[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2334 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 271
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2334
[Report No. 116-150]
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
July 30, 2019
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
October 24, 2019
Reported by Ms. Murkowski, without amendment
_______________________________________________________________________
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
2019''.
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,
2024.
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 descendants of Natives (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 2020 through 2024.
Calendar No. 271
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2334
[Report No. 116-150]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Energy to establish the 21st Century Energy
Workforce Advisory Board, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
October 24, 2019
Reported without amendment