[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 167 (Tuesday, October 22, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5968-S5970]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Jones, Mrs. Feinstein, and Ms. 
        Cortez Masto):
  S. 2659. A bill to address the needs of workers in industries likely 
to be impacted by rapidly evolving technologies; to the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 2659

       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 ``Investing in Tomorrow's 
     Workforce Act of 2019''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) In 2014, the United States spent just 0.1 percent of 
     the Nation's Gross Domestic Product on labor market policies, 
     less than half of what the United States spent on labor 
     market policies 30 years ago.
       (2) The number of workers receiving federally supported 
     training has declined in the past 3 decades as advances in 
     technology have simultaneously shifted labor market demand 
     over time.
       (3) As much as 47 percent of all jobs in the United States 
     are at risk of being replaced by automation technology, and 
     job losses from automation are more likely to impact workers 
     making less than $40,000 annually.
       (4) Strong Federal investment in expanding training 
     services for workers whose jobs may be lost due to automation 
     could prepare the United States workforce to better adapt to 
     changes in the labor market and enter into skilled positions 
     in technologically-oriented occupations and industries.
       (5) A focus on preparing the workforce of the United States 
     for jobs that utilize advanced technologies could grow wages, 
     increase economic productivity, and boost the competitiveness 
     of the United States.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Automation.--The term ``automation'' means a device, 
     process, or system that functions without continuous input 
     from an operator, including--
       (A) advanced technologies, such as--
       (i) data collection, classification processing, and 
     analytics; and
       (ii) 3-D printing, digital design and simulation, and 
     digital manufacturing;
       (B) robotics, including collaborative robotics, and worker 
     augmentation technology;
       (C) autonomous vehicle technology; or
       (D) autonomous machinery technology.
       (2) Dislocated worker.--The term ``dislocated worker'' has 
     the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Workforce 
     Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
       (3) In-demand industry sector or occupation.--The term 
     ``in-demand industry sector or occupation'' has the meaning 
     given the term in section 3 of that Act.
       (4) Integrated education and training.--The term 
     ``integrated education and training'' has the meaning given 
     the term in section 203 of that Act (29 U.S.C. 3272).
       (5) Eligible partnership.--The term ``eligible 
     partnership'' means an industry or sector partnership, as 
     defined in section 3 of that Act, except that--
       (A) for purposes of applying paragraph (26)(A)(iii) of that 
     section, the term ``institution of higher education'' has the 
     meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher Education 
     Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001); and
       (B) the partnership shall include, in addition to the 
     representatives described in clauses (i) through (iii) of 
     paragraph (26)(A) of that section, representatives of--
       (i) a State workforce development board or a local 
     workforce development board; and

[[Page S5969]]

       (ii) an economic development organization.
       (6) Local and state workforce development boards.--The 
     terms ``local workforce development board'' and ``State 
     workforce development board'' have the meanings given the 
     terms ``local board'' and ``State board'', respectively, in 
     section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
     U.S.C. 3102).
       (7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Labor.
       (8) Training services.--The term ``training services'' 
     means training services described in section 134(c)(3)(D) of 
     that Act (29 U.S.C. 3174(c)(3)(D)).

     SEC. 4. GAO STUDY ON BARRIERS TO AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR 
                   RETRAINING WORKERS.

       (a) Study.--
       (1) In general.--The Comptroller General of the United 
     States, in coordination with the Secretary of Labor, shall 
     conduct a study of the barriers to providing, and 
     opportunities for improving, training for workers in 
     industries that have, or are likely to have, high rates of 
     job loss due to automation.
       (2) Contents.--In conducting the study, the Comptroller 
     General shall study--
       (A) considerations impacting, and strategies to improve 
     data collection with respect to, the workforce in industries 
     with high rates of job loss or a high likelihood of 
     automation in the United States, including considerations and 
     data collection strategies concerning--
       (i) industries and occupations most likely to be impacted 
     by automation, including--

       (I) the geographical location of those industries and 
     occupations;
       (II) the annual average wages of those occupations; and
       (III) demographic data on the race, gender, and age of 
     workers in those industries and occupations;

       (ii) employer-based training practices in those industries 
     and occupations;
       (iii) the frequency with which employers provide worker 
     training to address skills needs and react to changes in the 
     labor market;
       (iv) projected job losses; and
       (v) labor organization membership rates in those industries 
     and occupations;
       (B) considerations impacting, and strategies to improve 
     data collection with respect to, the workforce in in-demand 
     industry sectors and occupations in the United States, such 
     as advanced manufacturing, information technology, and health 
     care, including considerations and data collection strategies 
     concerning--
       (i) industry sectors and occupations that may emerge or 
     become in-demand industry sectors or occupations as a result 
     of automation, including--

       (I) the geographical location of those industry sectors and 
     occupations;
       (II) the average annual wages of those occupations; and
       (III) demographic data on the race, gender, and age of 
     workers in those occupations;

       (ii) the skills and education needed to fill the positions 
     in those industry sectors;
       (iii) employer-based training practices in those industry 
     sectors;
       (iv) projected job gains; and
       (v) labor organization membership rates in those industries 
     and occupations;
       (C) barriers to, and opportunities for, retraining workers 
     in industries that have a high likelihood of being impacted 
     by automation;
       (D) the impact of the geographical location of workers and 
     their access to transportation on the ability of the workers 
     to access job training and related higher-skilled positions;
       (E) the impact of workers' access to other benefits and 
     services, including child care, paid sick leave, paid family 
     and medical leave, or a retirement plan, on the ability of 
     the workers to access job training and related higher-skilled 
     positions; and
       (F) how reduced Federal funding for job training programs 
     has impacted the ability of State and local governments, 
     employers, labor organizations, and communities to respond to 
     changes in the labor market, including rapidly evolving 
     technologies.
       (b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 
     States shall prepare and submit to the Secretary of Labor and 
     the appropriate committees of Congress a report concerning 
     the results of the study.

     SEC. 5. GRANTS TO IMPROVE TRAINING FOR WORKERS IMPACTED BY 
                   AUTOMATION.

       (a) Grants Authorized.--
       (1) In general.--From the amounts appropriated under 
     subsection (g) and beginning not later than 1 year after 
     receiving the report by the Comptroller General of the United 
     States under section 4(b), the Secretary of Labor shall award 
     grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible partnerships to 
     support demonstration and pilot projects relating to the 
     training needs of workers who are, or are likely to become, 
     dislocated workers as a result of automation.
       (2) Duration.--A grant awarded under this section shall be 
     for a period not to exceed 4 years.
       (3) Use of report.--The Secretary shall use the report 
     prepared the Comptroller General under section 4(b) to inform 
     the grant program carried out under this section.
       (b) Applications.--
       (1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
     this section, an eligible partnership shall submit an 
     application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, 
     and containing such information as the Secretary shall 
     reasonably require.
       (2) Contents.--Each application submitted under paragraph 
     (1) shall include a description of the demonstration or pilot 
     project to be completed with the grant funds, which 
     description shall include--
       (A) a description of the members of the eligible 
     partnership who will be involved in the demonstration or 
     pilot program and the services each member will provide;
       (B) a description of the training services that will be 
     available to individuals participating in the demonstration 
     or pilot project, which may include--
       (i) a plan to train dislocated workers from industries 
     likely to be impacted by automation and transition the 
     workers into regionally in-demand industry sectors or 
     occupations; and
       (ii) a plan to partner with local businesses to retrain, 
     upskill, and re-deploy workers within an industry as an 
     alternative to layoffs;
       (C) a plan to provide workers with technology-based skills 
     training, which may include training to provide skills 
     related to coding, systems engineering, or information 
     technology security, in addition to other skills; and
       (D) a description of the goals that the eligible 
     partnership intends to achieve to upskill workers and prepare 
     them for in-demand industry sectors or occupations.
       (c) Priorities.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
     Secretary shall give priority to--
       (1) eligible partnerships that are located in an area with 
     a high concentration of--
       (A) industries with a higher likelihood of being impacted 
     by automation; or
       (B) industries included in in-demand industry sectors, as 
     determined under subparagraphs (A)(i) and (B) of section 
     3(23) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
     U.S.C. 3102(23));
       (2) eligible partnerships--
       (A) with a plan to provide incumbent worker training--
       (i) to assist workers in obtaining the skills necessary to 
     retain employment or avert layoffs; or
       (ii) that allows a worker working for an employer to 
     acquire new skills that allow the worker to obtain a higher-
     skilled or higher-paid position with such employer; and
       (B) that partner with local employers that intend to 
     backfill the pre-training positions of the incumbent workers 
     by hiring new workers to fill those positions;
       (3) eligible partnerships that will provide workers with a 
     transportation stipend, paid sick leave, paid family and 
     medical leave, access to child care services, or other 
     employment benefits; or
       (4) eligible partnerships with a plan to develop a shared 
     training curriculum that can be used across local and 
     regional networks of employers and training providers.
       (d) Use of Funds.--An eligible partnership that receives a 
     grant under this section shall use the grant funds for 1 or 
     more of the following:
       (1) Providing training services under the demonstration or 
     pilot project, which may include training services that 
     prepare workers for in-demand industry sectors or 
     occupations.
       (2) Providing assistance for employers in developing a 
     staff position for an individual who will be responsible for 
     supporting training services provided under the grant.
       (3) Purchasing equipment or technology necessary for 
     training services provided under paragraph (1).
       (4) Providing job search and other transitional assistance 
     to workers in industries with high rates of job loss.
       (5) Providing a training stipend to workers for training 
     services.
       (6) Providing integrated education and training.
       (e) Report.--Not later than 1 year after an eligible 
     partnership's completion of a demonstration or pilot project 
     supported under this section, the eligible partnership shall 
     prepare and submit to the Secretary a report regarding--
       (1) the number of workers who received training services 
     through the demonstration or pilot project, disaggregated by 
     type of training service and the age, gender, and race of the 
     workers;
       (2) the number of such workers who successfully 
     transitioned into a new position following completion of the 
     training services;
       (3) the number of individuals who successfully transitioned 
     into an in-demand industry sector or occupation following 
     completion of the training services;
       (4) annual earnings data for individuals who have completed 
     training services through the demonstration or pilot project;
       (5) the percentage of individuals described in paragraph 
     (4) who are in education or training activities, or in 
     employment, during the second quarter after exit from the 
     training services;
       (6) the percentage of individuals described in paragraph 
     (4) who are in education or training activities, or in 
     employment, during the fourth quarter after exit from the 
     training services; and
       (7) any practices used by the partnership that should be 
     considered best practices with respect to training workers in 
     industries that have, or are expected to have, high rates of 
     job loss as a result of automation.
       (f) General Requirements.--An eligible partnership that 
     receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds 
     in a manner

[[Page S5970]]

     that is consistent with the labor standards and protections 
     described in section 181 of the Workforce Innovation and 
     Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3241) and nondiscrimination 
     provisions described in section 188 of such Act (29 U.S.C. 
     3248).
       (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may 
     be necessary for the first 5 full fiscal years after the date 
     of submittal of the report under section 4(b).

     SEC. 6. EXPANSION OF WORKER TRAINING SERVICES.

       (a) Adult and Dislocated Worker Employment and Training.--
     Section 134(d)(1)(A) of the Workforce Innovation and 
     Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3174(d)(1)(A)) is amended--
       (1) in clause (xi), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (2) in clause (xii), by striking the period and inserting 
     ``; and''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(xiii) training programs for individuals who are, or are 
     likely to become, dislocated workers as a result of 
     automation, including activities that prepare the individuals 
     for occupations in the technology sector.''.
       (b) National Dislocated Worker Grants.--Section 170 of the 
     Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3225) is 
     amended--
       (1) in subsection (b)(1)(A), by inserting ``advances in 
     automation technology,'' before ``plant closures,''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to any 
     funds reserved under section 132(a)(2)(A) to carry out this 
     section, there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
     this section $40,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 
     through 2024.''.
                                 ______