; Whereas employing returning citizens and formerly incarcerated individuals will result in a robust, vibrant, diverse, and resilient workforce; Whereas having jobs that pay living wages, are conducive to health, provide opportunities for skillset development, provide opportunities for promotion, and provide benefits will facilitate stable employment and reduce recidivism; Whereas returning citizens who have received vocational training while incarcerated are 28 percent more likely to obtain employment within 1 year of reentry into society than those lacking such training; and Whereas, in addition to employment insecurity, returning citizens and formerly incarcerated people face numerous other obstacles to reentry and societal reintegration, including— (1) housing insecurity and homelessness rates that are 10 times higher than the general public; (2) near total restrictions in 12 States on access to temporary assistance for needy families established under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 601 et seq. ) or the supplemental nutrition assistance program established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq. ); and (3) greater prevalence of chronic health conditions, lower quality and coverage of health insurance, and mortality rates that are 13 times higher than the general public: Now, therefore, be it