Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 2039 - Job Training Partnership Act Amendments of 1990

(House Rules)
(Hawkins (D) CA and 4 others)

The Administration supports legislation to make the successful Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) a more effective employment and training program. The Administration has a number of major concerns with H.R. 2039, as reported by the House Education and Labor Committee, and recommends that the bill be amended, to address these concerns.

The following are the major concerns with H.R. 2039:

—  The authorization levels are excessive. Authorizations for adult and youth employment and training programs exceed the President's FY 1991 Budget request by more than $300 million.

—  The bill does not improve the targeting of resources for the adult and youth programs. Funds should be distributed based on a local area's share of the eligible economically disadvantaged population instead of the number of unemployed in a State or locality.

—  The bill retains the existing separate Summer Youth Program instead of fully integrating that program into a year-round youth program.

—  The bill retains the current State education set-aside instead of replacing it with a new State Linkage and Coordination program, as proposed by the Administration. The new program would improve cooperation between JTPA, education, welfare, and other programs serving the economically disadvantaged.

—  The bill should include the fiscal management provisions specifically tailored to the JTPA, as supported by the Administration.

—  The bill would establish an unnecessary new program of Federally-subsidized jobs to provide assistance in disaster areas. In addition, the bill would establish unnecessary new programs for "nontraditional employment for women" and for youth offenders.