[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 363 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 363

To establish a program for training residents of low-income rural areas 
 for, and employing the residents in, new telecommunications industry 
        jobs located in the rural areas, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 3, 1999

 Mr. Domenici introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish a program for training residents of low-income rural areas 
 for, and employing the residents in, new telecommunications industry 
        jobs located in the rural areas, 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 ``Rural Employment in 
Telecommunications Industry Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Dislocated worker; low-income individual.--The terms 
        ``dislocated worker'' and ``low-income individual'' have the 
        meanings given the terms in section 101 of the Workforce 
        Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801).
            (2) Intensive services.--The term ``intensive services'' 
        means services described in section 134(d)(3) of the Workforce 
        Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2864(d)(3)).
            (3) Low-income rural area.--The term ``low-income rural 
        area'' means a county that--
                    (A) has a 1996 population of not more than 125,000 
                persons;
                    (B) contains a municipality with a 1996 population 
                of not more than 50,000 persons;
                    (C) has a 1990 population density of not more than 
                25 persons per square mile;
                    (D) has a 1996 per capita income that is not more 
                than $17,500; or
                    (E) is a county no part of which is--
                            (i) within an area designated as a standard 
                        metropolitan statistical area by the Director 
                        of the Office of Management and Budget; or
                            (ii) within an area designated as a 
                        metropolitan statistical area by the Director 
                        of the Office of Management and Budget.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Labor.
            (5) State.--The term ``State'' means 1 of the several 
        States.

SEC. 3. RURAL EMPLOYMENT IN THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a program to promote 
rural employment in the telecommunications industry. In carrying out 
the program, the Secretary shall make grants to States for projects 
described in subsection (b).
    (b) Use of Funds.--A State that receives a grant under subsection 
(a) shall use the funds made available through the grant to carry out a 
State telecommunications employment and training project. In carrying 
out the project, the State shall--
            (1) train eligible individuals for new telecommunications 
        industry jobs that will be located in low-income rural areas 
        pursuant to arrangements with employers participating in the 
        project, including ensuring that individuals receive--
                    (A) intensive services;
                    (B) customized training and appropriate remedial 
                training described in paragraphs (2) and (3) of section 
                4; and
                    (C) appropriate supportive services; and
            (2) arrange for the employment of the individuals in the 
        telecommunications industry jobs.
    (c) Eligible Participants.--To be eligible to participate in a 
project described in subsection (a), an individual shall be--
            (1) a resident of a low-income rural area;
            (2)(A) a low-income individual;
            (B) a dislocated worker from the oil and natural gas 
        exploration and development industry;
            (C) an out-of-school youth;
            (D) an individual with a disability, as defined in section 
        101 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998;
            (E) an individual who is receiving, or who has received 
        within the past year, assistance under the State temporary 
        assistance for needy families program established under part A 
        of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) 
        or other public assistance;
            (F) a veteran, as defined in section 101 of the Workforce 
        Investment Act of 1998;
            (G) a displaced homemaker, as defined in section 101 of the 
        Workforce Investment Act of 1998;
            (H) an older individual, as defined in section 101 of the 
        Workforce Investment Act of 1998;
            (I) a homeless individual;
            (J) an individual eligible to participate in activities 
        carried out under section 166 of the Workforce Investment Act 
        of 1998;
            (K) an individual eligible to participate in employment and 
        training activities under section 134 of the Workforce 
        Investment Act of 1998;
            (L) a long-term unemployed individual; or
            (M) an individual with multiple barriers to employment; and
            (3) an individual who has been assessed by the entity 
        carrying out the project and determined to need intensive 
        services.
    (d) Limitation.--The Secretary shall make grants under this section 
to not more than 3 States.

SEC. 4. APPLICATION AND STATE PLAN.

    (a) Contents.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this Act, a 
State shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may 
require, including a State plan that includes--
            (1) information demonstrating how the project will train 
        and employ eligible individuals, including individuals 
        described in subparagraphs (C) through (M) of section 3(c)(2);
            (2) an assurance that the project will include a customized 
        training program for the customer service and supervisory 
        competencies needed in the telecommunications industry jobs to 
        be located in the low-income rural areas served;
            (3) an assurance that the project will include appropriate 
        remedial training in such areas as reading, writing, math, and 
        English as a second language for eligible individuals who the 
        entity carrying out the project assesses and determines need 
        such training;
            (4) includes information describing linkages, including 
        linkages relating to providing supportive services for 
        participants in and graduates of the project, between--
                    (A) the entity carrying out the project; and
                    (B) one-stop operators (as defined in section 101 
                of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998), one-stop 
                partners (as defined in section 101 of the Workforce 
                Investment Act of 1998), State workforce investment 
                boards established under section 111 of such Act, and 
                local workforce investment boards established under 
                section 117 of such Act;
            (5) information identifying certification criteria for 
        individuals who successfully complete the training;
            (6) an assurance that employers participating in the 
        project will make available contributions, to the costs of 
        training participants in the project for the new 
        telecommunications jobs (including the costs of assessing 
        individuals seeking to participate in the project, whether or 
        not the individuals are determined to be eligible under section 
        3(c)), in an amount equal to not less than $1 for every $1 of 
        Federal funds provided under the grant;
            (7)(A) an assurance that the project will include an 
        appropriate performance assessment program that will measure--
                    (i) the rate of completion of the training by 
                participants in the training;
                    (ii) the percentage of the participants who obtain 
                unsubsidized employment;
                    (iii) the wages of the participants at placement in 
                the employment; and
                    (iv) the percentage of the participants retained in 
                the employment after 6 months of employment; and
            (B) an assurance that the entity carrying out the project 
        will annually submit to the Secretary the results of the 
        performance assessment program; and
            (8)(A) information explaining how the activities carried 
        out through the project are linked to State economic 
        development activities; and
            (B) information describing commitments from private sector 
        employers to locate new telecommunications jobs and facilities 
        within the low-income rural areas to be served, including 
        commitments to provide any needed upgrade in the 
        telecommunications infrastructure.
    (b) Acceptance of Applications.--The Secretary shall accept 
applications submitted under subsection (a) not later than 90 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act.
    (c) Evaluation of Applications.--The Secretary shall evaluate, and 
approve or reject, each application submitted under subsection (a) that 
meets the criteria described in subsections (a) and (b) not later than 
60 days after the submission of the application.
    (d) Priority.--In determining which States receive grants under 
subsection (a), the Secretary will give priority to a State submitting 
a State plan describing a project that--
            (1) will serve an area of high unemployment;
            (2) will serve an area with a significant bilingual 
        population;
            (3) will serve an area with a significant minority 
        population, including Native Americans;
            (4) will serve an area with a high percentage of youth who 
        have failed to complete secondary school;
            (5) will serve an area significantly impacted by the 
        contraction of the oil and natural gas exploration and 
        development industry;
            (6) will serve an area significantly impacted by recent 
        plant closings; or
            (7) is designed to create 1,000 or more new jobs within 2 
        years of the commencement of the training.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this Act for fiscal years 2000 through 2004.
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