[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5024 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 5024

  To require the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot program on 
establishing a geospatial workforce development program, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 11, 2024

  Mr. Schmitt introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
              referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To require the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot program on 
establishing a geospatial workforce development program, 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 Geospatial Innovation Hub 
Advancement Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON ESTABLISHING A GEOSPATIAL WORKFORCE 
              DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

    (a) Pilot Program Required.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall carry out a 
        pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of 
        establishing a program to develop a skilled workforce in 
        geospatial technologies, methodologies, and capabilities to 
        support the defense intelligence requirements of the Department 
        of Defense.
            (2) Designation.--The pilot program carried out pursuant to 
        paragraph (1) shall be known as the ``Geospatial Workforce 
        Pilot Program'' (in this section the ``Pilot Program'').
    (b) Goals.--In carrying out the Pilot Program, the Secretary shall 
seek--
            (1) to assess the demand for geospatial technology skills 
        in both military and civilian sectors in proximity to 
        facilities of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in 
        the United States;
            (2) to expand, align, and accelerate the education, 
        training, and certification of a geospatial workforce;
            (3) to support a global research hub for geospatial science 
        and technology;
            (4) to foster partnerships with secondary and postsecondary 
        educational institutions, industry leaders, and local 
        governments to support the workforce development;
            (5) to increase employment opportunities and economic 
        growth in regions that are in proximity to National Geospatial-
        Intelligence Agency locations in the United States through 
        enhanced geospatial capabilities; and
            (6) to support Department of Defense operations and 
        infrastructure with a skilled geospatial workforce.
    (c) Location.--
            (1) In general.--In selecting a location for the pilot 
        program required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 
        prioritize a location--
                    (A) where the Secretary can partner with an 
                eligible institution of higher education that--
                            (i) conducts research;
                            (ii) is in close proximity to National 
                        Geospatial-Intelligence Agency facilities 
                        outside of the National Capital Region;
                            (iii) offers programs of education in 
                        geospatial or related matters; and
                            (iv) has a demonstrated ability build the 
                        professional workforce, by impacting 
                        kindergarten through college learning and 
                        beyond, as demonstrated by an educational 
                        partnership agreement and a collaborative 
                        research and development agreement with the 
                        National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency;
                    (B) that has a significant presence of Department 
                of Defense installations or related activities; and
                    (C) that demonstrates a strong potential to recruit 
                from a broad spectrum of academic candidates for growth 
                in geospatial technology sectors.
            (2) Eligible institutions of higher education.--For 
        purposes of the Pilot Program, an eligible institution of 
        higher education is an institution of higher education (as 
        defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001)) that--
                    (A) is an institution of higher education described 
                in paragraph (1)(A);
                    (B) has a demonstrated capacity for research and 
                development in geospatial technologies; and
                    (C) engages in partnerships with local schools and 
                community organizations to promote geospatial education 
                at all levels.
    (d) Implementation.--In carrying out the Pilot Program, the 
Secretary shall--
            (1) collaborate with local and regional educational 
        institutions, including public research institutions, to 
        develop curriculum and training modules tailored to geospatial 
        technology skills;
            (2) engage with industry partners to ensure the training 
        meets current and future workforce demands;
            (3) provide funding and resources for training facilities, 
        instructors, and materials; and
            (4) monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the training 
        programs and make necessary adjustments to improve outcomes.
    (e) Citizenship Requirement.--The Secretary shall ensure that 
participation in the Pilot Program is limited to citizens of the United 
States.
    (f) Termination.--The requirement to carry out a pilot program 
under subsection (a) shall terminate on September 30, 2030.
    (g) Reports.--
            (1) Initial report.--Not later than 90 days after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
        congressional defense committees a report on the establishment 
        of the Pilot Program.
            (2) Annual report.--(A) Not later than one year after the 
        date of the commencement of the Pilot Program, and not less 
        frequently than once each year thereafter through fiscal year 
        2030, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Armed 
        Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of 
        the House of Representatives an annual report on the Pilot 
        Program.
            (B) Each report submitted pursuant to subparagraph (A) 
        shall include, for the period covered by the report, the 
        following with respect to the goals of subsection (b):
                    (i) An assessment of the demand for geospatial 
                technology skills.
                    (ii) The progress in developing and implementing 
                the Pilot Program.
                    (iii) Employment outcomes and economic impact.
                    (iv) Recommendations for expanding or modifying the 
                Pilot Program.
    (h) Definition of Congressional Defense Committees.--In this 
section, the term ``congressional defense committees'' has the meaning 
given such term in section 101(a) of title 10, United States Code.
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