1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Jobs Now Act of 2017 . 2. Grants to units of general local government Subtitle D of title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act ( 29 U.S.C. 3221 et seq.) is amended by adding after section 172 the following: 173. Pilot program (a) Program authorized Notwithstanding section 181(e), from the amounts appropriated under subsection (h) , the Secretary shall carry out a 2-year pilot program to award grants, on a competitive basis, to units of general local government or community-based organizations to retain, employ, or train employees providing a public service for a unit of general local government. (b) Unit of general local government defined For purposes of this section, the term unit of general local government means any general purpose political subdivision of a State, or the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the freely associated states of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau, that has the power to levy taxes and spend funds, as well as general corporate and police powers. (c) Uses of funds (1) Required uses (A) In general Subject to subparagraph (B), a unit of general local government or community-based organization shall use not less than 50 percent of the grant funds received under this section to— (i) in the case of a unit, retain employees of such unit who are providing a public service for the unit and who would otherwise be laid off as a consequence of budget cuts