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The LEON Act

A Bipartisan Pathway Out of Poverty.
A Lasting Solution to America's Labor Shortage.
In June 2025, OICA brought two congressmen from opposite sides of the aisle together to introduce a bill that could change the lives of millions of Americans, and solve one of the most urgent workforce crises in a generation. It’s called the Leveraging Educational Opportunity Networks (LEON) Act. And it needs your voice to pass.
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The LEON Act At A Glance

• Bill Number: H.R. 3681, 119th Congress
• Sponsors: Rep. Dwight Evans (D-PA-3) and Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC-11)
• Introduced: June 2025
• Named For: Rev. Dr. Leon H. Sullivan, civil rights leader and founder of OIC of America
• What It Does: Creates competitive federal grants for no-cost workforce training that prepares Americans for living-wage careers
• Who It Helps: Adults seeking a pathway to the middle class, employers facing labor shortages, and communities recovering from disasters

What the Leon Act actually Does

At its core, the LEON Act is about three things: training workers, funding the training, and making sure it actually reaches the people who need it.

It Creates A Federal Grant Program

The bill directs the U.S. Department of Labor to award competitive grants to qualified training organizations. Those organizations, in turn, partner with local employers to design training programs around real jobs in real industries.

iT Requires No Cost Training for Students

Grant recipients must provide training at no out-of-pocket cost to the people enrolled. That’s the whole point: removing the financial barrier that keeps low-income Americans from accessing the credentials that lead to middle-class careers.

iT Focuses on Living Wage Jobs in High Demand Fields

The training funded under LEON is specifically aimed at careers that pay a living wage and are urgently needed: construction, disaster recovery, manufacturing, and more. These aren’t theoretical jobs. They’re the jobs employers are struggling to fill right now.

iT works through accredited, nonprofit institutions

Grants can only go to accredited, not-for-profit, post-secondary educational institutions. That ensures the training meets real quality standards and that public dollars go to mission-driven organizations, not for-profit middlemen.

Why this Bill Crosses the Aisle

The LEON Act is bipartisan for a reason: the problem it solves doesn’t care about political parties. Whether you live in an urban neighborhood in Philadelphia or a mountain town in western North Carolina, the problem is the same: skilled jobs are going unfilled, families are getting locked out of opportunity, and communities are paying the price.

“Too many families—in Pennsylvania's 3rd District and across the country—have been shut out from employment opportunities that offer them a pathway to the middle class. The LEON Act would help build a national career technical education system that would break down barriers and prepare low-income people with the skills that employers need.”

— Rep. Dwight Evans (D-PA-3)

“Western North Carolina is still recovering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene last fall, and recovery is going to take years. The LEON Act would enable us to quickly train the workers we need to help us build stronger, more resilient communities and economies.”

— Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC-11)

Two congressmen. Two districts. Two different stories—the same solution. The coalition is the way. We believe that’s common ground worth standing on to build a better tomorrow for millions of people.

Who Was Rev. Leon Sullivan?

The LEON Act carries the name of our founder. A man whose life’s work was proving that dignity, opportunity, and economic power belong to everyone.


Rev. Dr. Leon H. Sullivan (1922–2001) was a civil rights leader, pastor, and visionary from Philadelphia. In 1964, working out of a converted jailhouse in North Philadelphia, he founded the first Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC): a community-based training organization designed to give Black Americans and other marginalized workers the skills they needed to enter the workforce and build economic lives of their own.


His impact extended far beyond Philadelphia. He became the first Black man to serve on the board of General Motors. His “Sullivan Principles” helped drive American companies to divest from apartheid-era South Africa. And the OIC of America model he built now spans dozens of affiliates across the United States and communities around the world.


Naming this bill the LEON Act isn’t just symbolic. It’s a commitment. It says: the work Rev. Sullivan started more than 60 years ago is work we’re still doing. And we won’t stop until it’s completed.

Your Voice is What Passes This Bill

Legislation doesn’t move on its own. It moves when constituents show up—when senators and representatives hear from the people they serve. The LEON Act is bipartisan. It has real momentum. But momentum without pressure turns into delay. Here’s how you can help push it across the finish line:
1

Send a Letter to Your Members of Congress

1

Write to Your Representatives

Send a Letter to Your Members of Congress

Enter your zip code and we’ll connect you directly to your senators and representative with a ready-to-send letter asking them to cosponsor the LEON Act. You can personalize it with your own story in about two minutes—a personal story lands harder than any form letter ever will.
Send Your Letter
2

Make A Call That Counts

2

Call Your Representatives

Make a Call That Counts

A phone call to a congressional office is one of the most effective advocacy tools there is. Find the phone numbers for your reps at the link below, then scroll down this page to see the talking points you’ll need to make your voice heard in under three minutes.

Call Your Reps
3

Share Your Story

3

Record a Video Message

Share Your Story

Have you been through an OIC program? Hired an OIC graduate? Watched workforce training change someone in your life? Your story is the most persuasive thing a lawmaker can hear. Record a short video or write it down, and we’ll share it with the people who need to hear it.
Send Us Your Story

Not Sure What to Say?
Here's the Short Version.

Legislation gets complicated fast. You don’t need to be a policy expert to be a powerful advocate—you just need to know what matters. Here are the key points to hit when you contact your senators and representatives:

The one-sentence version: “Please cosponsor the LEON Act (H.R. 3681) to fund no-cost workforce training that helps Americans enter living-wage careers and helps employers fill critical labor shortages.”

If you want to say more, hit these points:

  • It’s bipartisan. The LEON Act was introduced by a Democrat (Rep. Dwight Evans of Pennsylvania) and a Republican (Rep. Chuck Edwards of North Carolina). Workforce development isn’t a partisan issue—it’s an American one.
  • It solves two problems at once. Millions of Americans are locked out of the middle class because they can’t afford training. Meanwhile, 92% of construction firms can’t find the workers they need. LEON connects the two.
  • It’s targeted and accountable. Grants go only to accredited, not-for-profit institutions that provide training at no cost to students. No for-profit middlemen, no fuzzy outcomes.
  • It focuses on jobs America urgently needs. Construction, disaster recovery, manufacturing—real careers in industries facing real shortages. The training pays for itself when workers enter living-wage jobs and employers deliver projects on time.
  • It honors a legacy worth remembering and continuing. The bill is named for Rev. Dr. Leon H. Sullivan, a civil rights leader who spent his life proving that a real job is the best anti-poverty program ever invented.

If you have a personal connection, lead with that.

Tell your story. Say why this matters to you, your family, or your community. A lawmaker’s staff remembers constituent stories far longer than they remember statistics.

The Leon Act FAQ

What does LEON stand for?

LEON is an acronym for Leveraging Educational Opportunity Networks. It’s also a tribute to Rev. Dr. Leon H. Sullivan, who founded OIC in 1964.

The LEON Act creates a competitive grant program, which means organizations have to apply and demonstrate that they can deliver results. It’s a targeted investment in workforce training, not a universal benefit.
Grants are limited to accredited, not-for-profit, post-secondary educational institutions that provide workforce training at no out-of-pocket cost to students. The goal is to make sure public dollars go to mission-driven organizations with a proven commitment to the people they serve.
The bill prioritizes high-demand fields including construction, disaster recovery, and manufacturing—industries with significant labor shortages and strong pathways to middle-class wages. Additional sectors may be supported depending on regional workforce needs.
Most federal workforce programs require some form of cost-sharing or leave students with out-of-pocket expenses, creating a barrier for the people who need training most. LEON’s no-cost requirement removes that barrier entirely—and by working through accredited nonprofits, it ensures quality and accountability.
Yes. It was introduced jointly by Rep. Dwight Evans (D-PA-3) and Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC-11), and it’s designed to address workforce challenges that affect both urban and rural communities across the political spectrum.
The bill is structured around a competitive grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor. Specific appropriations will be determined through the congressional budget process.
The most important thing you can do is contact your senators and representative and ask them to cosponsor the bill. Use the action tools above—a letter, a call, or a story—to make your voice heard. You can also share this page with people in your network and follow OIC of America for advocacy updates.

The full text of H.R. 3681 is available on Congress.gov: View the bill text.

What The Press is Saying

The LEON Act’s introduction was covered by news outlets across the country. Here’s a sampling of the coverage:

Every Voice Matters.
Especially Yours.

The LEON Act has bipartisan sponsors, employer support, and a model that works. What it needs now is you—the constituents whose voices turn good ideas into law. Take two minutes. Send a letter. Share a story. Help us pass the LEON Act and build the workforce America needs.

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Partnership Opportunities

For over 60 years, OICA has powered economic justice efforts across America. Today, we continue the legacy of our founder, Leon Sullivan, by expanding our network of training programs, creating lasting partnerships with businesses looking for talent, launching meaningful legislative advocacy initiatives and maintaining deep roots within forgotten communities.