Rep. Wilson Proposes $1.8 Billion Plan to Update Job Corps and Expand Youth Eligibility
This bill is sitting in the House Committee on Education and Workforce where it must be reviewed before it can move forward. No action has been taken on this proposal since March 2025. Because there has been no progress for over a year, the bill is considered stalled.
While Job Corps usually has support from both parties, the new requirements for higher staff pay and the large funding increases may lead to long debates in Congress.
This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.
Reintroduced
Reintroduced from H.R. 7884 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
H.R. 7884 (118th) →Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
The bill creates a mentor-protege program for Job Corps campus operations, modeled on the Small Business Act. This gives small businesses and newer organizations a pathway to compete for Job Corps contracts by pairing them with experienced operators. The Secretary must also publish alternative performance metrics for entities without previous Job Corps experience.
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
A federal judge extended an order blocking the Department of Labor from shutting down Job Corps centers. The legal battle comes as lawmakers, including Rep. Frederica Wilson, push the Strengthening Job Corps Act of 2025 to reauthorize and reform the program rather than eliminate it.
The Department of Labor has begun pausing operations at nearly 100 contractor-operated Job Corps centers. In response, Democrats have introduced the Strengthening Job Corps Act of 2025, which would expand eligibility to pregnant individuals and increase staff wages to match local public schools.
Hundreds of low-income students in San Diego are facing homelessness as the federal government moves to close Job Corps centers. The report highlights legislative efforts like the Strengthening Job Corps Act, which aims to provide graduates an extra month of housing to prevent such crises.
No votes or related bills recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Strengthening Job Corps Act of 2025
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