DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM TO PROVIDE JOB SEARCH ASSISTANCE.

SEC. 201. DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM TO PROVIDE JOB SEARCH ASSISTANCE. (a) General Rule.— The Secretary of Labor (hereafter in this title referred to as the “Secretary”) shall carry out a demonstration program under this title for purposes of determining the feasibility of implementing job search assistance programs. To carry out such demonstration program, the Secretary shall enter into agreements with 3 States which— (1) apply to participate in such program, and (2) demonstrate to the Secretary that they are capable of implementing the provisions of an agreement under this section. (b) Selection of States.— (1) In general.— In determining whether to enter into an agreement with a State under this section, the Secretary shall take into consideration at least— (A) the size, geography, and occupational and industrial composition of the State, (B) the adequacy of State resources to carry out a job search assistance program, (C) the range and extent of specialized services to be provided by the State to individuals covered by the agreement, and (D) the design of the evaluation to be applied by the State to the program. (2) Replication of prior demonstration project.— At least 1 of the States selected by the Secretary under subsection (a) shall be a State which has operated a successful demonstration project with respect to job search assistance under a contract with the Department of Labor. The demonstration program under this title of any such State shall, at a minimum, replicate the project it operated under such contract in the same geographic areas. (c) Provisions of Agreement.— Any agreement entered into with a State under this section shall— (1) provide that the State will implement a job search assistance program during the 1-year period specified in such agreement, (2) provide that such implementation will begin not later than the date 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, (3) contain such provisions as may be necessary to ensure an accurate evaluation of the effectiveness of a job search assistance program, including— (A) random selection of eligible individuals for participation in the program and for inclusion in a control group, and 105 STAT. 1057 (B) collection of data on participants and members of a control group as of the close of the 1-year period and 2-year period after the operations of the program cease, (4) provide that not more than 5 percent of the claimants for unemployment compensation under the State law shall be selected as participants in the job search assistance program, and (5) contain such other provisions as the Secretary may require.