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 a more effective employment^and training program. S. 543 incorporates the principles contained in S. 1300, the Administration's proposal, and represents an important step forward in advancing the employability of economically disadvantaged youth and adults.

Although the Administration has a number of concerns with S. 543, it would move toward achieving the bipartisan objective of improving the program and making it more responsive to the labor market of the 1990s. The Administration, therefore, does not object to Senate passage of S. 543.

The Administration will, however, 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 more than $2.8 billion for FY 1990 for adult and youth training programs, more than $300 million over the FY 1989 appropriation, are excessive and should be reduced;
  
  
• 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; and
  
  
• the new categorical program for displaced homemakers limits the flexibility of the local delivery system, while the new grant program to replicate successful training models is unnecessary.