[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 200 (Wednesday, December 19, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7947-S7949]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      INNOVATIONS IN MENTORING, TRAINING, AND APPRENTICESHIPS ACT

  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be discharged from 
the further consideration of H.R. 5509 and the Senate proceed to its 
immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 5509) to direct the National Science 
     Foundation to provide grants for research about STEM 
     education approaches and the STEM-related workforce, and for 
     other purposes.

  There being no objection, the committee was discharged, and the 
Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Thune 
substitute amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to and the 
bill, as amended, be considered read a third time.


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  On page S7947, December 19, 2018, in the third column, the 
following appears: Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I ask unanimous 
consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation be discharged from the further consideration of 
H.R. 5509 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. 
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title. 
The legislative clerk read as follows: A bill (H.R. 5509) to 
direct the National Science Foundation to provide grants for 
research about STEM education approaches and the STEM-related 
workforce, and for other purposes. There being no objection, the 
committee was discharged, and the Senate proceeded to consider the 
bill. Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I ask . . .
  
  The online Record has been corrected to read: Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. 
President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation be discharged from the further 
consideration of H.R. 5509 and the Senate proceed to its 
immediateconsideration. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will 
report the bill by title. The legislative clerk read as follows: A 
bill (H.R. 5509) to direct the National Science Foundation to 
provide grants for research about STEM education approaches and 
the STEM-related workforce, and for other purposes. There being no 
objection, the committee was discharged, and the Senate proceeded 
to consider the bill. Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I ask . . .


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 4172) in the nature of a substitute was agreed to, 
as follows:

                (Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)

       Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Innovations in Mentoring, 
     Training, and Apprenticeships Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) To remain competitive in the global economy, foster 
     greater innovation, and provide a foundation for shared 
     prosperity, the United States needs a workforce with the 
     right mix of skills to meet the diverse needs of the economy.
       (2) Evidence indicates that the returns on investments in 
     technical skills in the labor market are strong when students 
     successfully complete their education and gain credentials 
     sought by employers.

[[Page S7948]]

       (3) The responsibility for developing and sustaining a 
     skilled technical workforce is fragmented across many groups, 
     including educators, students, workers, employers, Federal, 
     State, and local governments, civic associations, and other 
     stakeholders. Such groups need to be able to coordinate and 
     cooperate successfully with each other.
       (4) Coordination among students, community colleges, 
     secondary and post-secondary institutions, and employers 
     would improve educational outcomes.
       (5) Promising experiments currently underway may guide 
     innovation and reform, but scalability of some of those 
     experiments has not yet been tested.
       (6) Evidence suggests that integration of academic 
     education, technical skills development, and hands-on work 
     experience improves outcomes and return on investment for 
     students in secondary and post-secondary education and for 
     skilled technical workers in different career stages.
       (7) Outcomes show that mentoring can increase STEM student 
     engagement and the rate of completion of STEM post-secondary 
     degrees.

     SEC. 3. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION STEM INNOVATION AND 
                   APPRENTICESHIP GRANTS.

       Section 3 of the Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 
     1992 (42 U.S.C. 1862i) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsections (d) through (g) as 
     subsections (g) through (j), respectively;
       (2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:
       ``(d) Grants for Associate Degree Programs in STEM 
     Fields.--
       ``(1) In-demand workforce grants.--The Director shall award 
     grants to junior or community colleges to develop or improve 
     associate degree or certificate programs in STEM fields, with 
     respect to the region in which the respective college is 
     located, and an in-demand industry sector or occupation.
       ``(2) Applications.--In considering applications for grants 
     under paragraph (1), the Director shall prioritize--
       ``(A) applications that consist of a partnership between 
     the applying junior or community college and individual 
     employers or an employer consortia, or industry or sector 
     partnerships, and may include a university or other 
     organization with demonstrated expertise in academic program 
     development;
       ``(B) applications that demonstrate current and future 
     workforce demand in occupations directly related to the 
     proposed associate degree or certificate program;
       ``(C) applications that include commitments by the 
     partnering employers or employer consortia, or industry or 
     sector partnerships, to offer apprenticeships, internships, 
     or other applied learning opportunities to students enrolled 
     in the proposed associate degree or certificate program;
       ``(D) applications that include outreach plans and goals 
     for recruiting and enrolling women and other underrepresented 
     populations in STEM fields in the proposed associate degree 
     or certificate program; and
       ``(E) applications that describe how the applying junior or 
     community college will support the collection of information 
     and data for purposes of evaluation of the proposed associate 
     degree or certificate program.
       ``(e) Grants for STEM Degree Applied Learning 
     Opportunities.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Director shall award grants to 
     institutions of higher education partnering with private 
     sector employers or private sector employer consortia, or 
     industry or sector partnerships, that commit to offering 
     apprenticeships, internships, research opportunities, or 
     applied learning experiences to enrolled students in 
     identified STEM baccalaureate degree programs.
       ``(2) Purposes.--Awards under this subsection may be used--
       ``(A) to develop curricula and programs for apprenticeship, 
     internships, research opportunities, or applied learning 
     experiences; or
       ``(B) to provide matching funds to incentivize partnership 
     and participation by private sector employers and industry.
       ``(3) Applications.--In considering applications for grants 
     under paragraph (1), the Director shall prioritize--
       ``(A) applicants that consist of a partnership between--
       ``(i) the applying institution of higher education; and
       ``(ii) individual employers or an employer consortia, or 
     industry or sector partnerships;
       ``(B) applications that demonstrate current and future 
     workforce demand in occupations directly related to the 
     identified STEM fields;
       ``(C) applications that include outreach plans and goals 
     for recruiting and enrolling women and other underrepresented 
     populations in STEM fields; and
       ``(D) applications that describe how the institution of 
     higher education will support the collection and information 
     of data for purposes of the evaluation of identified STEM 
     degree programs.
       ``(f) Grants for Computer-based and Online STEM Education 
     Courses.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Director of the National Science 
     Foundation shall award competitive grants to institutions of 
     higher education or nonprofit organizations to conduct 
     research on student outcomes and determine best practices for 
     STEM education and technical skills education through 
     distance learning or in a simulated work environment.
       ``(2) Research areas.--The research areas eligible for 
     funding under this subsection may include--
       ``(A) post-secondary courses for technical skills 
     development for STEM occupations;
       ``(B) improving high-school level career and technical 
     education in STEM subjects;
       ``(C) encouraging and sustaining interest and achievement 
     levels in STEM subjects among women and other populations 
     historically underrepresented in STEM studies and careers; 
     and
       ``(D) combining computer-based and online STEM education 
     and skills development with traditional mentoring and other 
     mentoring arrangements, apprenticeships, internships, and 
     other applied learning opportunities.'';
       (3) in subsection (a)(3)(A), by striking the comma and 
     inserting a semicolon;
       (4) in subsection (c)(1)(B)(iv), by striking ``subsection 
     (f)(3)'' and inserting ``subsection (i)(3)'';
       (5) in subsection (h), as redesignated--
       (A) in the heading, by striking ``Limitation on Funding'' 
     and inserting ``Funding'';
       (B) by inserting ``(3) Limitation on funding.--'' before 
     ``To qualify'' and indenting appropriately; and
       (C) by inserting before paragraph (3), as redesignated, the 
     following:
       ``(1) Funding.--The Director shall allocate out of amounts 
     made available for the Education and Human Resources 
     Directorate--
       ``(A) up to $5,000,000 to carry out the activities under 
     subsection (d) for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2022, 
     subject to the availability of appropriations;
       ``(B) up to $2,500,000 to carry out the activities under 
     subsection (e) for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2022, 
     subject to the availability of appropriations; and
       ``(C) up to $2,500,000 to carry out the activities under 
     subsection (f) for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2022, 
     subject to the availability of appropriations.
       ``(2) Limitation on funding.--Amounts made available to 
     carry out subsections (d), (e), and (f) shall be derived from 
     amounts appropriated or otherwise made available to the 
     National Science Foundation.''; and
       (6) in subsection (j), as redesignated--
       (A) in paragraph (4), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a 
     semicolon;
       (B) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (7); and
       (C) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following:
       ``(5) the term `in-demand industry sector or occupation' 
     has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Workforce 
     Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102);
       ``(6) the term `junior or community college' has the 
     meaning given the term in section 312 of the Higher Education 
     Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1058);''; and
       (D) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(8) the term `region' means a labor market area, as that 
     term is defined in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and 
     Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102); and
       ``(9) the terms `mathematics, science, engineering, or 
     technology' or `STEM' mean science, technology, engineering, 
     and mathematics, including computer science.''.

     SEC. 4. RESEARCH ON EFFICIENCY OF SKILLED TECHNICAL LABOR 
                   MARKETS.

       (a) Efficiency of Skilled Technical Labor Markets.--The 
     Director of the National Science Foundation, working through 
     the Directorate of Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences, in 
     coordination with the Secretary of Labor, shall support 
     research on labor market analysis innovations, data and 
     information sciences, electronic information tools and 
     methodologies, and metrics.
       (b) Skilled Technical Workforce.--
       (1) Review.--The National Center for Science and 
     Engineering Statistics of the National Science Foundation 
     shall consult and coordinate with other relevant Federal 
     statistical agencies, including the Institute of Education 
     Sciences of the Department of Education, and the Committee on 
     Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education 
     of the National Science and Technology Council established 
     under section 101 of the America COMPETES Act of 2010 (Public 
     Law 111-358), to explore the feasibility of expanding its 
     surveys to include the collection of objective data on the 
     skilled technical workforce.
       (2) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Science 
     Foundation shall submit to Congress a report on the progress 
     made in expanding the National Center for Science and 
     Engineering Statistics surveys to include the skilled 
     technical workforce, including a plan for multi-agency 
     collaboration to improve data collection and reporting of 
     data on the skilled technical workforce.
       (3) Definition of skilled technical workforce.--The term `` 
     `skilled technical workforce' '' means workers with high 
     school diplomas and two-year technical training or 
     certifications who employ significant levels of STEM 
     knowledge in their jobs.

     SEC. 5. EVALUATION AND REPORT.

       (a) Evaluation.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Science 
     Foundation shall evaluate the grant programs established 
     under subsections (d), (e), and (f) of section 3 of the 
     Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 
     1862i), as amended by this Act.
       (2) Requirements.--In conducting the evaluation under 
     paragraph (1), the Director shall--

[[Page S7949]]

       (A) use a common set of benchmarks and assessment tools to 
     identify best practices and materials developed or 
     demonstrated by the research conducted pursuant to such 
     grants and programs under subsection (f) of that section;
       (B) include an assessment of the effectiveness of the grant 
     programs in expanding apprenticeships, internships, and other 
     applied learning opportunities offered by employers in 
     conjunction with junior or community colleges, or 
     institutions of higher education, as applicable;
       (C) assess the number of students who participated in the 
     grant programs; and
       (D) assess the percentage of students participating in the 
     grant programs who successfully complete their education 
     programs.
       (b) Report on Evaluations.--Not later than 180 days after 
     the date the evaluation under subsection (a) is complete, the 
     Director of the National Science Foundation shall submit to 
     Congress and the Secretary of Education, and make widely 
     available to the public, a report on the results of the 
     evaluation, including any recommendations for legislative 
     action that could optimize the effectiveness of the grant 
     programs.
  The amendment was ordered to be engrossed and the bill to be read a 
third time.
  The bill was read the third time.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I know of no other further debate on the 
bill.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate on the bill?
  Hearing none, the bill having been read the third time, the question 
is, Shall the bill pass?
  The bill (H.R. 5509), as amended, was passed.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the motion 
to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________