[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 163 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 163

   To address the workforce needs of the telecommunications industry.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 2, 2021

  Mr. Thune (for himself, Mr. Tester, Mr. Peters, Mr. Wicker, and Mr. 
Moran) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 
       to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To address the workforce needs of the telecommunications industry.

    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 ``Telecommunications Skilled Workforce 
Act''.

SEC. 2. TELECOMMUNICATIONS INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP.

    (a) In General.--Part I of title III of the Communications Act of 
1934 (47 U.S.C. 301 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``SEC. 344. TELECOMMUNICATIONS INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) 5G.--The term `5G', with respect to wireless 
        infrastructure and wireless technology, means fifth-generation 
        wireless infrastructure and wireless technology.
            ``(2) Rural area.--The term `rural area' means any area 
        other than--
                    ``(A) a city, town, or incorporated area that has a 
                population of more than 20,000 inhabitants; or
                    ``(B) an urbanized area adjacent to a city or town 
                that has a population of more than 50,000 inhabitants.
            ``(3) Telecommunications interagency working group.--The 
        term `telecommunications interagency working group' means the 
        interagency working group established under subsection (b).
    ``(b) Establishment.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
enactment of this section, the Chairman of the Commission, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Labor, shall establish within the 
Commission an interagency working group to develop recommendations to 
address the workforce needs of the telecommunications industry.
    ``(c) Duties.--In developing recommendations under subsection (b), 
the telecommunications interagency working group shall--
            ``(1) determine whether, and if so how, any Federal laws 
        (including regulations), guidance, policies, or practices, or 
        any budgetary constraints, inhibit institutions of higher 
        education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) or for-profit businesses from 
        establishing, adopting, or expanding programs intended to 
        address the workforce needs of the telecommunications industry, 
        including the workforce needed to build and maintain the 5G 
        wireless infrastructure necessary to support 5G wireless 
        technology;
            ``(2) identify potential policies and programs that could 
        encourage and improve coordination among Federal agencies, 
        between Federal agencies and States, and among States, on 
        telecommunications workforce needs;
            ``(3) identify ways in which existing Federal programs, 
        including programs that help facilitate the employment of 
        veterans and military personnel transitioning into civilian 
        life, could be leveraged to help address the workforce needs of 
        the telecommunications industry;
            ``(4) identify ways to encourage individuals and for-profit 
        businesses to participate in qualified industry-led workforce 
        development programs, including the Telecommunications Industry 
        Registered Apprenticeship Program;
            ``(5) identify ways to improve recruitment in qualified 
        industry-led workforce development programs, including the 
        Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program 
        and other industry-recognized apprenticeship programs; and
            ``(6) identify Federal incentives that could be provided to 
        institutions of higher education, for-profit businesses, State 
        workforce development boards established under section 101 of 
        the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3111), 
        or other relevant stakeholders to establish or adopt programs, 
        or expand current programs, to address the workforce needs of 
        the telecommunications industry, including such needs in rural 
        areas.
    ``(d) Members.--The telecommunications interagency working group 
shall be composed of representatives of such Federal agencies and 
relevant non-Federal industry stakeholder organizations as the Chairman 
of the Commission, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, 
considers appropriate, including--
            ``(1) a representative of the Department of Education, 
        appointed by the Secretary of Education;
            ``(2) a representative of the National Telecommunications 
        and Information Administration, appointed by the Assistant 
        Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information;
            ``(3) a representative of the Department of Commerce, 
        appointed by the Secretary of Commerce;
            ``(4) a representative of the Commission, appointed by the 
        Chairman of the Commission;
            ``(5) a representative of the Telecommunications Industry 
        Registered Apprenticeship Program, appointed by the Secretary 
        of Labor;
            ``(6) a representative of a telecommunications industry 
        association, appointed by the Chairman of the Commission;
            ``(7) a representative of an Indian Tribe or Tribal 
        organization, appointed by the Secretary of Labor;
            ``(8) a representative of a rural telecommunications 
        carrier, appointed by the Chairman of the Commission;
            ``(9) a representative of a telecommunications contractor 
        firm, appointed by the Chairman of the Commission;
            ``(10) a representative of a minority institution (as 
        defined in section 365 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1067k)), appointed by the Secretary of Education; and
            ``(11) a representative of a labor organization, appointed 
        by the Secretary of Labor.
    ``(e) No Compensation.--A member of the telecommunications 
interagency working group shall serve without compensation.
    ``(f) Report to Congress.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
on which the telecommunications interagency working group is 
established, the working group shall submit a report containing 
recommendations to address the workforce needs of the 
telecommunications industry to--
            ``(1) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
        Transportation of the Senate;
            ``(2) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
        Pensions of the Senate;
            ``(3) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
        Representatives; and
            ``(4) the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of 
        Representatives.
    ``(g) Nonapplicability of FACA.--The Federal Advisory Committee Act 
(5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the telecommunications interagency 
working group.''.
    (b) Sunset.--Section 344 of the Communications Act of 1934, as 
added by subsection (a), shall be repealed on the day after the date on 
which the interagency working group established under subsection (b) of 
that section submits the report to Congress under subsection (f) of 
that section.

SEC. 3. TELECOMMUNICATIONS WORKFORCE GUIDANCE.

     Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, in consultation 
with the Secretary of Labor, shall establish and issue guidance on how 
States can address the workforce needs of the telecommunications 
industry, including guidance on how a State workforce development board 
established under section 101 of the Workforce Innovation and 
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3111) can--
            (1) utilize Federal resources available to States to meet 
        the workforce needs of the telecommunications industry; and
            (2) promote and improve recruitment in qualified industry-
        led workforce development programs, including the 
        Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program.

SEC. 4. GAO ASSESSMENT OF WORKFORCE NEEDS OF THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS 
              INDUSTRY.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) 5G.--The term ``5G'', with respect to wireless 
        infrastructure and wireless technology, means fifth-generation 
        wireless infrastructure and wireless technology.
            (2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                Transportation of the Senate;
                    (B) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
                Pensions of the Senate;
                    (C) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
                House of Representatives; and
                    (D) the Committee on Education and Labor of the 
                House of Representatives.
            (3) Broadband infrastructure.--The term ``broadband 
        infrastructure'' means any buried, underground, or aerial 
        facility, and any wireless or wireline connection, that enables 
        users to send and receive voice, video, data, graphics, or any 
        combination thereof.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to 
the appropriate congressional committees a report that estimates the 
number of skilled telecommunications workers that will be required to 
build and maintain--
            (1) broadband infrastructure in rural areas; and
            (2) the 5G wireless infrastructure needed to support 5G 
        wireless technology.
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