Jobs in the Woods Act
Forestry: New Training Grants for Rural Jobs
The Jobs in the Woods Act is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It was recently sent to the House Committee on Education and Workforce for review. The bill is actively moving forward as it waits for the committee to consider it.
Legislative Progress
This bill has strong support from both parties and addresses a clear need in rural areas. However, it is a new spending program that still needs to pass through the committee process.
Key Points
- The bill creates a new grant program to help people get trained for jobs in the forestry and wood products industries. The Department of Agriculture would give out money to schools, local governments, and nonprofits to run these training programs.
- Grants would range from $500,000 to $2 million and last for up to four years. The program focuses on rural areas with fewer than 50,000 people that are considered low-income and have reliable internet access.
- The goal is to help younger people find good jobs in their home communities and replace older workers who are retiring. Programs that partner with high schools or community colleges to help students find jobs after graduation will get first priority for the funding.
- Congress would set aside $10 million every year from 2026 through 2030 to pay for these grants. This money is meant to ensure that rural towns have the skilled workers they need to keep their local timber and wood businesses running.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
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.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
News
No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Jobs in the Woods Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(15)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.