Text of US SB 299 (2025)

II 119TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 299 To establish a competitive grant program to support the establishment, expan- sion, or enhancement of youth mentoring programs for eligible youth, and to provide for social and emotional learning, employability skill development, career exploration, work-based learning, and other youth workforce opportunities. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES JANUARY 29, 2025 Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Ms. DUCKWORTH, and Mr. BOOKER) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To establish a competitive grant program to support the establishment, expansion, or enhancement of youth men- toring programs for eligible youth, and to provide for social and emotional learning, employability skill develop- ment, career exploration, work-based learning, and other youth workforce opportunities. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Mentoring to Succeed 4 Act of 2025’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:59 Feb 25, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S299.IS S299 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 2 •S 299 IS SEC. 2. YOUTH MENTORING PROGRAMS. 1 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle D of title I of the Work- 2 force Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3221 et 3 seq.) is amended— 4 (1) by redesignating section 172 as section 173; 5 and 6 (2) by inserting after section 171 the following: 7 ‘‘SEC. 172. YOUTH MENTORING PROGRAMS. 8 ‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to 9 make assistance available for mentoring programs for eli- 10 gible youth, in order to— 11 ‘‘(1) establish, expand, or support mentoring 12 programs; 13 ‘‘(2) assist eligible youth enrolled in secondary 14 schools in developing cognitive and social-emotional 15 skills; and 16 ‘‘(3) prepare eligible youth for success in high 17 school, postsecondary education, and the workforce. 18 ‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 19 ‘‘(1) COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION.—The 20 term ‘community-based organization’ means a youth- 21 serving private nonprofit organization (which may 22 include a faith-based organization or may be an af- 23 filiate of a national organization) that— 24 ‘‘(A) is representative of a community or a 25 significant segment of a community; 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:59 Feb 25, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S299.IS S299 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 3 •S 299 IS ‘‘(B) has demonstrated expertise and effec- 1 tiveness in workforce development; and 2 ‘‘(C) has demonstrated expertise— 3 ‘‘(i) in the planning and delivery of 4 education, training, and related activities 5 that are included in a career pathway; 6 ‘‘(ii) in forging coordination and co- 7 operation between educators and other 8 members of the community; and 9 ‘‘(iii) in development and implementa- 10 tion of data systems that measure the 11 progress of students and outcomes of ca- 12 reer pathways. 13 ‘‘(2) COVERED INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDU- 14 CATION.—The term ‘covered institution of higher 15 education’ means— 16 ‘‘(A) an institution of higher education, as 17 defined in section 101 of the Higher Education 18 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001); or 19 ‘‘(B) a postsecondary vocational institu- 20 tion, as defined in section 102(c) of such Act 21 (20 U.S.C. 1002(c)). 22 ‘‘(3) COVERED PARTNERSHIP.—The term ‘cov- 23 ered partnership’ means a partnership between— 24 ‘‘(A) a community-based organization; and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:59 Feb 25, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S299.IS S299 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 4 •S 299 IS ‘‘(B)(i) an industry or sector partnership; 1 ‘‘(ii) a local educational agency; or 2 ‘‘(iii) another public entity or private 3 employer, as appropriate. 4 ‘‘(4) COVERED RECOGNIZED POSTSECONDARY 5 CREDENTIAL.—The term ‘covered recognized post- 6 secondary credential’ means a recognized postsec- 7 ondary credential issued by a covered institution of 8 higher education. 9 ‘‘(5) DISABILITY.—The term ‘disability’ has the 10 meaning given the term for purposes of section 11 602(3) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education 12 Act (20 U.S.C. 1401(3)). 13 ‘‘(6) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en- 14 tity’ means a community-based organization or cov- 15 ered partnership that— 16 ‘‘(A) provides mentoring services; and 17 ‘‘(B) provides youth workforce readiness 18 programming and career exploration. 19 ‘‘(7) ELIGIBLE YOUTH.—The term ‘eligible 20 youth’ means— 21 ‘‘(A) an in-school youth; 22 ‘‘(B) a youth who meets all requirements 23 to be an in-school youth, except that— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:59 Feb 25, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S299.IS S299 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 5 •S 299 IS ‘‘(i) in lieu of meeting the require- 1 ments of section 129(a)(1)(C)(ii), the 2 youth is in secondary school; or 3 ‘‘(ii) in lieu of meeting the require- 4 ments of section 129(a)(1)(C)(iv), the 5 youth— 6 ‘‘(I) is failing academically or at 7 risk of dropping out of school, is 8 chronically absent, is enrolled in fewer 9 classes or for fewer credit hours than 10 a typical full-time student, has 11 changed schools 3 or more times in 12 the past 180 days, or has a history of 13 multiple suspensions; or 14 ‘‘(II)(aa) is a gang member or 15 resides in a community with high 16 rates of, and prevalence of risk factors 17 associated with, violence-related inju- 18 ries and deaths, and with other rel- 19 evant health and safety risks (includ- 20 ing high rates of poverty, suicide, or 21 substance use disorder (including 22 opioid use disorder)) or has a parent 23 or guardian who is struggling with 24 substance use disorder; 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:59 Feb 25, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S299.IS S299 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 6 •S 299 IS ‘‘(bb) has 1 or both parents in- 1 carcerated; or 2 ‘‘(cc) has experienced 1 or more 3 adverse childhood experiences, trau- 4 matic events, or toxic stressors, as as- 5 sessed through an evidence-based 6 screening; 7 ‘‘(C) an out-of-school youth; or 8 ‘‘(D) a youth who meets all requirements 9 to be an out-of-school youth, except that— 10 ‘‘(i) in lieu of meeting the require- 11 ments of section 129(a)(1)(B)(ii), the 12 youth would be placed in secondary school 13 if the youth were attending school; or 14 ‘‘(ii) in lieu of meeting the require- 15 ments of section 129(a)(1)(B)(iii), the 16 youth is described in subparagraph 17 (B)(ii)(II). 18 ‘‘(8) MENTORING.—The term ‘mentoring’ 19 means a structured, managed activity— 20 ‘‘(A) in which eligible youth are appro- 21 priately matched with screened and trained 22 adult or peer volunteer mentors for consistent 23 relationships; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:59 Feb 25, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S299.IS S299 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 7 •S 299 IS ‘‘(B) that provides direct one-on-one, 1 group, or peer mentoring services that focus 2 on— 3 ‘‘(i) providing enrichment; 4 ‘‘(ii) promoting educational or work- 5 force success; 6 ‘‘(iii) minimizing risk behaviors; 7 ‘‘(iv) promoting social skills and 8 healthy relationships; or 9 ‘‘(v) any combination of objectives de- 10 scribed in clauses (i) through (iv); 11 ‘‘(C) that involves meetings, events, and 12 activities on a regular basis, for a period of not 13 less than 1 year; and 14 ‘‘(D) that is intended to meet, in part, the 15 social and emotional development needs of an 16 eligible youth, the need of the eligible youth for 17 involvement with a caring and supportive adult, 18 and the need of the eligible youth for positive 19 role models, connections, and stability. 20 ‘‘(9) HIGH SCHOOL.—The term ‘high school’ 21 has the meaning given the term in section 8101 of 22 the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 23 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:59 Feb 25, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S299.IS S299 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 8 •S 299 IS ‘‘(10) YOUTH WORKFORCE READINESS PRO- 1 GRAMMING.—The term ‘youth workforce readiness 2 programming’ means job training, or a workforce 3 development program providing an employment and 4 training activity, such as mentoring, an activity to 5 promote communication and problem-solving skills, 6 career exploration, a job readiness activity and cer- 7 tification, a summer job, or a year-round job oppor- 8 tunity or apprenticeship, provided to eligible youth. 9 ‘‘(c) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.— 10 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—From amounts made avail- 11 able for this section, the Secretary shall award 12 grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to 13 establish, expand, or support mentoring programs in 14 accordance with subsection (d). 15 ‘‘(2) DURATION.—A grant awarded under this 16 section shall be for a period not to exceed 3 years. 17 ‘‘(d) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.— 18 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity receiving 19 a grant under this section shall use grant funds to 20 establish, expand, or support not less than 1 men- 21 toring program that— 22 ‘‘(A) is designed to assist eligible youth in 23 developing cognitive and social-emotional skills 24 to prepare the eligible youth for success in high 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:59 Feb 25, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S299.IS S299 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 9 •S 299 IS school, postsecondary education, and the work- 1 force by linking the eligible youth with mentors 2 who— 3 ‘‘(i) have received mentor training, in- 4 cluding training on trauma-informed prac- 5 tices, youth engagement, cultural com- 6 petency, and social-emotional learning; and 7 ‘‘(ii) have been screened using appro- 8 priate reference checks and criminal back- 9 ground checks, in accordance with the re- 10 quirements of subsection (e)(2)(F)(ii); 11 ‘‘(B) serves a population that includes eli- 12 gible youth living in or from underserved com- 13 munities or communities with employment dis- 14 parities; 15 ‘‘(C) provides coaching and technical as- 16 sistance to mentors participating in the men- 17 toring program; 18 ‘‘(D) seeks to— 19 ‘‘(i) reduce juvenile justice involve- 20 ment of eligible youth; 21 ‘‘(ii) foster positive relationships be- 22 tween eligible youth and their peers, other 23 adults, and family members; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:59 Feb 25, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S299.IS S299 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 10 •S 299 IS ‘‘(iii) develop the workforce readiness 1 skills of eligible youth by exploring paths 2 to employment, including encouraging stu- 3 dents with disabilities to explore transition 4 services; and 5 ‘‘(iv) increase the participation of eli- 6 gible youth in community service activities; 7 ‘‘(E) encourages eligible youth to set goals 8 and plan for their futures, including making 9 plans and identifying goals for postsecondary 10 education and participation in the workforce; 11 ‘‘(F) develops and carries out regular 12 training for mentors, including training on— 13 ‘‘(i) the impact of adverse childhood 14 experiences; 15 ‘‘(ii) trauma-informed practices and 16 interventions; 17 ‘‘(iii) cultural competency; 18 ‘‘(iv) social and emotional learning; 19 ‘‘(v) positive youth development and 20 engagement practices; and 21 ‘‘(vi) disability inclusion practices to 22 ensure access and participation by students 23 with disabilities; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:59 Feb 25, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S299.IS S299 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 11 •S 299 IS ‘‘(G) works in coordination with a private 1 employer and a local educational agency with 2 not less than 1 high-need school (as defined in 3 section 2211(b) of the Elementary and Sec- 4 ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 5 6631(b)); 6 ‘‘(H) recruits, screens, matches, trains, 7 and, as necessary, compensates mentors; 8 ‘‘(I) hires staff, as necessary, to perform or 9 support the objectives of the program; and 10 ‘‘(J) provides inclusive and accessible 11 youth engagement activities, such as— 12 ‘‘(i) career awareness activities, in- 13 cluding job site visits, informational inter- 14 views, resume writing, interview prepara- 15 tion, and networking; 16 ‘‘(ii) academic or postsecondary edu- 17 cation preparation activities, including 18 trade or vocational school visits, visits to 19 institutions of higher education, and assist- 20 ance in applying to institutions of higher 21 education; 22 ‘‘(iii) support for the use of career 23 pathways; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:59 Feb 25, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S299.IS S299 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 12 •S 299 IS ‘‘(iv) paid and unpaid work experi- 1 ences that have as a component academic 2 and occupational education, which may in- 3 clude— 4 ‘‘(I) paid employment opportuni- 5 ties; 6 ‘‘(II) pre-apprenticeship pro- 7 grams and apprenticeship programs; 8 ‘‘(III) paid internships; 9 ‘‘(IV) job shadowing; and 10 ‘‘(V) on-the-job training opportu- 11 nities; 12 ‘‘(v) work-based learning (as defined 13 in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career 14 and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 15 U.S.C. 2302)) that provides opportunities 16 for the application of employability skills 17 and hands-on work experiences through 18 partnerships among eligible entities; 19 ‘‘(vi) occupational skill training, which 20 shall include priority consideration for 21 training programs that lead to covered rec- 22 ognized postsecondary credentials that are 23 aligned with in-demand industry sectors or 24 occupations in the local area involved, if 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:59 Feb 25, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S299.IS S299 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 13 •S 299 IS the local board determines that the pro- 1 grams meet the quality criteria described 2 in section 123(a); 3 ‘‘(vii) activities that help youth pre- 4 pare for and transition to postsecondary 5 education and training; and 6 ‘‘(viii) services to help prepare eligible 7 youth for the workforce, such as— 8 ‘‘(I) leadership development op- 9 portunities; 10 ‘‘(II) workforce or workforce 11 readiness opportunities; 12 ‘‘(III) financial literacy edu- 13 cation; 14 ‘‘(IV) entrepreneurial skills train- 15 ing; 16 ‘‘(V) services that provide labor 17 market and employment information 18 about in-demand industry sectors or 19 occupations available in the local area; 20 ‘‘(VI) activities to develop funda- 21 mental workforce readiness skills or to 22 develop employability skills (such as 23 communication, creativity, collabora- 24 tion, and critical thinking) that sup- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:59 Feb 25, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S299.IS S299 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 14 •S 299 IS port social-emotional development 1 through every developmental stage; 2 and 3 ‘‘(VII) career exposure offered by 4 local industry or sector partnerships 5 to provide career assessments, edu- 6 cation, and career planning. 7 ‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES.—An eligible enti- 8 ty receiving a grant under this section may use 9 grant funds to— 10 ‘‘(A) provide professional development (as 11 defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Ca- 12 reer and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 13 U.S.C. 2302)) for training educators and other 14 providers of educational services who partici- 15 pate in the mentoring program; 16 ‘‘(B) develop assets and resources that as- 17 sist an employer or groups of employers or sec- 18 tors in working with eligible youth; 19 ‘‘(C) in the case of an eligible entity that 20 seeks to implement the program through a 21 partnership with another eligible entity, estab- 22 lish the partnership; and 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:59 Feb 25, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S299.IS S299 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 15 •S 299 IS ‘‘(D) conduct program evaluation, includ- 1 ing acquiring and analyzing the data described 2 in subsection (g). 3 ‘‘(3) SUBGRANTS.—An eligible entity receiving 4 a grant under this section may, with the approval of 5 the Secretary, use grant funds to award subgrants 6 to eligible organizations to carry out activities de- 7 scribed in paragraphs (1) and (2). 8 ‘‘(e) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity desiring a 9 grant under this section shall submit an application to the 10 Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied 11 by such information as the Secretary may require, includ- 12 ing— 13 ‘‘(1) a needs assessment that includes baseline 14 data on the measures described in subsection 15 (g)(1)(B); and 16 ‘‘(2) a plan to establish, expand, or support a 17 mentoring program that meets the requirements of 18 subsection (d)(1), including— 19 ‘‘(A) the targeted outcomes, mentor type, 20 and meeting frequency for the program; 21 ‘‘(B) a description of and data regarding 22 the eligible youth who will participate as 23 mentees in the program, including— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:59 Feb 25, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S299.IS S299 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 16 •S 299 IS ‘‘(i) any age ranges to be served or 1 any other eligibility criteria; and 2 ‘‘(ii) how the eligible entity will ensure 3 that the program serves eligible youth liv- 4 ing in or from underserved communities or 5 communities with employment disparities, 6 in accordance with subsection (d)(1)(B); 7 ‘‘(C) the number of mentor-mentee 8 matches proposed to be established and main- 9 tained annually under the program; 10 ‘‘(D) the capacity and expertise of the pro- 11 gram to serve eligible youth in a way that is re- 12 sponsive to children and youth of color, expect- 13 ant and parenting youth, indigenous youth, 14 youth who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, 15 transgender, or queer, and youth with disabil- 16 ities; 17 ‘‘(E) actions taken to ensure that the de- 18 sign of the program reflects input from eligible 19 youth; 20 ‘‘(F) an assurance that mentors supported 21 under the program are appropriately screened 22 and have demonstrated a willingness to comply 23 with aspects of the mentoring program, includ- 24 ing— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:59 Feb 25, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S299.IS S299 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 17 •S 299 IS ‘‘(i) a written screening plan that in- 1 cludes all of the policies and procedures 2 used to screen and select mentors, includ- 3 ing eligibility requirements and preferences 4 for such applicants; 5 ‘‘(ii) a description of the methods to 6 be used to conduct criminal background 7 checks on all prospective mentors and the 8 methods in place to exclude mentors with 9 convictions directly related to child safety 10 that occur during the mentor’s participa- 11 tion in the program or in the 7-year period 12 preceding the mentor’s participation; and 13 ‘‘(iii) a description of the methods to 14 be used to ensure that the mentors are 15 willing and able to serve as a mentor on a 16 long-term, consistent basis as defined in 17 the application; 18 ‘‘(G) a description of— 19 ‘‘(i) the community-based organiza- 20 tions or the covered partnerships through 21 which the eligible entity will implement the 22 program; and 23 ‘‘(ii) if a covered partnership will as- 24 sist in implementing the program, the col- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:59 Feb 25, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S299.IS S299 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 18 •S 299 IS laboration and coordination that the com- 1 munity-based organization in the partner- 2 ship has carried out or will carry out with 3 other entities in the partnership, related to 4 that implementation; 5 ‘‘(H) in the case of a program that in- 6 cludes an opportunity to earn a covered recog- 7 nized postsecondary credential, a description of 8 the activities leading to the covered recognized 9 postsecondary credential; and 10 ‘‘(I) a budget detailing program activities 11 and administrative costs. 12 ‘‘(f) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec- 13 tion, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities 14 that— 15 ‘‘(1) prior to receiving a grant, serve eligible 16 youth with the greatest need who reside in— 17 ‘‘(A) a high-poverty community; 18 ‘‘(B) a rural area; or 19 ‘‘(C) a community with high rates of, and 20 prevalence of risk factors associated with, vio- 21 lence-related injuries and deaths, and with 22 other relevant health and safety risks (including 23 high rates of poverty, suicide, or substance use 24 disorder (including opioid use disorder)); 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:59 Feb 25, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S299.IS S299 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 19 •S 299 IS ‘‘(2) provide eligible youth participating in the 1 mentoring program supported under this section 2 with opportunities for postsecondary education prep- 3 aration and career development, including— 4 ‘‘(A) job training, professional develop- 5 ment, work shadowing, internships, networking, 6 resume writing and review, interview prepara- 7 tion, transition or vocational rehabilitation serv- 8 ices for students with disabilities, application 9 assistance and visits to institutions of higher 10 education, and leadership development through 11 community service, and relevant program ele- 12 ments described in section 129(c)(2)); and 13 ‘‘(B) partnerships with the private sector 14 and local businesses to provide internship and 15 career exploration activities and resources; and 16 ‘‘(3) consult and engage eligible youth in the 17 development, design, and implementation of the 18 mentoring program, including by demonstrating 19 such consultation and engagement in the application 20 submitted under subsection (e) and agreeing to con- 21 tinue such consultation after receiving the grant. 22 ‘‘(g) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.— 23 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 24 after the end of each year of the grant period, an 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:59 Feb 25, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S299.IS S299 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 20 •S 299 IS eligible entity receiving a grant under this section 1 shall submit to the Secretary a report that— 2 ‘‘(A) includes— 3 ‘‘(i) the number of eligible youth and 4 mentors, and the demographics of eligible 5 youth and mentors, who participated in the 6 mentoring program that was supported 7 with grant funds; 8 ‘‘(ii) data on the academic achieve- 9 ment, dropout rates, truancy, absenteeism, 10 outcomes of arrests for violent crime, full- 11 time employment, part-time employment, 12 and postsecondary education enrollment of 13 eligible youth participating in the program; 14 and 15 ‘‘(iii) data on social-emotional develop- 16 ment of eligible youth participating in the 17 program, as assessed with a validated so- 18 cial-emotional assessment tool; 19 ‘‘(B) may include indicators such as 20 achievement of career competencies, or success- 21 ful completion of internships, apprenticeships, 22 or work-based learning opportunities, or high 23 school graduation; and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:59 Feb 25, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S299.IS S299 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 21 •S 299 IS ‘‘(C) includes any other information that 1 the Secretary may require to evaluate the suc- 2 cess of the mentoring program. 3 ‘‘(2) STUDENT PRIVACY.—An eligible entity 4 shall ensure that the report submitted under para- 5 graph (1) is prepared in a manner that protects the 6 privacy rights of each eligible youth in the same 7 manner as is required for students under section 8 444 of the General Education Provisions Act (20 9 U.S.C. 1232g; commonly known as the ‘Family Edu- 10 cational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974’). 11 ‘‘(h) MENTORING PROGRAM RESOURCES AND TECH- 12 NICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall work with the 13 Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delin- 14 quency Prevention and the Secretary of Education to— 15 ‘‘(1) refer eligible entities receiving grants 16 under this section to the National Mentoring Re- 17 source Center to obtain resources on best practices 18 and research related to mentoring programs and to 19 request no-cost training and technical assistance; 20 and 21 ‘‘(2) provide such eligible entities with informa- 22 tion regarding transitional services for eligible youth 23 returning from correctional facilities and transition 24 services for students with disabilities. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:59 Feb 25, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S299.IS S299 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 22 •S 299 IS ‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 1 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 2 such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 3 2026 through 2030.’’. 4 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 5 in section 1(b) of the Workforce Innovation and Oppor- 6 tunity Act is amended by striking the item relating to sec- 7 tion 172 and inserting the following: 8 ‘‘Sec. 172. Youth mentoring programs. ‘‘Sec. 173. Authorization of appropriations.’’. SEC. 3. STUDY ON MENTORING PROGRAMS. 9 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Labor, acting 10 through the Chief Evaluation Officer of the Department 11 of Labor, shall conduct a study to— 12 (1) identify successful mentoring programs and 13 evidence-based strategies for administering and mon- 14 itoring such programs; 15 (2) evaluate the role of mentors in promoting 16 cognitive development and social-emotional learning 17 to enhance academic achievement and to improve 18 workforce readiness; and 19 (3) evaluate the effectiveness of the grant pro- 20 gram under section 172 of the Workforce Innovation 21 and Opportunity Act, as added by section 2, on stu- 22 dent academic outcomes and youth career develop- 23 ment. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:59 Feb 25, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S299.IS S299 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 23 •S 299 IS (b) TIMING.—Not later than 3 years after the date 1 of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor, acting 2 through the Chief Evaluation Officer, shall submit the re- 3 sults of the study to the appropriate congressional com- 4 mittees. 5 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:59 Feb 25, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S299.IS S299 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB