WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Mike Braun and Amy Klobuchar reintroduced the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act, bipartisan legislation to allow Americans to use ‘529’ education savings accounts for skills training, credentialing, and certification programs. Current law only permits workers and families to use ‘529’ accounts to pay for college, university, and vocational school expenses.
“Every high school student in America needs to know that you don’t necessarily have to go to college to have a great career. By expanding opportunities and access to skills training programs, and letting Americans use their ‘529’ education savings to pay for it, we can address the nationwide skills shortage and fill American jobs.”— Sen. Mike Braun
“Skills training and development programs help provide people with the tools and resources they need to succeed in our economy. By allowing workers to use their ‘529’ educational savings to pay for additional training and certification, our bipartisan legislation will enable more Americans to access and benefit from these valuable programs.” — Sen. Amy Klobuchar
In addition to Klobuchar and Braun, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators Tammy Duckworth, Susan Collins, Dianne Feinstein, Joe Manchin, Martin Heinrich, and Peter Welch.
Senator Braun has long been a supporter of expanding access to workforce development and skills training programs to address the nationwide skills gap and to fill American jobs.
In January, Senator Braun reintroduced the bipartisan Jumpstarting Our Businesses by Support Students (JOBS) Act with Senator Tim Kaine to help more Americans get good-paying jobs by allowing students to use federal Pell Grants towards job training programs for the first time.
As he travels across Indiana each year on his annual 92 county tour, Senator Braun visits a number of workforce development programs that provide job training to prepare the next generation of talent.
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