[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2645 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2645
To address the needs of workers in industries likely to be impacted by
rapidly evolving technologies.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 19, 2021
Mrs. Bustos introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To address the needs of workers in industries likely to be impacted by
rapidly evolving technologies.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Investing in Tomorrow's Workforce
Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) In 2014, the United States spent just 0.1 percent of
the Nation's Gross Domestic Product on labor market policies,
less than half of what the United States spent on labor market
policies 30 years ago.
(2) The number of workers receiving federally supported
training has declined in the past 3 decades as advances in
technology have simultaneously shifted labor market demand over
time.
(3) Job losses from automation are more likely to impact
women, people of color, and workers making less than $40,000
annually.
(4) The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated trends in
automation, with 43 percent of businesses in the World Economic
Forum's Future of Jobs survey indicating they plan to reduce
their workforce as a result of technology integration.
(5) Strong Federal investment in expanding training
services for workers whose jobs may be lost due to automation
could prepare the United States workforce to better adapt to
changes in the labor market and enter into skilled positions in
technologically oriented occupations and industries.
(6) A focus on preparing the workforce of the United States
for jobs that utilize advanced technologies could grow wages,
increase economic productivity, and boost the competitiveness
of the United States.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Automation.--The term ``automation'' means a device,
process, or system that functions without continuous input from
an operator, including--
(A) advanced technologies, such as--
(i) data collection, classification
processing, and analytics; and
(ii) 3-D printing, digital design and
simulation, and digital manufacturing;
(B) robotics, including collaborative robotics, and
worker augmentation technology;
(C) autonomous vehicle technology; or
(D) autonomous machinery technology.
(2) Dislocated worker.--The term ``dislocated worker'' has
the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
(3) In-demand industry sector or occupation.--The term
``in-demand industry sector or occupation'' has the meaning
given the term in section 3 of that Act.
(4) Integrated education and training.--The term
``integrated education and training'' has the meaning given the
term in section 203 of that Act (29 U.S.C. 3272).
(5) Eligible partnership.--The term ``eligible
partnership'' means an industry or sector partnership, as
defined in section 3 of that Act, except that--
(A) for purposes of applying paragraph (26)(A)(iii)
of that section, the term ``institution of higher
education'' has the meaning given the term in section
101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1001); and
(B) the partnership shall include, in addition to
the representatives described in clauses (i) through
(iii) of paragraph (26)(A) of that section,
representatives of--
(i) a State workforce development board or
a local workforce development board; and
(ii) an economic development organization.
(6) Gao study on automation.--The term ``GAO study on
automation'' means the study on automation conducted by the
Comptroller General of the United States, as directed in House
Report 116-450 (incorporated in the explanatory statement
regarding the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law
116-260) in accordance with section 4 of such Act).
(7) Local and state workforce development boards.--The
terms ``local workforce development board'' and ``State
workforce development board'' have the meanings given the terms
``local board'' and ``State board'', respectively, in section 3
of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C.
3102).
(8) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Labor.
(9) Training services.--The term ``training services''
means training services described in section 134(c)(3)(D) of
that Act (29 U.S.C. 3174(c)(3)(D)).
SEC. 4. GRANTS TO IMPROVE TRAINING FOR WORKERS IMPACTED BY AUTOMATION.
(a) Grants Authorized.--
(1) In general.--From the amounts appropriated under
subsection (g) and beginning after the earlier of the date of
submission of the GAO study on automation or October 1, 2022,
the Secretary of Labor shall award grants, on a competitive
basis, to eligible partnerships to support demonstration and
pilot projects relating to the training needs of workers who
are, or are likely to become, dislocated workers as a result of
automation.
(2) Duration.--A grant awarded under this section shall be
for a period not to exceed 4 years.
(3) Use of report.--The Secretary shall use the GAO study
on automation to inform the grant program carried out under
this section.
(b) Applications.--
(1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
this section, an eligible partnership shall submit an
application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Secretary shall reasonably
require.
(2) Contents.--Each application submitted under paragraph
(1) shall include a description of the demonstration or pilot
project to be completed with the grant funds, which description
shall include--
(A) a description of the members of the eligible
partnership who will be involved in the demonstration
or pilot program and the services each member will
provide;
(B) a description of the training services that
will be available to individuals participating in the
demonstration or pilot project, which may include--
(i) a plan to train dislocated workers from
industries likely to be impacted by automation
and transition the workers into regionally in-
demand industry sectors or occupations; and
(ii) a plan to partner with local
businesses to retrain, upskill, and re-deploy
workers within an industry as an alternative to
layoffs;
(C) a plan to provide workers with technology-based
skills training, which may include training to provide
skills related to coding, systems engineering, or
information technology security, in addition to other
skills; and
(D) a description of the goals that the eligible
partnership intends to achieve to upskill workers and
prepare them for in-demand industry sectors or
occupations.
(c) Priorities.--In awarding grants under this section, the
Secretary shall give priority to--
(1) eligible partnerships that are located in an area with
a high concentration of--
(A) industries with a higher likelihood of being
impacted by automation; or
(B) industries included in in-demand industry
sectors, as determined under subparagraphs (A)(i) and
(B) of section 3(23) of the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102(23));
(2) eligible partnerships--
(A) with a plan to provide incumbent worker
training--
(i) to assist workers in obtaining the
skills necessary to retain employment or avert
layoffs; or
(ii) that allows a worker working for an
employer to acquire new skills that allow the
worker to obtain a higher-skilled or higher-
paid position with such employer; and
(B) that partner with local employers that intend
to backfill the pre-training positions of the incumbent
workers by hiring new workers to fill those positions;
(3) eligible partnerships that will provide workers with a
transportation stipend, paid sick leave, paid family and
medical leave, access to child care services, or other
employment benefits; or
(4) eligible partnerships with a plan to develop a shared
training curriculum that can be used across local and regional
networks of employers and training providers.
(d) Use of Funds.--An eligible partnership that receives a grant
under this section shall use the grant funds for 1 or more of the
following:
(1) Providing training services under the demonstration or
pilot project, which may include training services that prepare
workers for in-demand industry sectors or occupations.
(2) Providing assistance for employers in developing a
staff position for an individual who will be responsible for
supporting training services provided under the grant.
(3) Purchasing equipment or technology necessary for
training services provided under paragraph (1).
(4) Providing job search and other transitional assistance
to workers in industries with high rates of job loss.
(5) Providing a training stipend to workers for training
services.
(6) Providing integrated education and training.
(e) Report.--Not later than 1 year after an eligible partnership's
completion of a demonstration or pilot project supported under this
section, the eligible partnership shall prepare and submit to the
Secretary a report regarding--
(1) the number of workers who received training services
through the demonstration or pilot project, disaggregated by
type of training service and the age, gender, and race of the
workers;
(2) the number of such workers who successfully
transitioned into a new position following completion of the
training services;
(3) the number of individuals who successfully transitioned
into an in-demand industry sector or occupation following
completion of the training services;
(4) annual earnings data for individuals who have completed
training services through the demonstration or pilot project;
(5) the percentage of individuals described in paragraph
(4) who are in education or training activities, or in
employment, during the second quarter after exit from the
training services;
(6) the percentage of individuals described in paragraph
(4) who are in education or training activities, or in
employment, during the fourth quarter after exit from the
training services; and
(7) any practices used by the partnership that should be
considered best practices with respect to training workers in
industries that have, or are expected to have, high rates of
job loss as a result of automation.
(f) General Requirements.--An eligible partnership that receives a
grant under this section shall use the grant funds in a manner that is
consistent with the labor standards and protections described in
section 181 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C.
3241) and nondiscrimination provisions described in section 188 of such
Act (29 U.S.C. 3248).
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary
for the first 5 full fiscal years beginning after the earlier of the
date of submission of the GAO study on automation or October 1, 2022.
SEC. 5. EXPANSION OF WORKER TRAINING SERVICES.
(a) Adult and Dislocated Worker Employment and Training.--Section
134(d)(1)(A) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C.
3174(d)(1)(A)) is amended--
(1) in clause (xi), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in clause (xii), by striking the period and inserting
``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(xiii) training programs for individuals
who are, or are likely to become, dislocated
workers as a result of automation, including
activities that prepare the individuals for
occupations in the technology sector.''.
(b) National Dislocated Worker Grants.--Section 170 of the
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3225) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)(1)(A), by inserting ``advances in
automation technology,'' before ``plant closures,''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to any funds
reserved under section 132(a)(2)(A) to carry out this section, there
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $40,000,000
for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.''.
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