[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2261 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2261

To encourage the formation of industry-led training consortia, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 21, 2000

 Mr. Sarbanes (for himself, Mr. Robb, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Bayh, and Mr. 
  Lieberman) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To encourage the formation of industry-led training consortia, and for 
                            other purposes.

    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 ``Industry Training Consortia Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITION.

    In this Act:
            (1) Employer.--The term ``employer'' includes a business.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Commerce.

                         TITLE I--SKILL GRANTS

SEC. 101. AUTHORIZATION.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Commerce, in consultation and 
coordination with the Secretary of Labor and the Administrator of the 
Small Business Administration, shall provide grants to eligible 
entities described in subsection (b). The Secretary shall provide the 
grants to encourage employers to form consortia to share the cost of 
providing, and reduce the risk of investing in, employer-led education 
and training programs for employees that meet employer needs and market 
demand in specific occupations, for purposes of strengthening United 
States competitiveness.
    (b) Eligible Entities Described.--
            (1) In general.--An eligible entity described in this 
        subsection is a consortium that--
                    (A) shall consist of representatives from not fewer 
                than 10 employers (or nonprofit organizations that 
                represent employers) who are in a common industry or 
                who have common skill needs; and
                    (B) may consist of representatives from 1 or more 
                of the following:
                            (i) Labor organizations.
                            (ii) State and local government agencies.
                            (iii) Education organizations.
            (2) Majority of representatives.--A majority of the 
        representatives comprising the consortium shall be 
        representatives described in paragraph (1)(A).
    (c) Priority for Small Businesses.--In providing grants under 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall give priority to an eligible entity 
if a majority of representatives forming the entity represent small-
business concerns, as described in section 3(a) of the Small Business 
Act (15 U.S.C. 632(a)).
    (d) Maximum Amount of Grant.--The amount of a grant provided to an 
eligible entity under subsection (a) may not exceed $1,000,000 for any 
fiscal year.

SEC. 102. APPLICATION.

    To be eligible to receive a grant under section 101, an eligible 
entity shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may 
reasonably require.

SEC. 103. USE OF AMOUNTS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary may not provide a grant under 
section 101 to an eligible entity unless such entity agrees to use 
amounts received from such grant to develop an employer-led education 
and training program (which may be focused on developing skills related 
to computer technology, computer-based manufacturing technology, 
telecommunications, and other information technologies) necessary to 
meet employer needs and market demand in specific occupations.
    (b) Conduct of Program.--
            (1) In general.--In carrying out the program described in 
        subsection (a), the eligible entity may provide for--
                    (A) an assessment of training and job skill needs 
                for industry and other employers;
                    (B) development of a sequence of skill standards 
                that are correlated with advanced industry or 
                occupational practices;
                    (C) development of curriculum and training methods;
                    (D) purchase or receipt of donations of training 
                equipment;
                    (E) identification of education and training 
                providers;
                    (F) development of apprenticeship programs;
                    (G) development of education and training programs 
                for incumbent and dislocated workers and new workers;
                    (H) development of the membership of the entity;
                    (I) development of internship, field, and technical 
                project experiences; and
                    (J) provision of assistance to member employers in 
                their human resource development planning.
            (2) Additional requirement.--In carrying out the program 
        described in subsection (a), the eligible entity shall--
                    (A) provide for development and tracking of 
                performance outcome measures for the program and the 
                education and training providers involved in the 
                program; and
                    (B) prepare and submit to the Secretary such 
                reports as the Secretary may require on best practices 
                developed by the entity through the education and 
                training program.
    (c) Administrative Costs.--The eligible entity may use not more 
than 10 percent of the amount of such a grant to pay for administrative 
costs associated with the program described in subsection (a).

SEC. 104. REQUIREMENT OF MATCHING FUNDS.

    The Secretary may not provide a grant under section 101 to an 
eligible entity unless such entity agrees that--
            (1) the entity will make available non-Federal 
        contributions toward the costs of carrying out activities under 
        section 103 in an amount that is not less than $2 for each $1 
        of Federal funds provided under a grant under section 101; and
            (2) of such non-Federal contributions, not less than $1 of 
        each such $2 shall be from employers with representatives 
        serving on the eligible entity.

SEC. 105. LIMIT ON ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.

    The Secretary may use not more than 5 percent of the funds made 
available to carry out this title--
            (1) to pay for Federal administrative costs associated with 
        making grants under this title, including carrying out 
        activities described in section 106; and
            (2) to develop and maintain an electronic clearinghouse of 
        information on industry-led training consortia programs.

SEC. 106. INFORMATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.

    The Secretary shall distribute information and provide technical 
assistance to eligible entities on best practices developed through the 
education and training programs.

SEC. 107. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this title 
$50,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2001, 2002, and 2003.

                       TITLE II--PLANNING GRANTS

SEC. 201. AUTHORIZATION.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with 
the Secretary of Labor, shall provide grants to States to enable the 
States to assist employers, organizations, and agencies described in 
section 101(b) in conducting planning to form consortia described in 
such section.
    (b) Maximum Amount of Grant.--The amount of a grant provided to a 
State under subsection (a) may not exceed $500,000 for any fiscal year.

SEC. 202. APPLICATION.

    To be eligible to receive a grant under section 201, a State shall 
submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, 
and containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably 
require.

SEC. 203. REQUIREMENT OF MATCHING FUNDS.

    The Secretary may not provide a grant under section 201 to a State 
unless such State agrees that the State will make available non-Federal 
contributions toward the costs of carrying out activities under this 
title in an amount that is not less than $1 for each $1 of Federal 
funds provided under a grant under section 201.

SEC. 204. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this title 
$50,000,000 for fiscal year 2001.
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