CLEAR Act

Comprehensive Labor Evaluation and Research Act or the CLEAR Act

This bill establishes in the Department of Labor an Office of Labor Evaluation and Research to collaborate with federal agencies to ensure that evaluations of labor issues meet evidence-based research standards and that the results are disseminated in forms that are usable or adaptable by practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and the public.

Labor must appoint a Chief Evaluation Officer as the head of the office to: (1) manage and conduct scientifically valid evaluation and research of labor issues, (2) assist in establishing and refining structures for programs and activities, (3) measure impacts of programs, (4) carry out data analytics to strengthen management, (5) solicit stakeholder recommendations, (6) identify long-term priority topics, (7) coordinate activities with other federal agencies, and (8) disseminate information to stakeholders.

The Chief Evaluation Officer must maintain a Clearinghouse for Labor Evaluation and Research that: (1) reviews whether labor evaluations and research meet evidence-based research standards; (2) promotes accessibility and public awareness of results that meet the standards; (3) encourages the use of reviewed evaluations and research to inform policies, programs, and activities; (4) assesses the quality of evaluations that examine the effectiveness of particular programs; and (5) acts to synthesize evaluations and research within a topic area, highlight gaps in literature, and identify areas for further research.

The Chief Evaluation Officer may award grants, enter contracts and cooperative agreements, and provide technical assistance to Labor agencies and other entities to carry out this bill.