requirements of subparagraph (A), an eligible entity may use information including— An eligible entity receiving a grant under subsection (b)— In making subgrants under this subsection, an eligible entity shall ensure, to the extent practicable, the equitable distribution of subgrants, based on— An eligible entity making subgrants under this subsection shall disburse subgrant funds to a local board receiving a subgrant from the eligible entity by the later of— A local board desiring to receive a subgrant under this subsection from an eligible entity shall submit an application at such time and in such manner as the eligible entity may reasonably require, including the information described in this paragraph. Each application described in subparagraph (A) shall include— an analysis of the estimated performance of the local board in carrying out the proposed services and activities under the subgrant— based on— which may include or utilize— in the case of a local board proposing to serve a population described in subsection (e)(2)(B), a demonstration of the workforce shortage in the professional area to be addressed under the subgrant (which may include substance use disorder treatment and related services, non-addictive pain therapy and pain management services, mental health care treatment services, emergency response services, or mental health care), which shall include information that can demonstrate such a shortage, such as— the distance between— Each local board that receives a subgrant under subsection (d) shall carry out the services and activities described in this subsection through a participating partnership. A participating partnership shall elect to provide services and activities under the subgrant to one or both of the following populations of workers: Workers, including dislocated workers, individuals with barriers to employment, new entrants in the workforce, or incumbent workers (employed or underemployed), each of whom— Workers, including dislocated workers, individuals with barriers to employment, new entrants in the workforce, or incumbent workers (employed or underemployed), who— seek to transition to professions that support individuals with a substance use disorder or at risk for developing such disorder,33 So in original. Probably should be “such a disorder,”. such as professions that provide— Each participating partnership shall use funds available through a subgrant under this subsection to carry out 1 or more of the following: Engaging with employers to— Providing screening services, which may include— Developing an individual treatment and employment plan for each program participant— which shall include providing a case manager to work with each participant to develop the plan, which may include— In the case of a participating partnership serving program participants described in paragraph (2)(A) with a substance use disorder, providing individualized and group outpatient treatment and recovery services for such program participants that are offered during the day and evening, and on weekends. Such treatment and recovery services— may include additional services such as— Providing supportive services, which shall include services such as— Offering career services and training services, and related services, concurrently or sequentially with the services provided under subparagraphs (B) through (E). Such services shall include the following: Services provided to program participants who are in a pre-employment stage of the program, which may include— career planning that includes— Services provided to program participants during their first 6 months of employment to ensure job retention, which may include— Leading efforts in the service area to identify and promote proven and promising strategies and initiatives for meeting the needs of employers and program participants. A participating partnership may not use— The Secretary shall establish quarterly reporting requirements for recipients of grants and subgrants under this section that, to the extent practicable, are based on the performance accountability system under section 116 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3141) and, in the case of a grant awarded to an eligible entity described in subsection (a)(3)(C), section 166(h) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 3221(h)), including the indicators described in subsection (c)(1)(A)(i) of such section 116 and the requirements for local area performance reports under subsection (d) of such section 116. The Secretary shall ensure that an independent evaluation is conducted on the pilot program carried out under this section to determine the impact of the program on employment of individuals with substance use disorders. The Secretary shall enter into an agreement with eligible entities receiving grants under this section to pay for all or part of such evaluation. The independent evaluation required under this paragraph shall use experimental designs using random assignment or, when random assignment is not feasible, other reliable, evidence-based research methodologies that allow for the strongest possible causal inferences. In this subsection, the term “covered fiscal year” means any of fiscal years 2019 through 2030. Subject to paragraph (4) and notwithstanding section 132(a)(2)(A) and subtitle D 1 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3172(a)(2)(A), 3221 et seq.), the Secretary may use, to carry out the pilot program under this section for a covered fiscal year— Funds appropriated under section 136(c) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 3181(c)) and made available to carry out section 170 of such Act for a fiscal year shall remain available for use under paragraph (2) for a subsequent fiscal year until expended. The Secretary may not use more than $100,000,000 of the funds described in paragraph (2) for any covered fiscal year under this section.