Representative Holt

On Jan. 3, Representative Rush Holt (D-NJ) reintroduced H.R. 113, the Workforce Investment through Local Libraries (WILL) Act. The bill, if passed, would include libraries in the Workforce Investment Act, thus including library representation on state and local workforce investment boards; helping coordinate employment, training, and literacy services carried out by public libraries; recognizing public libraries as an allowable “One-Stop” partner; and authorizing new demonstration and pilot projects to establish employment resources in public libraries. The bill, which is co-sponsored by Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), and Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO), was referred to the House Education and the Workforce committee, on which Holt serves. However, GovTrack gives it only a six percent chance of getting out of that committee (and a one percent chance of being enacted), based on other bills’ record of passage. Holt previously introduced the same bill in April 2011, during the previous congressional session, but it died in committee.