Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
The Jobs in the Woods Act requires the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a competitive grant program for career-pathway training in forestry operations and forestry products industries.
Grants target eligible nonmetropolitan, low-income areas with specified broadband access and populations of 20,000 or fewer.
Eligible applicants include nonprofits, states, tribes, local governments, and institutions of higher education; grants run up to four years and range from $500,000 to $2,000,000.
Modest cost, narrow scope, and noncontroversial goals raise prospects, but requires appropriation and floor action in both chambers.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill creates a clear statutory authorization for a targeted forestry workforce development grant program with definitional clarity, funding parameters, and basic applicant requirements, but it leaves several operational and accountability details to administrative rulemaking.
Support level differs by view of federal spending scale
Support level differs by view of federal spending scale
Likely broadly supportive: the bill directs federal resources to low-income rural communities to build career pathways, invest in youth, and address an aging workforce.
The emphasis on partnerships with schools and community colleges aligns with progressive priorities for accessible workforce training and economic equity.
Funding is modest but targeted toward underserved areas.
Generally favorable but cautious: the bill is a targeted, modest federal investment in rural workforce development with clear eligibility and priorities.
A centrist would welcome measurable goals and accountability, while seeking cost-effectiveness and coordination with existing workforce programs.
Concerns focus on evaluation, scalability, and avoiding duplication.
Skeptical: while supporting rural job creation, the bill creates another federal grant program with ongoing appropriations and administrative discretion.
Conservatives may prefer private-sector solutions, state-led initiatives, or tax incentives rather than federal grants.
The broadband and eligibility rules add federal standards and potential bureaucracy.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Modest cost, narrow scope, and noncontroversial goals raise prospects, but requires appropriation and floor action in both chambers.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Support level differs by view of federal spending scale
Modest cost, narrow scope, and noncontroversial goals raise prospects, but requires appropriation and floor action in both chambers.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill creates a clear statutory authorization for a targeted forestry workforce development grant program with definitional clarity, funding parameters, and basic applicant…
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