[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 876 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 876

  To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require the Secretary of 
 Energy to establish a program to prepare veterans for careers in the 
 energy industry, including the solar, wind, cybersecurity, and other 
 low-carbon emissions sectors or zero-emissions sectors of the energy 
                   industry, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 26, 2019

 Ms. Duckworth (for herself, Mr. Graham, Mr. Bennet, and Mr. Gardner) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
               Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require the Secretary of 
 Energy to establish a program to prepare veterans for careers in the 
 energy industry, including the solar, wind, cybersecurity, and other 
 low-carbon emissions sectors or zero-emissions sectors of the energy 
                   industry, 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 ``Energy Jobs for our Heroes Act of 
2019''.

SEC. 2. ENERGY-READY VETS PROGRAM.

    Title XI of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16411 et seq.) 
is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 1107. ENERGY-READY VETS PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to ensure that 
veterans have the credentials and training necessary to secure careers 
in the energy industry.
    ``(b) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Active military, naval, or air service.--The term 
        `active military, naval, or air service' has the meaning given 
        such term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code.
            ``(2) Eligible participant.--The term `eligible 
        participant' means a veteran who--
                    ``(A) was discharged or released from service in 
                the active military, naval, or air service during the 
                most recent 1-year period; or
                    ``(B)(i) was discharged or released from service in 
                the active military, naval, or air service during the 
                2-year period immediately preceding the most recent 1-
                year period; and
                    ``(ii) receives the approval of the Secretary to 
                participate in the program.
            ``(3) Program.--The term `program' means the Energy-Ready 
        Vets Program established under subsection (c)(1).
            ``(4) Uniformed services.--The term `uniformed services' 
        has the meaning given such term in section 10(a) of title 10, 
        United States Code.
            ``(5) Veteran.--The term `veteran' has the meaning given 
        such term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code.
    ``(c) Establishment; Implementation.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a 
        program, to be known as the `Energy-Ready Vets Program', to 
        prepare eligible participants for careers in the energy 
        industry.
            ``(2) Implementation.--The Secretary shall ensure that the 
        program is implemented by an administrator, to be appointed by 
        the Secretary from among individuals with experience relating 
        to military service.
    ``(d) Administration of Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary, in partnership with the 
        Secretary of Defense, shall carry out the program through the 
        SkillBridge program of the Department of Defense, under which 
        the Secretary shall provide standardized training courses, 
        based, to the maximum extent practicable, on existing industry-
        recognized certification and training programs, to prepare 
        eligible participants in the program for careers in the energy 
        industry, including--
                    ``(A) in the solar energy industry, careers--
                            ``(i) as solar photovoltaic system 
                        installers;
                            ``(ii) as solar technicians;
                            ``(iii) as system inspectors; and
                            ``(iv) in other areas relating to the solar 
                        energy industry;
                    ``(B) in the wind energy industry, careers--
                            ``(i) in wind energy operations;
                            ``(ii) in wind energy development;
                            ``(iii) in wind energy manufacturing;
                            ``(iv) as wind energy technicians;
                            ``(v) in the support of all parts of the 
                        wind energy supply chain; and
                            ``(vi) in other areas relating to the wind 
                        energy industry;
                    ``(C) in the cybersecurity sector of the energy 
                industry, careers in--
                            ``(i) cybersecurity preparedness;
                            ``(ii) cyber incident response and 
                        recovery;
                            ``(iii) grid modernization, security, and 
                        maintenance;
                            ``(iv) resilience planning; and
                            ``(v) other areas relating to the 
                        cybersecurity sector of the energy industry;
                    ``(D) careers in other low-carbon emissions sectors 
                or zero-emissions sectors of the energy industry 
                identified by the Secretary; and
                    ``(E) careers in sectors that plan, develop, 
                construct, maintain, and expand energy industry 
                infrastructure.
            ``(2) Program requirements.--
                    ``(A) In general.--In carrying out the program, the 
                Secretary shall ensure that the courses described in 
                paragraph (1)--
                            ``(i) provide--
                                    ``(I) job training;
                                    ``(II) employment skills training, 
                                including providing comprehensive 
                                wraparound support services to eligible 
                                participants that--
                                            ``(aa) enhance the training 
                                        experience and promote the 
                                        professional development of 
                                        eligible participants; and
                                            ``(bb) help eligible 
                                        participants transition into 
                                        the workforce; and
                                    ``(III) opportunities for 
                                internships of not longer than 180 
                                days; and
                            ``(ii) are carried out primarily through--
                                    ``(I) internships; or
                                    ``(II) applied, work-based 
                                training.
                    ``(B) Exam requirement.--As a requirement for 
                completing a course described in paragraph (1), the 
                Secretary shall require each eligible participant in 
                the course to earn an applicable industry-recognized 
                entry-level certificate or other credential.
    ``(e) Recognition of Entities.--The Secretary and the administrator 
of the program appointed under subsection (c)(2), working jointly, 
shall establish and carry out a program to recognize commercial 
entities that hire eligible participants who receive certifications or 
other credentials under the program, based on the proportion that--
            ``(1) the number of such eligible participants hired by the 
        commercial entity; bears to
            ``(2) the number of such eligible participants hired by all 
        commercial entities.
    ``(f) Establishment of Industry-Recognized Certification and 
Training Programs.--
            ``(1) In general.--For purposes of subsection (d), if an 
        appropriate industry-recognized certification and training 
        program does not exist, the Secretary shall establish a grant 
        program to assist the industry in developing such an industry-
        recognized certification and training program.
            ``(2) Funding.--Out of the amounts made available under 
        subsection (g)(1), the Secretary shall use such sums as are 
        necessary to carry out paragraph (1).
    ``(g) Funding.--
            ``(1) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
        authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such sums as are 
        necessary to carry out this section.
            ``(2) Allocation of funding.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the 
                Secretary shall allocate to each facility of the 
                Department of Defense participating in the program an 
                amount based on a percentage of how many participants 
                enroll in courses at the facility.
                    ``(B) Applications.--A facility of the Department 
                of Defense participating in the program and desiring 
                funding under subparagraph (A) shall annually submit an 
                application for such funding.
    ``(h) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date on which the 
program is established, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall 
submit to Congress a report describing the activities carried out 
under, and accomplishments of, the program.''.
                                 <all>