The Investing in Digital Skills Act amends the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to recognize digital literacy skills as a defined objective within adult education. It inserts a new definition for digital literacy skills and renumbers certain provisions so the new definition sits alongside existing literacy objectives.
In short, it makes digital literacy a core component of adult education under the statute.
Beyond definitions, the bill expands the scope of adult education activities to include digital skills activities and ties digital literacy to family learning initiatives. It also broadens the language surrounding what it means to be literate in the modern economy, ensuring that digital technology proficiency is treated as essential to employment, economic self-sufficiency, and broader life participation.
The reform is structured to align adult education with contemporary workforce needs and family learning goals, signaling digital literacy as a practical, cross-cutting competency rather than a niche add-on.
At a Glance
What It Does
The bill adds a formal definition of “digital literacy skills” and inserts a new paragraph into the definitions section. It also amends the adult education objectives to include digital literacy as a core component alongside reading and numeracy. Digital skills activities are incorporated into adult education offerings and family literacy activities.
Who It Affects
Adult education providers, workforce development programs, state workforce boards, community colleges, and organizations delivering digital literacy and family literacy services.
Why It Matters
It codifies digital literacy as a core objective in federal adult education policy, creating a baseline for digital skill development across programs and populations.
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What This Bill Actually Does
The bill begins by inserting a new definition for digital literacy skills into the definitions section of WIOA and renumbering the surrounding paragraphs. This establishes a concrete, recognized concept for digital literacy that aligns with the definition used by the Museum and Library Services Act.
The practical effect is to elevate digital literacy from a supplemental skill to a core component of adult education.
Next, the bill expands the set of activities that count as adult education by allowing digital skills activities to accompany traditional literacy and language education, and it explicitly ties digital literacy to family literacy efforts. It also expands the purposes of adult education to include the knowledge and skills needed to use digital technology at a level that supports employment, economic self-sufficiency, and active participation in society.
Finally, the amendments place digital literacy at the center of program design, ensuring that adults—whether seeking a job or trying to support their children's learning—can access learning opportunities that build digital proficiency in work and daily life. The reforms are designed to be policy-to-practice, creating a clearer pathway for digital skill development within federally funded adult education programs.
The Five Things You Need to Know
The act defines digital literacy skills by reference to the Museum and Library Services Act.
Section 3 of WIOA is amended to include digital literacy within the purpose of adult education.
Digital skills activities can be offered in conjunction with other adult education and literacy activities.
The bill expands the scope of family literacy to include digital literacy activities for parents and family members.
Proficiency in digital technology is to be attained at levels that enable functioning as an employee, a parent, and a member of society.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
Every bill we cover gets an analysis of its key sections.
Short title
The act is cited as the Investing in Digital Skills Act. This section establishes the bill’s official title and sets the scope for the forthcoming amendments to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
Definitions inserted: digital literacy skills
This section inserts a new paragraph (14) into Section 3 of WIOA, naming ‘digital literacy skills’ and tying its meaning to the definition in the Museum and Library Services Act. The reordering of paragraphs (14) through (71) to (15) through (72) ensures the new term sits within the existing framework of adult education definitions.
Purpose—Section 202 amendment
Section 202 is amended to state that the objective of adult education includes helping adults obtain the knowledge and skills necessary for employment, economic self-sufficiency, and full participation in adult life, explicitly including digital literacy skills. It also expands the content of the employment and literacy objective to include digital literacy, signaling a formal integration of digital competencies into core adult education goals.
Expanded and updated definitions—Section 203
Section 203 is amended to add: (C) develop and use digital technology skills; (E) digital literacy activities to enable parents or family members to support their children’s learning; and the expansion of phrasing in other subsections to reflect the inclusion of digital skills activities alongside family literacy and broader lifespan learning requirements. This broadens the toolkit for providers and incorporates digital literacy throughout adult education provisions.
This bill is one of many.
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Explore Education in Codify Search →Who Benefits and Who Bears the Cost
Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- Adult learners pursuing employment and career advancement gain structured access to digital literacy training within WIOA programs.
- Parents and guardians can develop digital literacy skills to support their children’s learning at home and in school environments.
- Adult education providers and workforce development boards gain a formal mandate to integrate digital literacy into curricula and reporting.
- Community colleges and training providers can design digital literacy modules that align with federal funding streams and performance measures.
Who Bears the Cost
- State workforce boards and grantee organizations may incur up-front costs to develop or integrate digital literacy curricula and assessments.
- Training providers and community colleges may need to adjust curricula and teacher training to include digital literacy competencies.
- Administrative agencies may incur ongoing costs to monitor and report on digital literacy outcomes and ensure alignment with ML Services Act definitions.
- Less tangible costs include the need to upgrade digital infrastructure and access to ensure equitable program delivery across communities.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
Balancing the ambitious inclusion of digital literacy as a core objective with finite federal funding and diverse local capacities.
The bill’s reliance on a cross-reference to the Museum and Library Services Act for the definition of digital literacy skills helps anchor the term in a widely used standard. However, implementation hinges on publication of cross-program guidelines and alignment with existing WIOA performance metrics, which could require funding and administrative adjustments at the state and local levels.
The expansion to family literacy with digital components broadens program scope and may necessitate new partnerships with libraries and community organizations, potentially straining limited grant budgets if funding remains static. The provisions also raise questions about how digital literacy outcomes will be measured and reported within the existing WIOA framework, and whether federal funds will be sufficient to support widespread programmatic adoption.
Core Tension: Integrating digital literacy as a core objective creates a policy imperative to scale digital training quickly within a historically literacy-focused framework, but it also raises concerns about funding, capacity, and consistent measurement across diverse jurisdictions.
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