[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4657 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4657

  To establish a grant program for education related to semiconductor 
                 manufacturing and related industries.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 10, 2024

  Mr. Kelly (for himself and Mr. Budd) introduced the following bill; 
    which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish a grant program for education related to semiconductor 
                 manufacturing and related industries.

    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 ``CHIPS Training in America Act of 
2024''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR THE CREATING HELPFUL INCENTIVES TO PRODUCE 
              SEMICONDUCTORS (CHIPS) FOR AMERICA WORKFORCE AND 
              EDUCATION FUND.

    Section 102(d) of Public Law 117-167 (commonly known as the ``CHIPS 
and Science Act of 2022'') is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) by inserting ``, in consultation with the 
                Department of Commerce,'' after ``National Science 
                Foundation''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``, including establishment and 
                maintenance of a single publicly accessible online 
                clearinghouse of microelectronics education and 
                workforce development information'' before the period 
                at the end of the paragraph;
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (6); and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
            ``(3) Evaluation.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        enactment of the CHIPS Training in America Act of 2024, the 
        Director of the National Science Foundation shall establish key 
        performance indicators to measure and monitor the impact of 
        Fund allocations on growing the microelectronics workforce.
            ``(4) Workforce goals.--
                    ``(A) Goals established.--Not later than 90 days 
                after the date of enactment of the CHIPS Training in 
                America Act of 2024, the Director of the National 
                Science Foundation and the Secretary of Commerce shall 
                jointly develop quantitative goals for growing the 
                domestic semiconductor workforce.
                    ``(B) Submission of goals.--Such goals shall be 
                submitted to--
                            ``(i) the Committee on Appropriations of 
                        the Senate, the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
                        and Transportation of the Senate, and the 
                        Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
                        Pensions of the Senate; and
                            ``(ii) the Committee on Appropriations of 
                        the House of Representatives, the Committee on 
                        Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
                        Representatives, and the Committee on Education 
                        and the Workforce of the House of 
                        Representatives.
            ``(5) National semiconductor technology center.--In this 
        subsection, the term `National Semiconductor Technology Center' 
        means the entity established under section 9906(c) of the 
        William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act 
        for Fiscal Year 2021 (15 U.S.C. 4656(c)).''.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY CENTER 
              ACTIVITIES.

    Section 9906(c)(2) of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (15 U.S.C. 4656(c)(2)) 
is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (C)--
                    (A) in clause (i), by striking ``and'' after the 
                semicolon;
                    (B) in clause (ii), by striking the period at the 
                end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(iii) the development of competency-based 
                        degree, credentialing, and certificate 
                        frameworks to increase standardization within 
                        semiconductor and microelectronics workforce 
                        development programs.''; and
            (2) by inserting the following after subparagraph (C):
                    ``(D)(i) Subject to clause (ii), in coordination 
                with the National Science Foundation, assist in the 
                management and maintenance of the single publicly 
                accessible online clearinghouse authorized in section 
                102(d) of Public Law 117-167.
                    ``(ii) If the National Science Foundation and the 
                National Semiconductor Technology Center agree, the 
                National Semiconductor Technology Center may take over 
                primary management and maintenance of such single 
                publicly accessible online clearinghouse, with support 
                from the National Science Foundation.''.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL STRATEGY ON MICROELECTRONICS WORKFORCE.

    Section 9906(a) of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (15 U.S.C. 4656(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) by redesignating subparagraph (I) as 
                subparagraph (J); and
                    (B) by inserting after subparagraph (H) the 
                following:
                    ``(I) For purposes of the duties described in 
                subparagraph (D) of paragraph (3) only, the Secretary 
                of Labor, the Secretary of Education, and the Secretary 
                of Veterans Affairs.''; and
            (2) in paragraph (3), by inserting after subparagraph (C) 
        the following:
                    ``(D) National strategy on microelectronics 
                workforce.--
                            ``(i) In general.--
                                    ``(I) National strategy on 
                                microelectronics workforce 
                                development.--Not later than 1 year 
                                after the date of enactment of the 
                                CHIPS Training in America Act of 2024, 
                                in consultation with appropriate 
                                stakeholders in the microelectronics 
                                industry, relevant researchers or 
                                experts at institutions of higher 
                                education, economic development 
                                organizations, and other apposite 
                                stakeholders, the Subcommittee shall 
                                develop a 5-year national strategy on 
                                microelectronics workforce development.
                                    ``(II) Additional subcommittee 
                                members.--For the purposes of this 
                                subparagraph only such Subcommittee 
                                shall also include the Secretary of 
                                Labor, the Secretary of Education, and 
                                the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
                            ``(ii) Elements.--The strategy developed 
                        under this subparagraph shall--
                                    ``(I) specify and prioritize annual 
                                and long-term objectives, including the 
                                role of each agency in supporting 
                                programs and activities designed to 
                                meet the objectives, to ensure a 
                                robust, skilled domestic 
                                microelectronics workforce;
                                    ``(II) specify the common metrics 
                                that will be used to assess progress 
                                toward achieving the objectives;
                                    ``(III) describe the roles of and 
                                means of coordination with elementary 
                                and secondary, and postsecondary, 
                                education systems in achieving the 
                                objectives;
                                    ``(IV) describe how Federal funding 
                                will be used to support the strategy's 
                                microelectronics workforce initiatives;
                                    ``(V) describe the approaches to be 
                                taken by each participating agency to 
                                assess the effectiveness of the 
                                agency's microelectronics workforce 
                                programs and activities;
                                    ``(VI) describe how objectives 
                                outlined in the strategic plan will 
                                align with investments made using funds 
                                from divisions A and B of Public Law 
                                117-167 (commonly known as the `CHIPS 
                                and Science Act of 2022');
                                    ``(VII) describe how objectives 
                                outlined in the strategic plan will 
                                align with the objectives of the 5-year 
                                STEM education strategic plan required 
                                under section 101 of the America 
                                COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 
                                (42 U.S.C. 6621);
                                    ``(VIII) describe how objectives 
                                outlined in the strategic plan will 
                                align with the objectives of the 
                                national strategy on microelectronics 
                                research, as required under 
                                subparagraph (A), as applicable; and
                                    ``(IX) be made publicly available 
                                through the online clearinghouse 
                                authorized in section 102(d) of Public 
                                Law 117-167.
                            ``(iii) Fostering coordination of workforce 
                        programs.--The Subcommittee shall coordinate 
                        programs and activities of Federal agencies 
                        relating to microelectronics workforce 
                        development, and ensure such programs and 
                        activities are consistent with the strategy 
                        required under this subparagraph.
                            ``(iv) Reporting and updates.--Not less 
                        frequently than once every 5 years, the 
                        Subcommittee shall--
                                    ``(I) update the strategy under 
                                this subparagraph;
                                    ``(II) submit the revised strategy 
                                to the appropriate committees of 
                                Congress; and
                                    ``(III) make such strategy publicly 
                                available through the online 
                                clearinghouse authorized in section 
                                102(d) of Public Law 117-167.''.

SEC. 5. GRANT PROGRAM FOR EDUCATION RELATED TO SEMICONDUCTOR 
              MANUFACTURING AND RELATED INDUSTRIES.

    Division H of title XCIX of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (15 U.S.C. 4651 
et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 9906 the following:

``SEC. 9906A. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Eligible institution.--The term `eligible 
        institution' means--
                    ``(A) an institution of higher education, as 
                defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 
                1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001), at which the highest degree 
                predominantly awarded to students is not a 
                baccalaureate degree or higher degree;
                    ``(B) a postsecondary vocational institution, as 
                defined in section 102(c) of the Higher Education Act 
                of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(c)); and
                    ``(C) an area career and technical education 
                school, as defined in subparagraphs (A) or (B) of 
                section 3(3) of the Carl D. Perkins Career and 
                Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302(3)).
            ``(2) Eligible partnership.--The term `eligible 
        partnership' means a partnership that--
                    ``(A) includes--
                            ``(i) an eligible institution;
                            ``(ii) a covered entity; and
                            ``(iii) a State, Indian Tribe, or political 
                        subdivision thereof; and
                    ``(B) may include other entities.
            ``(3) National semiconductor technology center.--The term 
        `National Semiconductor Technology Center' means the entity 
        established under section 9906(c).
    ``(b) Grants Authorized.--The National Semiconductor Technology 
Center shall make awards, on a competitive basis, to eligible 
partnerships to establish or expand workforce development and academic 
programs offered by an eligible institution (which may include short-
term programs or non-credit programs offered by that eligible 
institution), related to semiconductor manufacturing and related 
equipment, materials, advanced packaging, microelectronics, computer 
science, engineering, and related industries.
    ``(c) Application.--An eligible partnership desiring a grant under 
this section shall submit an application to the National Semiconductor 
Technology Center at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the National Semiconductor Technology Center may 
require. The application shall require--
            ``(1) a description of the eligible partnership;
            ``(2) a description of the workforce needs that will be 
        addressed through the activities funded by the grant;
            ``(3) a description of the eligible partnership's strategy 
        to sustain such activities after the grant period;
            ``(4) a description of how the eligible partnership will 
        recruit and retain individuals with barriers to employment (as 
        defined in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and 
        Opportunity Act definition (29 U.S.C. 3102)) in programs that 
        receive grant funding; and
            ``(5) a description of how programs supported by grants 
        under this subsection align with the workforce pathways and 
        credential frameworks established by the National Semiconductor 
        Technology Center or the National Science Foundation.
    ``(d) Selection.--In selecting eligible partnerships to receive a 
grant under this section, the National Semiconductor Technology Center 
shall give priority to eligible partnerships located in areas with 
growing microelectronics ecosystems, as determined by the National 
Semiconductor Technology Center, that serve or intend to serve as 
members of broader sectoral partnerships and coordinate with State and 
local workforce development boards (as established under sections 101 
and 107 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 
3111; 29 U.S.C. 3122)), respectively.
    ``(e) Amount; Duration.--
            ``(1) Amount.--A grant awarded under this section shall be 
        for an amount equal to or less than $7,000,000.
            ``(2) Duration.--A grant awarded under this section shall 
        be for a period not to exceed 5 years.
    ``(f) Federal Cost Share.--
            ``(1) Maximum federal share.--The Federal share of the 
        costs of a grant under this section shall not exceed 50 percent 
        of such costs.
            ``(2) Required worker and community investments.--Non-
        Federal costs contributed by a covered entity under this 
        section shall be considered as part of an eligible entity's 
        commitments to worker and community investments as required 
        under section 9902(a)(2)(B)(ii)(II).
    ``(g) Report.--
            ``(1) Report to the national semiconductor technology 
        center.--Each eligible partnership receiving a grant under this 
        section shall prepare and submit an annual report to the 
        National Semiconductor Technology Center that contains 
        information about each of the following with respect to 
        individuals participating in a program funded by a grant under 
        this section:
                    ``(A) The total number of participants, 
                disaggregated by sex, race, and ethnicity.
                    ``(B) The total number of participants who 
                completed the program.
                    ``(C) The indicators required by section 
                116(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Workforce Innovation and 
                Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3141(b)(2)(A)(i)).
            ``(2) Report to congress.--Not later than 180 days of 
        receiving the annual report under paragraph (1), the National 
        Semiconductor Technology Center shall--
                    ``(A) prepare and submit a report containing a 
                summary of the information described in paragraph (1) 
                to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                Transportation and the Committee on Health, Education, 
                Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on 
                Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee on 
                Education and the Workforce of the House of 
                Representatives; and
                    ``(B) make such report publicly available.
    ``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to 
carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025, 2026, 
and 2027.''.

SEC. 6. PROHIBITION ON ADDITIONAL MICROELECTRONICS EDUCATION AND 
              WORKFORCE CLEARINGHOUSE.

    A Federal agency shall not establish a microelectronics education 
and workforce clearinghouse that is duplicative or alternative to the 
online clearinghouse authorized in section 102(d) of Public Law 117-167 
(commonly known as the ``CHIPS and Science Act of 2022'').
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