[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3699 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3699

     To promote a 21st century energy and manufacturing workforce.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 25, 2023

Mr. Hudson (for himself and Mr. Veasey) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and 
in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To promote a 21st century energy and manufacturing workforce.

    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 ``Widening Opportunities to Recapture 
Key Energy Roles Act'' or the ``WORKER Act''.

SEC. 2. ENERGY AND MANUFACTURING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy (in this Act referred to 
as the ``Secretary'') shall prioritize education and training for 
energy and manufacturing-related jobs in order to increase the number 
of skilled workers trained to work in energy and manufacturing-related 
fields when considering awards for existing grant programs, including 
by carrying out the following:
            (1) Encouraging State education agencies and local 
        educational agencies to equip students with the skills, 
        mentorships, training, and technical expertise necessary to 
        fill the employment opportunities vital to managing and 
        operating the Nation's energy and manufacturing industries, in 
        collaboration with representatives from the energy and 
        manufacturing industries (including the oil, gas, coal, 
        nuclear, utility, pipeline, renewable, petrochemical, 
        manufacturing, and electrical construction sectors) to identify 
        the areas of highest need in each sector and the skills 
        necessary for a high-quality workforce in the following sectors 
        of energy and manufacturing:
                    (A) The energy efficiency industry, including work 
                in energy efficiency, conservation, weatherization, or 
                retrofitting, or as inspectors or auditors.
                    (B) The pipeline industry, including work in 
                pipeline construction and maintenance or work as 
                engineers or technical advisors.
                    (C) The utility industry, including work in the 
                generation, transmission, and distribution of 
                electricity and natural gas, such as utility 
                technicians, operators, lineworkers, engineers, 
                scientists, and information technology specialists.
                    (D) The nuclear industry, including work as 
                scientists, engineers, technicians, mathematicians, or 
                security personnel.
                    (E) The oil and gas industry, including work as 
                scientists, engineers, technicians, mathematicians, 
                petrochemical engineers, or geologists.
                    (F) The renewable industry, including work in the 
                development, manufacturing, and production of renewable 
                energy sources (such as solar, hydropower, wind, or 
                geothermal energy).
                    (G) The coal industry, including work as coal 
                miners, engineers, developers and manufacturers of 
                state-of-the-art coal facilities, technology vendors, 
                coal transportation workers and operators, or mining 
                equipment vendors.
                    (H) The manufacturing industry, including work as 
                operations technicians, operations and design in 
                additive manufacturing, 3-D printing, advanced 
                composites, and advanced aluminum and other metal 
                alloys, industrial energy efficiency management 
                systems, including power electronics, and other 
                innovative technologies.
                    (I) The chemical manufacturing industry, including 
                work in construction (such as welders, pipefitters, and 
                tool and die makers) or as instrument and electrical 
                technicians, machinists, chemical process operators, 
                chemical engineers, quality and safety professionals, 
                and reliability engineers.
            (2) Strengthening and more fully engaging Department of 
        Energy programs and labs in carrying out the Department's 
        workforce development initiatives, including the Minorities in 
        Energy Initiative.
    (b) Prohibition.--Nothing in this section may be construed to 
authorize the Secretary or any other officer or employee of the Federal 
Government to incentivize, require, or coerce a State, school district, 
or school to adopt curricula aligned to the skills described in 
subsection (a).
    (c) Priority.--The Secretary shall prioritize the education and 
training of underrepresented groups in energy and manufacturing-related 
jobs.
    (d) Clearinghouse.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary 
shall establish a clearinghouse to--
            (1) maintain and update information and resources on 
        training and workforce development programs for energy and 
        manufacturing-related jobs, including job training and 
        workforce development programs available to assist displaced 
        and unemployed energy and manufacturing workers transitioning 
        to new employment; and
            (2) provide technical assistance for States, local 
        educational agencies, schools, community colleges, universities 
        (including minority-serving institutions), workforce 
        development programs, labor-management organizations, and 
        industry organizations that would like to develop and implement 
        energy and manufacturing-related training programs.
    (e) Collaboration.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary 
shall--
            (1) collaborate with States, local educational agencies, 
        schools, community colleges, universities (including minority-
        serving institutions), workforce-training organizations, 
        national laboratories, State energy offices, workforce 
        investment boards, and the energy and manufacturing industries;
            (2) encourage and foster collaboration, mentorships, and 
        partnerships among organizations (including industry, States, 
        local educational agencies, schools, community colleges, 
        workforce-development organizations, and colleges and 
        universities) that currently provide effective job training 
        programs in the energy and manufacturing fields and entities 
        (including States, local educational agencies, schools, 
        community colleges, workforce development programs, and 
        colleges and universities) that seek to establish these types 
        of programs in order to share best practices; and
            (3) collaborate with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 
        Department of Commerce, the Bureau of the Census, States, and 
        the energy and manufacturing industries to develop a 
        comprehensive and detailed understanding of the energy and 
        manufacturing workforce needs and opportunities by State and by 
        region.
    (f) Outreach to Minority-Serving Institutions.--In carrying out 
this section, the Secretary shall--
            (1) give special consideration to increasing outreach to 
        minority-serving institutions and Historically Black Colleges 
        and Universities;
            (2) make existing resources available through program 
        cross-cutting 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;
            (3) encourage industry to improve the opportunities for 
        students of minority-serving institutions to participate in 
        industry internships and cooperative work/study programs; and
            (4) partner with the Department of Energy laboratories to 
        increase underrepresented groups' participation in internships, 
        fellowships, traineeships, and employment at all Department of 
        Energy laboratories.
    (g) Outreach to Dislocated Energy and Manufacturing Workers.--In 
carrying out this section, the Secretary shall--
            (1) give special consideration to increasing outreach to 
        employers and job trainers preparing dislocated energy and 
        manufacturing workers for in-demand sectors or occupations;
            (2) make existing resources available through program 
        cross-cutting to institutions serving dislocated energy and 
        manufacturing workers with the objective of training 
        individuals to re-enter in-demand sectors or occupations;
            (3) encourage the energy and manufacturing industries to 
        improve opportunities for dislocated energy and manufacturing 
        workers to participate in career pathways; and
            (4) work closely with the energy and manufacturing 
        industries to identify energy and manufacturing operations, 
        such as coal-fired power plants and coal mines scheduled for 
        closure, to provide early intervention assistance to workers 
        employed at such energy and manufacturing operations by--
                    (A) partnering with State boards and local boards;
                    (B) giving special consideration to employers and 
                job trainers preparing such workers for in-demand 
                sectors or occupations;
                    (C) making existing resources available through 
                program cross-cutting to institutions serving such 
                workers with the objective of training them to re-enter 
                in-demand sectors or occupations; and
                    (D) encouraging the energy and manufacturing 
                industries to improve opportunities for such workers to 
                participate in career pathways.
    (h) Enrollment in Workforce Development Programs.--In carrying out 
this section, the Secretary shall work with industry and community-
based workforce organizations to help identify candidates, including 
from underrepresented communities such as minorities, women, and 
veterans, to enroll in workforce development programs for energy and 
manufacturing-related jobs.
    (i) Prohibition.--Nothing in this section may be construed as 
authorizing the creation of a new workforce development program.
    (j) Report.--Not later than five years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall publish a comprehensive 
report to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on 
Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Committee of the Senate on 
the outlook for energy and manufacturing sectors nationally. The report 
shall also include a comprehensive summary of energy and manufacturing 
job creation as a result of the enactment of this section, and shall 
include performance data regarding the number of program participants 
served, the percentage of participants in competitive integrated 
employment two quarters and four quarters after program completion, the 
median income of program participants two quarters and four quarters 
after program completion, and the percentage of program participants 
receiving industry-recognized credentials.
    (k) Use of Existing Funds.--No additional funds are authorized to 
carry out the requirements of this section. Such requirements shall be 
carried out using amounts otherwise authorized.
    (l) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Career pathways; dislocated worker; in-demand sectors 
        or occupations; local board; state board.--The terms ``career 
        pathways'', ``dislocated worker'', ``in-demand sectors or 
        occupations'', ``local board'', and ``State board'' have the 
        meanings given the terms ``career pathways'', ``dislocated 
        worker'', ``in-demand sectors or occupations'', ``local 
        board'', and ``State board'', respectively, in section 3 of the 
        Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
            (2) Minority-serving institution.--The term ``minority-
        serving institution'' means an institution of higher education 
        with a designation of one of the following:
                    (A) Hispanic-serving institution (as defined in 20 
                U.S.C. 1101a(a)(5)).
                    (B) Tribal College or University (as defined in 20 
                U.S.C. 1059c(b)).
                    (C) Alaska Native-serving institution or a Native 
                Hawaiian-serving institution (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 
                1059d(b)).
                    (D) Predominantly Black Institution (as defined in 
                20 U.S.C. 1059e(b)).
                    (E) Native American-serving nontribal institution 
                (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 1059f(b)).
                    (F) Asian American and Native American Pacific 
                Islander-serving institution (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 
                1059g(b)).
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