YourVoice.Now Summary
Your MoneyWorkers & JobsTransparency & AccountabilityWould fund paid summer and year-round jobs for youth ages 14 through 24 — $875 million a year through 2030.
Your Money
Two new grant programs would pay for summer and year-round jobs for people ages 14 through 24. The money is authorized for fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
Grant money may pay for child care, rides to work, case management, and child support services. Year-round programs must also plan for mental health care.
Grant applications must describe how the program will find and sign up these youth. The bill groups them, and some others, under the term marginalized.
At least 20 percent of summer grant money must go to rural areas each year. At least 5 percent must go to tribal areas.
Workers & Jobs
Every young person in these jobs must be paid at least the minimum wage that applies where they work. Grant money can be used to pay those wages.
If a program places youth in construction work, that work must pay what similar local jobs pay. This rule comes from the Davis-Bacon Act.
Businesses, nonprofits, and government offices that hire program youth can have those wage costs paid. The bill calls this subsidized employment.
Summer jobs must last at least six weeks and run no more than 20 hours a week. Year-round jobs allow up to 15 hours weekly for youth in school.
Transparency & Accountability
The Labor Department would set performance measures, review each grantee every year, and publish what it finds about program quality.
The bill authorizes funding only for fiscal years 2026 through 2030. Congress would have to pass a new law to keep the programs going.
More about this bill
Young people ages 14 through 24 could get a paid job through two new federal grant programs. Summer jobs would last at least six weeks and run up to 20 hours a week. Year-round jobs would run up to 15 hours a week for youth in school. Youth who are out of school could work 20 to 40 hours. Every job would pay at least the minimum wage that applies where the work happens. Construction work would pay the local going rate. The Labor Department would award the grants by competition. States, local governments, tribes, and community groups could apply. A planning grant would be capped at $250,000 for one year. A grant to run a program could reach $6 million over three years. The federal government would cover half the cost of running a program. Tribes and tribal organizations would get at least 95 percent covered. The bill would authorize $375 million a year for summer jobs. It would authorize $500 million a year for year-round jobs. That money is set for fiscal years 2026 through 2030. Applicants would have to show how they will reach homeless and foster youth. Youth in the justice system would also be a target group. Half of each program's money would go to youth in school, half to those out of school. Grant money could pay for wages, child care, travel, and case management. Each young worker would be matched with a mentor who checks in at least once a week. At least 20 percent of summer money would go to rural areas. At least 5 percent would go to tribal areas. The Labor Department would review every grantee each year and publish what it learns.
Congressional Summary
Assisting In Developing Youth Employment Act or the AID Youth Employment ActThis bill directs the Department of Labor to award grants, on a competitive basis, to assist states, local governments, Indian tribes, and community-based organizations in providing subsidized summer and year-round employment opportunities to certain youth who are not younger than 14 or older than 24, including individuals who are subject to the justice system, homeless, pregnant, or parenting.Specifically, grants must be used to support employment for eligible individuals and may be used to provide wages, provide associated support services (e.g., case management or child care), and develop data management systems to assist such programs.The bill also requires Labor to establish performance measures and annually review the performance of each grant recipient.
Legislative Subjects
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in Senate
- Action Date
- 2025-03-31
- Date Added
- 2026-06-02
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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