H.R. 291 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on Agriculture, Jan 9, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryExpands rural job training and business grants
The CAREERS Act reauthorizes and expands a Department of Agriculture grant program that helps rural communities create jobs and support businesses. The program can now fund career pathway programs—which combine education, training, and support services—and industry partnerships in fields like healthcare, manufacturing, broadband, and agriculture. The bill also changes how grants are distributed across regions instead of requiring funding in at least 25 states.
How it affects you
If you live in a low-income rural area, this means your community may have better access to job training programs and business development support. People looking to enter fields like healthcare, child care, or manufacturing could find new pathways to careers with decent wages. The bill itself doesn't create jobs directly, but it gives USDA the flexibility to invest grant money where it can help rural communities most.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Jan 9, 2025)
Creating Access to Rural Employment and Education for Resilience and Success Act or the CAREERS Act
This bill reauthorizes the Rural Innovation Stronger Economy (RISE) Grant Program and expands the program to include support for career pathway programs or industry or sector partnerships in industries in rural communities.
As background, this Department of Agriculture (USDA) program offers grant assistance to create and augment high-wage jobs, accelerate the formation of new businesses, support industry clusters, and maximize the use of local productive assets in eligible low-income rural areas.
Under the bill, RISE grant program funds may be used to support career pathway programs (i.e., a combination of rigorous and high-quality education, training, and other services) or industry or sector partnerships in industries in rural communities. These industries may include public utilities (i.e., telecommunications, broadband, water, wastewater, disposal, and electric supply services), conservation practices and management, health care, child care, manufacturing, and agribusiness.
The bill removes the current requirement that the program provide grants (to the maximum extent practicable) for job accelerators in at least 25 states. Instead, USDA must ensure the regional diversity of grant recipients or participants in providing for job accelerators, career pathway programs, and industry or sector partnerships.
The bill also includes additional reporting requirements for career pathway programs and industry or sector partnership grant recipients.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 291
A BILL
CAREERS Act
Sponsor: Rep. Nicholas A. Langworthy (R-NY-23) · Introduced Jan 9, 2025 · Agriculture and Food · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Feb 14, 2025: “Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.”