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House Passes GOP Bill to Create Job Training Accounts
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday passed legislation by Rep. Jon Porter of Nevada, R-3, that would create personal reemployment accounts of up to $3,000 to help unemployed Americans purchase job training and other key services such as child care, transportation services, and housing assistance.The bill, the Worker Reemployment Accounts Act (H.R. 444), is strongly supported by the Bush administration. Earlier in the week, the House, on a mostly party line vote, rejected an amendment by U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17, that would have authorized federal dollars for states to hire and train 100,000 new first responders. "The Worker Reemployment Accounts Act is a new, innovative approach designed to provide unemployed Americans additional flexibility, greater choice, and more control over their employment search," said Congressman Porter . "This bill is about empowering Americans to find good paying jobs, and giving individuals the tools and resources they need to help them reenter the workforce." He urged the Senate to pass the bill.The Worker Reemployment Accounts Act allows demonstration and pilot-project funding under the Workforce Investment Act. The funds would be used by states and local workforce investment boards to offer personal reemployment accounts of up to $3,000 to help unemployed Americans return to work. With the accounts, workers can use the funds for job training, child care, transportation, relocation services, career counseling, computer classes, housing assistance and skills-assessment services. When an account recipient finds work within 13 weeks, he or she can keep the unused portion of the funds as a reemployment bonus."