[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2449 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2449

To require the Secretary of Energy to establish the 21st Century Energy 
           Workforce Advisory Board, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 15, 2018

  Ms. Cantwell (for herself and Ms. Hirono) introduced the following 
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Secretary of Energy to establish the 21st Century Energy 
           Workforce Advisory Board, 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 ``21st Century Energy Workforce Act of 
2018''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Board.--The term ``Board'' means the 21st Century 
        Energy Workforce Advisory Board established under section 3(a).
            (2) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the 
        Department of Energy.
            (3) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian tribe'' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
        Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
            (4) Minority-serving institution.--The term ``minority-
        serving institution'' means an institution of higher education 
        eligible to receive funds under section 371(a) of the Higher 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a)).
            (5) National laboratory.--The term ``National Laboratory'' 
        has the meaning given the term in section 2 of the Energy 
        Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801).
            (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Energy.

SEC. 3. 21ST CENTURY ENERGY WORKFORCE ADVISORY BOARD.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a board, to be 
known as the ``21st Century Energy Workforce Advisory Board'', to 
develop a strategy for the support and development of a skilled energy 
workforce that--
            (1) meets the current and future industry and labor needs 
        of the energy sector;
            (2) provides opportunities for students to become qualified 
        for placement in traditional energy sector and clean energy 
        sector jobs;
            (3) aligns apprenticeship programs and workforce 
        development programs to provide industry-recognized 
        certifications and credentials;
            (4) encourages leaders in the education system of the 
        United States to equip students with the skills, mentorships, 
        training, and technical expertise necessary to fill the 
        employment opportunities vital to managing and operating the 
        energy- and manufacturing-related industries of the United 
        States;
            (5) appropriately supports other Federal agencies;
            (6) strengthens and more fully engages workforce training 
        programs of the Department and the National Laboratories in 
        carrying out the Minorities in Energy Initiative of the 
        Department and other Department workforce priorities;
            (7) supports the design and replication of existing model 
        energy curricula, particularly in new and emerging 
        technologies, that leads to industry-wide credentials;
            (8) develops plans to support and retrain displaced and 
        unemployed energy sector workers; and
            (9) makes a Department priority to provide education and 
        job training to underrepresented groups, including ethnic 
        minorities, Indian tribes, women, veterans, and 
        socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals.
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) In general.--The Board shall be composed of 9 members, 
        with the initial members of the Board to be appointed by the 
        Secretary not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
        this Act.
            (2) Nominations.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the President's Council of Advisors on 
        Science and Technology shall nominate for appointment to the 
        Board under paragraph (1) not fewer than 18 individuals who 
        meet the qualifications described in paragraph (3).
            (3) Qualifications.--Each individual nominated for 
        appointment to the Board under paragraph (1) shall--
                    (A) be eminent in the field of economics or 
                workforce development;
                    (B) have expertise in relevant traditional energy 
                industries or clean energy industries;
                    (C) have expertise in secondary or postsecondary 
                education;
                    (D) have expertise in energy workforce development 
                or apprentice programs of States or units of local 
                government;
                    (E) have expertise in relevant organized labor 
                organizations; or
                    (F) have expertise in bringing underrepresented 
                groups, including ethnic minorities, women, veterans, 
                and socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals, into 
                the workforce.
            (4) Representation.--The membership of the Board shall be 
        representative of the broad range of the energy industry, labor 
        organizations, workforce development, education, minority 
        participation, cybersecurity, and economics disciplines related 
        to activities carried out under this section.
            (5) Limitation.--No individual shall be nominated for 
        appointment to the Board who is an employee of an entity 
        applying for a grant under section 4.
    (c) Advisory Board Review and Recommendations.--
            (1) Determination by board.--In developing the strategy 
        required under subsection (a), the Board shall--
                    (A) determine whether there are opportunities to 
                more effectively and efficiently use the capabilities 
                of the Department in the development of a skilled 
                energy workforce;
                    (B) identify ways in which the Department could 
                work with other relevant Federal agencies, States, 
                units of local government, educational institutions, 
                labor, and industry in the development of a skilled 
                energy workforce;
                    (C) identify ways in which the Department and 
                National Laboratories can--
                            (i) increase outreach to minority-serving 
                        institutions; and
                            (ii) make resources available to increase 
                        the number of skilled minorities and women 
                        trained to go into the energy- and 
                        manufacturing-related sectors;
                    (D) identify ways in which the Department and 
                National Laboratories can--
                            (i) increase outreach to displaced and 
                        unemployed energy sector workers; and
                            (ii) make resources available to provide 
                        training to displaced and unemployed energy 
                        sector workers to reenter the energy workforce; 
                        and
                    (E) identify the energy sectors in greatest need of 
                workforce training and develop guidelines for the 
                skills necessary to develop a workforce trained to work 
                in those energy sectors.
            (2) Required analysis.--In developing the strategy required 
        under subsection (a), the Board shall analyze the effectiveness 
        of--
                    (A) existing Department-directed support; and
                    (B) developing energy workforce training programs.
            (3) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date on which 
        the Board is established under this section, and each year 
        thereafter, the Board shall submit to the Secretary and 
        Congress, and make public, a report containing, with respect to 
        the strategy required under subsection (a)--
                    (A) the findings of the Board; and
                    (B) model energy curricula.
    (d) Report by Secretary.--Not later than 18 months after the date 
on which the Board is established under this section, the Secretary 
shall submit to the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on 
Appropriations and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
Representatives a report that--
            (1) describes whether the Secretary approves or disapproves 
        the recommendations of the Board under subsection (c)(3); and
            (2) provides an implementation plan for recommendations 
        approved by the Board under paragraph (1).
    (e) Clearinghouse.--Based on the recommendations of the Board under 
subsection (c)(3), the Secretary shall establish a clearinghouse--
            (1) to maintain and update information and resources on 
        training and workforce development programs for energy- and 
        manufacturing-related jobs; and
            (2) to act as a resource, and provide guidance, for 
        secondary schools, institutions of higher education (including 
        community colleges and minority-serving institutions), 
        workforce development organizations, labor management 
        organizations, and industry organizations that would like to 
        develop and implement energy- and manufacturing-related 
        training programs.
    (f) Outreach to Minority-Serving Institutions.--In developing the 
strategy under subsection (a), the Board shall--
            (1) give special consideration to increasing outreach to 
        minority-serving institutions, including--
                    (A) part B institutions (as defined in section 322 
                of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061));
                    (B) Predominantly Black institutions (as defined in 
                section 371(c) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 1067q(c)));
                    (C) Hispanic-serving institutions (as defined in 
                section 502(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 1101a(a))); and
                    (D) Tribal Colleges or Universities (as defined in 
                section 316(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 1059c(b)));
            (2) make resources available to minority-serving 
        institutions with the objective of increasing the number of 
        skilled minorities and women trained to go into the energy and 
        manufacturing sectors; and
            (3) encourage industry to improve the opportunities for 
        students of minority-serving institutions to participate in 
        industry internships and cooperative work-study programs.
    (g) Sunset.--The Board shall remain in effect until September 30, 
2022.

SEC. 4. ENERGY WORKFORCE PILOT GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor 
and the Secretary of Education, shall establish a pilot program to 
award grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities for job 
training programs that lead to an industry-recognized credential.
    (b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
section, an entity shall be a public or nonprofit organization or a 
consortium of public or nonprofit organizations that--
            (1) includes an advisory board of proportional 
        participation, as determined by the Secretary, of relevant 
        organizations, including--
                    (A) relevant energy industry organizations, 
                including public and private employers;
                    (B) labor organizations;
                    (C) postsecondary education organizations; and
                    (D) workforce development boards;
            (2) demonstrates experience in implementing and operating 
        job training and education programs;
            (3) demonstrates the ability to recruit and support 
        individuals who plan to work in the energy industry in the 
        successful completion of relevant job training and education 
        programs; and
            (4) provides students who complete the job training and 
        education program with an industry-recognized credential.
    (c) Applications.--Eligible entities desiring a grant under this 
section shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may 
require.
    (d) Priority.--In selecting eligible entities to receive grants 
under this section, the Secretary shall prioritize applicants that--
            (1) house the job training and education programs in--
                    (A) a community college or other institution of 
                higher education that includes basic science and math 
                education in the curriculum of the community college or 
                other institution of higher education; or
                    (B) an apprenticeship program registered with the 
                Department of Labor or a State (as defined in section 
                202 of the Energy Conservation and Production Act (42 
                U.S.C. 6802)) (referred to in this section as a 
                ``State'');
            (2) work with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 
        Veterans Affairs or veteran service organizations recognized by 
        the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under section 5902 of title 
        38, United States Code, to transition members of the Armed 
        Forces and veterans to careers in the energy sector;
            (3) work with--
                    (A) Indian tribes;
                    (B) tribal organizations (as defined in section 
                3765 of title 38, United States Code); and
                    (C) Native American veterans (as defined in section 
                3765 of title 38, United States Code), including 
                veterans who are a Descendant of a Native (as defined 
                in section 3 of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act 
                (43 U.S.C. 1602));
            (4) apply as a State or regional consortia to leverage best 
        practices already available in the State or region in which the 
        community college or other institution of higher education is 
        located;
            (5) have a State-supported entity included in the 
        consortium applying for the grant;
            (6) include an apprenticeship program registered with the 
        Department of Labor or a State as part of the job training and 
        education program;
            (7) provide support services and career coaching;
            (8) provide introductory energy workforce development 
        training;
            (9) work with minority-serving institutions to provide job 
        training to increase the number of skilled minorities and women 
        in the energy sector; or
            (10) provide job training for displaced and unemployed 
        workers in the energy sector.
    (e) Additional Consideration.--In making grants under this section, 
the Secretary shall consider regional diversity.
    (f) Limitation on Applications.--An eligible entity may not submit, 
either individually or as part of a joint application, more than 1 
application for a grant under this section during any 1 fiscal year.
    (g) Limitations on Amount of Grant.--The amount of an individual 
grant for any 1 fiscal year shall not exceed $2,000,000.
    (h) Cost Sharing.--
            (1) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost of a job 
        training and education program carried out using a grant under 
        this section shall be not greater than 65 percent.
            (2) Non-federal share.--
                    (A) In general.--The non-Federal share of the cost 
                of a job training and education program carried out 
                using a grant under this section shall consist of not 
                less than 50 percent cash.
                    (B) Limitation.--Not greater than 50 percent of the 
                non-Federal contribution of the total cost of a job 
                training and education program carried out using a 
                grant under this section may be in the form of in-kind 
                contributions of goods or services fairly valued.
    (i) Reduction of Duplication.--Prior to submitting an application 
for a grant under this section, each applicant shall consult with the 
appropriate agencies of the Federal Government and coordinate the 
proposed activities of the applicant with existing State and local 
programs.
    (j) Direct Assistance.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
Secretary shall provide direct assistance (including technical 
expertise, wraparound services, career coaching, mentorships, 
internships, and partnerships) to entities that receive a grant under 
this section.
    (k) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary shall provide technical 
assistance and capacity building to national and State energy 
partnerships, including the entities described in subsection (b)(1), to 
leverage the existing job training and education programs of the 
Department.
    (l) Report.--The Secretary shall submit to Congress and make 
publicly available on the website of the Department an annual report on 
the program established under this section, including a description 
of--
            (1) the entities receiving grants;
            (2) the activities carried out using the grants;
            (3) best practices used to leverage the investment of the 
        Federal Government;
            (4) the rate of employment for participants after 
        completing a job training and education program carried out 
        using a grant; and
            (5) an assessment of the results achieved by the program.
    (m) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2018 through 2022.
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