Bill · S. 5570· Senate(119-S-5570)
Ready to Work Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 9/28/2026
- Last activity
- 9/28/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Sponsored by
- Chris Van Hollen
- Cosponsors
- - 4 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
S. 5570 establishes a federal jobs initiative administered by the Secretary of Labor to help long-term unemployed workers find work through local boards and community organizations. The legislation provides funding for temporary program positions, wages, career services, supportive services, and training services. Participating employers must meet specific selection criteria, adhere to nondisplacement rules to protect existing employees, and follow grievance procedures. The bill also awards competitive grants to local boards in high-poverty areas and areas with chronically low employment rates. Additionally, the measure includes performance accountability measures, audits, and reporting requirements for local boards and participating employers.
Yes· 3 of 26
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+7
The bill provides wage subsidies, training services, and targeted competitive grants specifically for high-poverty areas to assist low-income and long-term unemployed individuals.
Is this likely to create jobs?+7
The bill establishes a federal jobs initiative administered by the Secretary of Labor to fund temporary program positions and help long-term unemployed workers find work.
Is this likely to lift people out of poverty?+6
The bill awards competitive grants and targeted funding to local boards specifically in high-poverty areas to help lift individuals out of chronic joblessness and poverty.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Support for overcoming barriers to employment: Under Section 2(b)(1), the bill helps individuals overcome barriers keeping them out of the workforce, such as transportation, child care, job readiness training, and substance abuse treatment. This is positive because it directly targets the practical obstacles that prevent people from securing permanent jobs.
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Job generation and skill training: Under Section 4(a)(4), the Secretary of Labor provides payments to local boards to cover wages, compensation, career services, supportive services, and training services for eligible workers. This provision is beneficial because it creates active work opportunities and builds skills for individuals who have been long-term unemployed.
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Prioritizing high-poverty and low-employment areas: Under Section 5(b) and Section 5(d), the Secretary awards competitive grants to local boards and prioritizes areas with high poverty or low prime working-age employment-to-population ratios. This helps direct financial support to the communities hit hardest by chronic joblessness.
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Protection against employee displacement: Under Section 4(f)(1), participating employers are prohibited from placing an eligible worker in a program position if it would result in the layoff, reduced hours, reduced wages, or reduced benefits of an existing employee. This safeguards current workers from losing their jobs or seeing their compensation reduced due to the program.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Burdensome reporting requirements for workers: Under Section 4(e)(4), in order to be eligible for a program position, an eligible worker must submit a detailed report to the Secretary of Labor specifying their most recent employment details, reasons for termination, and any artificial intelligence used during their employment or job-seeking process. This creates an administrative burden and potential privacy hurdle for job seekers who simply want to get back to work.
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Mandatory cost-sharing for employers in certain areas: Under Section 4(i)(1)(A), local boards carrying out programs in areas where the unemployment rate does not exceed 5 percent must require participating employers to cover a 33 percent employer share for wages and compensation. This financial requirement might discourage some businesses in those areas from participating and offering jobs to long-term unemployed workers.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Low Income Households+7Good For African Americans+5Good For Hispanic Americans+5Good For Native Americans+5Good For People With Disabilities+5Good For Rural Residents+5Good For Union Workers+5Good For Urban Residents+5Good For Veterans+5Good For Young Adults+5Good For Business Owners+4Good For Immigrants+4Good For Middle Class Households+4Good For Students+4Good For Women+4Good For Farmers+3Good For Seniors+3
- Economy And Finance
- Increases Job Creation+7Improves Economic Growth+5Improves Small Business Support+4
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+6Improves Childcare Affordability+4Reduces Homelessness+3
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Rural Development+5
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+3
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+3
- 9/28/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 4 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Christopher MurphyDemocrat · Connecticut
Jeff MerkleyDemocrat · Oregon
Ron WydenDemocrat · Oregon