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S 1517 112th Congress Senate

21st Century WPA Act

Official title: A bill to provide for the creation of jobs.

Introduced: September 7, 2011 See on congress.gov
Labor and Employment Department of LaborEmergency planning and evacuationEmployment and training programsExecutive agency funding and structure
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FiresGovernment employee pay, benefits, personnel managementIncome tax ratesInfrastructure developmentLaw enforcement administration and fundingLaw enforcement officersManufacturingUnemployment
This bill died when the 112th Congress ended
It never became law before the 112th Congress (2011–2012) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Sep 7, 2011
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Sep 7, 2011
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action September 7, 2011

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

21st Century WPA Act - Establishes within the Department of Labor a Works Progress Administration (WPA).

Requires eligible federal departments to submit to the WPA proposals for works projects that produce a high number of employee hours per dollar of the total project cost, and meet certain other criteria.

Permits such projects to include: (1) residential and commercial building weatherization projects; (2) residential and commercial water use efficiency improvement projects; (3) highway, bridge, and rail repair and maintenance projects; (4) manufacturing projects; (5) school, library, and firehouse construction projects; (6) soil erosion and pesticide runoff prevention projects; and (7) trail maintenance projects.

Makes an employer who is unable to hire an individual to fill a job position that has been vacant for 90 days eligible to enter into an agreement with the WPA to provide training to a WPA fellow in order to become qualified to fill such position. Prescribes WPA fellowship program requirements.

Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to transfer amounts appropriated under this Act to the Attorney General and to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for grants for the hiring of eligible public safety individuals.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a 5.4% surcharge on individual taxpayers whose modified adjusted gross income exceeds $1 million ($2 million for joint returns). Dedicates amounts collected from such surcharge to federal deficit reduction.

 Related & companion bills 2
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 1517: 21st Century WPA Act. 112th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-1517/
MLA
"S. 1517: 21st Century WPA Act." 112th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-1517/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 1517, 112th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-1517/.
Markdown link
[S. 1517: 21st Century WPA Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-1517/)
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