[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3917 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3917

    To require the Secretary of Commerce to establish the National 
 Manufacturing Advisory Council within the Department of Commerce, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 7, 2023

 Mr. Neguse (for himself and Mr. Mann) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To require the Secretary of Commerce to establish the National 
 Manufacturing Advisory Council within the Department of Commerce, 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 ``National Manufacturing Advisory 
Council for the 21st Century Act''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL MANUFACTURING ADVISORY COUNCIL.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Advisory council.--The term ``Advisory Council'' means 
        the National Manufacturing Advisory Council established under 
        subsection (b).
            (2) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' 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 Natural Resources 
                of the Senate;
                    (D) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;
                    (E) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
                    (F) the Committee on Small Business and 
                Entrepreneurship of the Senate;
                    (G) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
                House of Representatives;
                    (H) the Committee on Education and the Workforce of 
                the House of Representatives;
                    (I) the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
                of the House of Representatives;
                    (J) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
                Representatives;
                    (K) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
                Representatives; and
                    (L) the Committee on Small Business of the House of 
                Representatives.
            (3) Economically distressed area.--The term ``economically 
        distressed area'' means an area that meets 1 or more of the 
        requirements described in section 301(a) of the Public Works 
        and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3161(a)).
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Commerce.
    (b) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Energy, 
the United States Trade Representative, and the Secretary of Education, 
shall establish within the Department of Commerce the National 
Manufacturing Advisory Council.
    (c) Mission.--The mission of the Advisory Council shall be to--
            (1) provide a forum for--
                    (A) regular communication between the Federal 
                Government and the manufacturing sector, including 
                manufacturing workers, in the United States; and
                    (B) discussing and proposing solutions to problems 
                relating to the manufacturing sector in the United 
                States, including the manufacturing workforce, supply 
                chain interruptions, and other logistical challenges;
            (2) advise the Secretary regarding policies and programs of 
        the Federal Government that affect manufacturing, including the 
        manufacturing workforce, in the United States; and
            (3) annually produce a national strategic plan, as 
        described in subsection (g), that provides recommendations to 
        the Secretary and the appropriate committees of Congress 
        regarding how to help the United States remain the preeminent 
        destination throughout the world for investment in 
        manufacturing, which shall be based on the execution of the 
        duties of the Advisory Council.
    (d) Duties.--The duties of the Advisory Council shall include the 
following:
            (1) Meeting not less frequently than once every 180 days, 
        in a manner to be determined by the Secretary, in order to 
        provide independent advice and recommendations to the Secretary 
        regarding issues involving manufacturing in the United States.
            (2) Identifying and assessing the impact that technological 
        developments, critical production capacity, skill availability, 
        investment patterns, and emerging defense needs have on the 
        manufacturing competitiveness of the United States and 
        providing advice and recommendations to the Secretary regarding 
        that impact.
            (3) Soliciting input from the public and private sectors 
        and academia relating to emerging trends in manufacturing, and 
        the responsiveness of Federal programming with respect to 
        manufacturing, and providing advice and recommendations to the 
        Secretary for areas of increased Federal attention with respect 
        to manufacturing.
            (4) Identifying, and providing advice and recommendations 
        to the Secretary regarding, global and domestic manufacturing 
        trends and threats to the manufacturing sector in the United 
        States, including on matters such as supply chain 
        interruptions, logistical challenges, and technological changes 
        affecting the manufacturing base in the United States.
            (5) Providing advice and recommendations to the Secretary 
        on matters relating to investment in, and support of, the 
        manufacturing workforce in the United States, including on 
        matters such as--
                    (A) worker participation, including through labor 
                organizations and through other methods determined by 
                the Advisory Council, in planning for the deployment of 
                new technologies across the manufacturing sector in the 
                United States and within workplaces in that sector;
                    (B) training and education priorities for the 
                Federal Government and employers to assist workers in 
                adapting the skills and experiences of those workers to 
                fit the demands of the manufacturing sector in the 
                United States in the 21st century;
                    (C) how the development of new technologies and 
                processes have impacted, and will impact, the 
                manufacturing workforce of the United States and the 
                economy of the United States, which shall be based on 
                input from manufacturing workers;
                    (D) management practices in the manufacturing 
                sector in the United States that lead to worker 
                employment, job quality, worker protection, worker 
                participation and power in decision making, and 
                investment in worker career success;
                    (E) policies and procedures that expand access to 
                jobs, career advancement opportunities, and management 
                opportunities for underrepresented populations; and
                    (F) how to improve access to demand-driven 
                manufacturing-related education, training, and re-
                training for workers, including at community and 
                technical colleges, through other institutions of 
                higher education, and through apprenticeships and work-
                based learning opportunities.
            (6) Providing recommendations to the Secretary on ways to--
                    (A) provide--
                            (i) manufacturing-related worker education, 
                        training, and development; and
                            (ii) entrepreneurship training relating to 
                        manufacturing;
                    (B) connect individuals and businesses with 
                services described in subparagraph (A) that are offered 
                in the communities of those individuals or businesses;
                    (C) coordinate services relating to manufacturing 
                employee engagement, including employee ownership and 
                workforce training;
                    (D) connect manufacturers with community and 
                technical colleges, other institutions of higher 
                education, State or local workforce development boards 
                established under section 101 or 107 of the Workforce 
                Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3111, 3122), 
                labor organizations, and nonprofit job training 
                providers to develop and support training and job 
                placement services, and apprenticeship and online 
                learning platforms, for new and incumbent manufacturing 
                workers;
                    (E) develop programming to prevent manufacturing 
                job losses in the United States as entities adopt new 
                technologies and processes; and
                    (F) develop best practices for manufacturers to 
                incorporate, or transition to, employee ownership 
                structures.
            (7) With respect to the matters described in paragraphs (1) 
        through (6), soliciting input from--
                    (A) economically distressed areas; and
                    (B) areas of the United States in which foreign 
                competition has resulted in mass layoffs in the 
                manufacturing sector.
            (8) Completing other specific tasks requested by the 
        Secretary.
    (e) Membership.--
            (1) In general.--The Advisory Council shall--
                    (A) consist of individuals appointed by the 
                Secretary with a balance of backgrounds, experiences, 
                and viewpoints; and
                    (B) include individuals with manufacturing 
                experience who represent--
                            (i) private industry, including small and 
                        medium-sized manufacturers and any relevant 
                        standards development organizations or relevant 
                        trade associations;
                            (ii) academia; and
                            (iii) labor.
            (2) Public participation.--The Secretary shall, to the 
        maximum extent practicable, accept recommendations from the 
        public regarding the appointment of individuals under paragraph 
        (1).
            (3) Period of appointment; vacancies.--
                    (A) In general.--Each member of the Advisory 
                Council shall be appointed by the Secretary for a term 
                of 3 years.
                    (B) Renewal.--The Secretary may renew an 
                appointment made under subparagraph (A) for not more 
                than 2 additional terms.
                    (C) Stagger terms.--The Secretary may stagger the 
                terms of the members of the Advisory Council to ensure 
                that the terms of those members expire during different 
                years.
                    (D) Vacancies.--
                            (i) In general.--Subject to clause (ii), a 
                        member appointed to fill a vacancy on the 
                        Advisory Council occurring before the 
                        expiration of the term for which the 
                        predecessor of the newly appointed member was 
                        appointed shall be appointed only for the 
                        remainder of that term of the predecessor.
                            (ii) Further service.--A member of the 
                        Advisory Council who is appointed for the 
                        remainder of a term of a predecessor under 
                        clause (i) may serve after the expiration of 
                        that term of the predecessor and until the date 
                        on which the Secretary has appointed a 
                        successor.
    (f) Transfer of Functions.--
            (1) In general.--All functions of the United States 
        Manufacturing Council of the International Trade Administration 
        of the Department of Commerce, including the personnel, assets, 
        and obligations of the United States Manufacturing Council of 
        the International Trade Administration of the Department of 
        Commerce, as in existence on the day before the date of 
        enactment of this Act, shall be transferred to the Advisory 
        Council.
            (2) Deeming of name.--Any reference in any law, regulation, 
        document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
        United States Manufacturing Council of the International Trade 
        Administration of the Department of Commerce shall be deemed a 
        reference to the Advisory Council.
            (3) Unexpended balances.--Unexpended balances of 
        appropriations, authorization, allocations, or other funds 
        related to the United States Manufacturing Council of the 
        International Trade Administration of the Department of 
        Commerce shall be available for use by the Advisory Council for 
        the purpose for which the appropriations, authorizations, 
        allocations, or other funds were originally made available.
            (4) Existing advisory committee.--Any Federal advisory 
        committee of the Department of Commerce that is operating on 
        the day before the date of enactment of this Act under a 
        charter filed in accordance with section 1008(c) of title 5, 
        United States Code, for the purpose of addressing the purposes 
        and duties described in this section shall satisfy the 
        requirement under subsection (b) to establish the Advisory 
        Council if, not later than 90 days after that date of 
        enactment, the Federal advisory committee is modified, as 
        necessary, to comply with the requirements of this section.
    (g) National Strategic Plan.--Not later than 180 days after the 
date on which the Advisory Council holds the initial meeting of the 
Advisory Council, and annually thereafter, the Advisory Council shall 
submit to the Secretary and the appropriate committees of Congress--
            (1) a national strategic plan for manufacturing in the 
        United States that is based on the execution of the duties of 
        the Advisory Council under subsection (d); and
            (2) a detailed statement of the activities that the 
        Advisory Council conducted to carry out the duties of the 
        Advisory Council under subsection (d).
    (h) Departmental Support.--In accordance with prevailing laws and 
regulations, the Secretary, as the Secretary considers appropriate, 
shall furnish to the Advisory Council relevant information that--
            (1) is in the possession of the Department of Commerce; and
            (2) relates to the mission of the Advisory Council.
    (i) Inapplicability of Certain Provisions.--Chapter 10 of title 5, 
United States Code, shall not apply with respect to the Advisory 
Council or the activities of the Advisory Council.
    (j) Sunset.--The Advisory Council shall terminate on September 30 
of the fifth year after the year in which the Advisory Council holds 
the first meeting of the Advisory Council.
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