(a) Policies, procedures and recommendations

Further to promote achievement of full employment under this chapter and the Employment Act of 1946 [15 U.S.C. 1021 et seq.], the President, through the Secretary of Labor, shall develop policies and procedures and, as necessary, recommend programs for providing employment opportunities to individuals aged 16 and over in the civilian labor force who are able, willing, and seeking to work but who, despite serious efforts to obtain employment, remain unemployed.

(b) Utilization of authority under other laws

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In meeting the responsibilities under subsection (a), the Secretary of Labor shall, as appropriate, fully utilize the authority provided under title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act [29 U.S.C. 3111 et seq.] and other relevant provisions of law to—

(1) assure the availability of counseling, training, and other support activities necessary to prepare persons willing and seeking work for employment;

(2) refer persons able, willing, and seeking to work to job opportunities in the private and public sectors through the existing public employment placement facilities and through the United States Employment Service of the Department of Labor, including job opportunities in any positions created under programs established pursuant to sections 3112, 3114, and 3115 of this title; and

(3) encourage flexi-time and part-time jobs for persons who are able, willing, and seeking employment but who are unable to work a standard workweek.

(c) Establishment of project reservoirs; restrictions and requirements of new programs

(1) To the extent that individuals aged sixteen and over and able, willing, and seeking to work are not and in the judgment of the President cannot be provided with private job opportunities or job opportunities under other programs and actions in existence, in accord with the goals and timetables set forth in the Employment Act of 1946 [15 U.S.C. 1021 et seq.], the President shall, as may be authorized by law, establish reservoirs of public employment and private nonprofit employment projects, to be approved by the Secretary of Labor, through expansion of activities under title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act [29 U.S.C. 3111 et seq.] and other existing employment and training projects or through such new programs as are determined necessary by the President or through both such projects and such programs.

(2) New programs as may be authorized by law after October 27, 1978, referred to in paragraph (c)(1)—

(A) shall not be put into operation earlier than two years after October 27, 1978, nor without a finding by the President, transmitted to the Congress, that other means of employment are not yielding enough jobs to be consistent with attainment of the goals and timetables for the reduction of unemployment set forth in the Employment Act of 1946 [15 U.S.C. 1021 et seq.];

(B) shall be designed so that no workers from private employment are drawn into the reservoir projects thereunder;

(C) shall be useful and productive jobs;

(D) shall be mainly in the lower ranges of skills and pay, and toward this end the number of reservoir jobs under such new programs shall, to the extent practicable, be maximized in relationship to the appropriations provided for such jobs;

(E) shall be targeted on areas of high unemployment and on individuals who are structurally unemployed;

(F) shall be phased in by the President as necessary, in conjunction with the employment goals under sections 3(a)(2) and 4(b) of the Employment Act of 1946 [15 U.S.C. 1022(a)(2), 1022a(b)].

(d) Regulations

The Secretary, in carrying out the provisions of this section, shall establish regulations providing for—

(1) an initial determination of the job seeker’s ability to be employed at certain types and duration of work, so that such individual may be appropriately referred to jobs, training, counseling, and other supportive services;

(2) compliance with the nondiscrimination provisions of this chapter in accordance with section 3151 of this title;

(3) appropriate eligibility criteria to determine the order of priority of access of any person to any new programs under subsection (c) as may be authorized by law including but not necessarily limited to (A) household income, duration of unemployment (not less than five weeks), and the number of people economically dependent upon such person; and (B) denial of access to any person refusing to accept or hold a job except for good cause, as determined by the Secretary of Labor, including refusal to accept or hold a job subject to reference under subsection (b) paragraph (2), in order to seek a reservoir project job under subsection (c); and

(4) such administrative appeal procedures as may be appropriate to review the initial determination of the abilities of persons willing, able, and seeking to work under paragraph (1) of this subsection and the employment need and eligibility under paragraph (3) of this subsection.