Statement of Administration Policy: S. 543 - Job Training and Basic Skills Act of 1989

(Senate)
(Simon (D) IL)

The Administration supports legislation to make the successful Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) a more effective employment and training program. S. 543, as reported by the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee, incorporates the principles contained in S. 1300, the Administration's proposal. It represents an important step forward in advancing the employability of economically disadvantaged vouth and adults.

Although the Administration has a number of concerns with S. 543, the bill would move toward achieving the bipartisan objective of improving the program and making it more responsive to the labor market of the 1990s. Therefore, the Administration supports Senate passage of S. 543 but will work to have its concerns, including those noted below, addressed in the final version of the legislation.

Some of the Administration's concerns with S. 543 are:

—  the authorization levels of about $2.8 billion for FY 1990 for adult and youth training programs, more than $350 million over the FY 1990 appropriation, should be revised to direct any increases to youth programs, consistent with the realignment of resources included in the Administration's FY 1991 Budget request;

—  requiring that not less than 70 percent of adult participants meet at least one specified barrier to employment in addition to being economically disadvantaged is unduly restrictive and should be reduced to 50 percent;

—  providing that no State could receive less than its present allotment of funds for three years would delay the effectiveness of the new funding formula, which is intended to allot more funds to States with the greatest concentration of the economically disadvantaged;

—  deleting the provision in JTPA making operation of the Jobs for Employable Dependent Individuals (JEDI) program contingent on an increase greater than inflation in the appropriation for the title II-A employment and training program; and

—  the new categorical program for displaced homemakers is objectionable because this group would be better served under the revised adult program and creation of the program would lead to other groups asking for similar set asides; the new grant program to replicate successful training models is unnecessary.