House Republicans Release WIOA Reauthorization Bill as the President’s FY27 Budget is Released

House Education and Workforce Republicans have introduced the A Stronger Workforce for America Act of 2026, a partisan proposal to reauthorize WIOA. The bill maintains many elements from the 2024 version but includes key changes, including not using the term “opportunity youth,” proposing level funding for the WIOA Youth program, expanding and renaming the state block grant pilot “Make America Skilled Again,” and increasing the number of state and local pilots while removing prior eligibility requirements for consolidation. The proposal would also shift adult education (AEFLA, WIOA Title II) from the Department of Education to the Department of Labor.

At the same time, the bill retains several provisions from the 2024 proposal, including expanding eligibility for out-of-school youth (OSY), increasing work-based learning requirements, and investing in youth apprenticeship through a new $65 million Youth Apprenticeship Readiness Grant (YARG) program. It also includes provisions to codify the Reentry Employment Opportunities program with dedicated youth funding, allow greater flexibility through self-attestation and Individual Training Accounts, and require stronger state and local planning around OSY populations.

Additionally, President Trump released his Fiscal Year 2027 budget request, which highlights his priorities for FY27 appropriations. His budget maintains the “Make America Skilled Again” block grant proposal that was in his FY26 budget request. The block grant would consolidate all workforce development programs into one block grant to the states and would require that 10% of funds go to apprenticeship. The proposal would also cut overall workforce development spending by about $1.23 billion.

NYEC is currently reviewing the legislation and budget in detail. Members are encouraged to share feedback or flag provisions that stand out with Nathan Hora at nathan.hora@nyec.org. NYEC will continue to provide updates.

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