House WIOA reauthorization revives old concerns over local flexibility
Author
Jared Grigas
Kevin Moore
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Key Takeaways
On April 6, U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce Chairman, Rep. Tim Walberg, (R-Mich.) introduced the A Stronger Workforce for America Act (ASWA) of 2026 (H.R. )to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
Counties and local workforce systems rely on WIOA formula funding to connect job seekers and businesses with critical workforce services. Reauthorization presents an opportunity to modernize program features and provide long-term funding certainty – more than ten years after WIOA’s initial introduction. However, several provisions mirror concerns counties raised about the 2024 version of this bill and could limit local flexibility and shift funding away from community workforce systems.
What the bill does
The bill would reauthorize WIOA and make several changes to how the program is structured and administered:
One-size-fits all mandates: Federal mandates related to training and overly prescriptive work-experience requirements for youth, which would further constrain local flexibility under the program that is needed to reflect the unique needs of our communities and local labor market.
Increased state set-aside: Under current law, local workforce development boards receive 85 percent of WIOA Title 1 formula funding, with state workforce agencies receiving the remaining 15 percent. The bill would allow governors to set aside an additional 10 percent for state use, effectively reducing the local allocation and forcing local workforce systems to stretch funding even further.
Re-designation of Local Workforce Development Areas: The proposed re-designation of Local Workforce Development Areas, including allowing for single-area designations in more than half of all states, which could diminish local accountability, reduce community responsiveness and restrain innovation that makes workforce systems effective
Transfer of adult education programs: The bill would also transfer oversight of adult education and literacy programs from the U.S. Department of Education to the U.S. Department of Labor – reflecting broader Administration efforts to restructure federal education policy.
What’s next
The bill is expected to be marked up in the coming weeks. NACo is actively engaging and will continue to amplify concerns with the current bill alongside local government partners and in coordination with local workforce boards to ensure county priorities are protected in the reauthorization process.
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