mr. chairman , i yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from puerto rico ( mr. fortun 6o ) . 
mr. fortun 6o . 
mr. chairman , back in 1998 , congress enacted the workforce investment act , which established a system for a one-stop career centers aimed at providing one convenient central location to offer job training and other employment-related services . 
while these reforms have largely been a success , the system is still hampered by inefficiency , duplication , and unnecessary bureaucracy . 
the bill that we are approving today aims to strengthen training services for job seekers accomplishes these goals in several ways : particularly by streamlining bureaucracy and eliminating duplication ; consolidating the three adult wia training programs , giving states and local communities greater flexibility , and enabling more job seekers to be served with no reduction in services ; removing arbitrary barriers that prevent individuals from accessing job training services immediately ; strengthening partnerships between local businesses , communities colleges and the local one-stop delivery system ; enhancing vocational rehabilitation to help individuals with disabilities ; and improving allocation and literacy for adults to ensure they gain the knowledge and skills necessary to find employment , including language proficiency . 
i want to thank the chairman on the committee for adopting two amendments i have introduced to enhance further employability of the limited english proficient calculation by providing necessary skills , training and english language instruction . 
i believe this will help tremendously , especially the hispanic populations throughout the country . 
i believe that the backbone of a strong economy and a strong society is a well-trained and highly-skilled workforce . 
the bill on the floor today is an excellent source to achieve that goal . 
this bill includes a number of reforms aimed at strengthening our nation 's job training system and better engaging the business community to improve job training services . 
it accomplishes this by requiring state and local workforce investment boards to ensure the job training programs reflect the employment needs in local areas ; also allowing training for currently employed workers so employers can upgrade workers ' skills and avoid layoffs ; encouraging the highest caliber providers , including community colleges , to offer training through the one-stop system ; leveraging other public and private resources to increase training opportunities ; and increasing connections to economic development programs . 
the bill reauthorizes the rehabilitation act of 1993 , the primary federal program designed to assist individuals with disabilities to prepare for , obtain and retain employment to live independently ; and furthermore , it includes transition services for students with disabilities moving from secondary education into post-secondary activities that can only be determined as a possible alternative to address the needs of those in special needs . 
i am convinced that h.r. 27 is a valuable tool to achieve that goal we all have set our minds to . 
and that is none other than creating a better and strong economy and society that will be prepared to compete in a changing and demanding new world that rises as we speak . 
