To amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the rate of pay for care or services provided under the Community Care Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs based on the location at which such care or services were provided, and for other purposes.

Key Points

• The TECH Act would give qualified technical and vocational schools the same access to federal grants that traditional 2-year and 4-year colleges currently enjoy. This includes grants from the Department of Education and the Department of Labor, letting trade schools compete for funding on an equal footing with universities.
• The bill targets short-term job training programs lasting 8 to 15 weeks (150 to 600 clock hours) that lead to professional credentials in critical fields like healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, and national security. These programs must be validated by industry partnerships to ensure they meet real employer hiring needs.
• Specific federal grant programs opened up to technical schools include TRIO (which helps low-income and first-generation students), CCAMPIS (which helps student-parents pay for childcare), and the Strengthening Institutions Program. The bill also covers Department of Labor training grants under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
• Federal agencies would have 180 days after enactment to update their eligibility rules and application procedures. They must also issue guidance on how grant money should be distributed to ensure critical industries have enough workers to replace aging and retiring employees.

Votes

No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.

Related Bills

No related bills have been identified yet.