[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 63 (Tuesday, April 13, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1896-S1898]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. KAINE (for himself and Mr. Portman):
  S. 1078. A bill to require the Secretary of Labor to award grants for 
promoting industry or sector partnerships to encourage industry growth 
and competitiveness and to improve worker training, retention, and 
advancement as part of an infrastructure investment; to the Committee 
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, The U.S. Infrastructure system is in 
critical need of an upgrade. In February 2021, the American Society of 
Civil Engineers (ASCE) graded 11 of 17 infrastructure categories a D+ 
or worse. Systems across the Nation are in dire need of repair, 
including our bridges, public transit, roads, and schools.
  A recent study by the Center of Education and the Workforce at 
Georgetown University estimated that a $1.5 trillion infrastructure 
investment would create 15 million new jobs. Nearly half of these would 
require training past the high school level. Even without a significant 
investment, though, infrastructure industries are already struggling to 
meet workforce demands. Though the need to invest in infrastructure 
goes back decades, there's renewed momentum today, especially as more 
than 10 million people remain unemployed across the country as a result 
of COVID-19, exacerbating the already historic inequities that have 
limited women and people of color from accessing these jobs. 
Investments in infrastructure skills training must serve people of 
color, women, and other communities who have historically been excluded 
from good careers in infrastructure.
  Industry and sector partnerships are a proven strategy for helping 
workers prepare for jobs that lead to strong career pathways and 
helping businesses find skilled workers. Congress requires states and 
local areas to support the development of these partnerships under the 
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), but no dedicated 
funding has been provided for these activities.

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  For workers, especially those underrepresented in infrastructure 
industries, support services like career counseling, child care, and 
transportation can often be the key to succeed in work-based learning 
programs. Providing these services may be outside the capacity of a 
business. Industry partnerships bring business together with community 
and human service organizations that can make these connections for 
workers and drastically improve their ability to succeed in training 
and meet business demand for skilled workers.
  This is why I am pleased to introduce with my colleague, Senator 
Portman, the Building U.S. Infrastructure by Leveraging Demands for 
Skills Act, or BUILDS Act. The BUILDS Act creates a grant program that 
would support industry and sector partnerships working with local 
businesses, industry associations and organizations, labor 
organizations, state and local workforce boards, economic development 
agencies and other partners engaged in their communities to encourage 
industry growth, competitiveness and collaboration to improve worker 
training, retention and advancement in targeted infrastructure 
clusters. Additionally, businesses and education providers would be 
connected to develop classroom curriculum to complement on-the-job 
learning and workers would receive support services such as mentoring 
and career counseling to ensure that they are successful from the pre-
employment to placement in a full-time position.
  As we prepare to tackle critical infrastructure needs nationwide, 
it's vital we also support a skilled workforce that can take on this 
task. This bill will help foster strong industry partnerships and 
career pathways in infrastructure fields to ensure we can train and 
upskill workers for millions of good-paying jobs and also strengthen 
our economy as we begin to recover from COVID-19. I hope that my 
colleagues on both sides of the aisle consider the BUILDS Act as a 
necessary component to any investment in our nation's infrastructure.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. McCONNELL:
  S. 1091. A bill to designate certain future interstates and high 
priority corridors in Kentucky, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  Mr. McCONNELL. 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. 1091

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. LOUIE B. NUNN CUMBERLAND EXPRESSWAY.

       (a) Designation as High Priority Corridor.--Section 1105(c) 
     of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 
     1991 (Public Law 102-240; 105 Stat. 2032; 133 Stat. 3018) is 
     amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(92) The Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Expressway from the 
     interchange with Interstate 65 in Barren County, Kentucky, 
     east to the interchange with U.S. Highway 27 in Somerset, 
     Kentucky.''.
       (b) Designation as Future Interstate.--Section 
     1105(e)(5)(A) of the Intermodal Surface Transportation 
     Efficiency Act of 1991 (Public Law 102-240; 109 Stat. 597; 
     133 Stat. 3018) is amended in the first sentence by striking 
     ``and subsection (c)(91)'' and inserting ``subsection 
     (c)(91), and subsection (c)(92)''.
       (c) Numbering of Parkway.--Section 1105(e)(5)(C)(i) of the 
     Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 
     (Public Law 102-240; 109 Stat. 598; 133 Stat. 3018) is 
     amended by adding at the end the following: ``The route 
     referred to in subsection (c)(92) is designated as Interstate 
     Route I-365.''.
       (d) Operation of Vehicles.--Section 127(l)(3)(A) of title 
     23, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) in the matter preceding clause (i), in the first 
     sentence, by striking ``clauses (i) through (iv) of this 
     subparagraph'' and inserting ``clauses (i) through (v)''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(v) The Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Expressway (to be 
     designated as a spur of Interstate Route 65) from the 
     interchange with Interstate 65 in Barren County, Kentucky, 
     east to the interchange with U.S. Highway 27 in Somerset, 
     Kentucky.''.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Sanders, Mr. 
        Menendez, Mr. Markey, Mrs. Murray, and Ms. Klobuchar):
  S. 1102. A bill to direct the Federal Communications Commission to 
establish a program to make grants to States to inform Medicaid 
enrollees, SNAP participants, and low-income residents of potential 
eligibility for the Lifeline program of the Commission; to the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  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. 1102

       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 ``Promoting Access to 
     Broadband Act of 2021''.

     SEC. 2. LIFELINE ENROLLMENT OUTREACH GRANTS.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
     Communications Commission.
       (2) Covered individuals.--The term ``covered individuals'' 
     means--
       (A) Medicaid enrollees;
       (B) SNAP participants; and
       (C) low-income residents.
       (3) Eligible-but-not-enrolled.--The term ``eligible-but-
     not-enrolled'' means, with respect to an individual, that the 
     individual is eligible for the Lifeline program but is not 
     enrolled in the Lifeline program.
       (4) Lifeline program.--The term ``Lifeline program'' means 
     the Lifeline program of the Commission.
       (5) Low-income.--The term ``low-income'' means a gross 
     annual income at or below 135 percent of the Federal poverty 
     level.
       (6) Medicaid enrollee.--The term ``Medicaid enrollee'' 
     means, with respect to a State, an individual enrolled in the 
     State plan under title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 
     U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) or a waiver of that plan.
       (7) Reach.--The term ``reach'' means, with respect to an 
     individual, to inform the individual of potential eligibility 
     for the Lifeline program and to provide the individual with 
     information about the Lifeline program, as described in 
     subsection (e).
       (8) SNAP participant.--The term ``SNAP participant'' means 
     an individual who is a member of a household that 
     participates in the supplemental nutrition assistance program 
     under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et 
     seq.).
       (9) State.--The term ``State'' means each State of the 
     United States, the District of Columbia, each commonwealth, 
     territory, or possession of the United States, and each 
     federally recognized Indian Tribe.
       (b) Establishment.--The Commission shall establish a 
     competitive program to make grants to States to inform 
     covered individuals of potential eligibility for the Lifeline 
     program.
       (c) Application.--
       (1) In general.--The Commission may only award a grant 
     under this section to a State that submits an application at 
     such time, in such form, and with such information and 
     assurances as the Commission may require.
       (2) Matters required to be included.--An application 
     submitted by a State under paragraph (1) shall include--
       (A) the number of covered individuals in the State;
       (B) a plan for the activities that the State will conduct 
     using grant funds, including a list of each agency within the 
     State that will assist in carrying out those activities; and
       (C) an estimate of the percentage of eligible-but-not-
     enrolled individuals in the State who will be reached by 
     those activities.
       (d) Selection.--
       (1) Minimum of 5 states.--The Commission shall award grants 
     under this section to not fewer than 5 States.
       (2) Factors for consideration.--In awarding grants under 
     this section, the Commission shall give favorable 
     consideration--
       (A) to States that have higher numbers of covered 
     individuals; and
       (B) to States proposing, in the plans submitted under 
     subsection (c)(2)(B), to conduct activities that have the 
     potential to reach higher percentages of eligible-but-not-
     enrolled individuals in those States, as determined by the 
     Commission, taking into consideration the estimates submitted 
     under subsection (c)(2)(C).
       (3) Geographic diversity.--In awarding grants under this 
     section, the Commission shall, to the maximum extent 
     practicable, select States from different geographic regions 
     of the United States.
       (e) Use of Funds.--
       (1) In general.--A State that receives a grant under this 
     section shall use grant funds, in accordance with the plan 
     included in the application of the State under subsection 
     (c)(2)(B), to--
       (A) inform covered individuals and organizations or 
     agencies that serve those individuals, as the case may be 
     under the terms of the grant awarded to the State, of 
     potential eligibility for the Lifeline program;
       (B) provide those covered individuals with information 
     about the Lifeline program, including--
       (i) how to apply for the Lifeline program; and
       (ii) a description of the prohibition on more than 1 
     subscriber in each household receiving a service provided 
     under the Lifeline program; and

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       (C) partner with nonprofit and community-based 
     organizations to provide those covered individuals with 
     assistance applying for the Lifeline program and information 
     about product and technology choices.
       (2) Multiple state agencies.--A State that receives a grant 
     under this section may provide grant funds to 1 or more 
     agencies located within the State to carry out the activities 
     under the grant.
       (f) Outreach to States Regarding Grant Program.--Before 
     accepting applications for the grant program established 
     under this section, the Commission shall conduct outreach to 
     States to ensure that States are aware of the grant program 
     and how to apply for a grant under the grant program.
       (g) Report to Congress.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 3 years after establishing 
     the grant program under this section, the Commission shall 
     submit to Congress a report evaluating the effectiveness of 
     the grant program.
       (2) Contents.--The report submitted under paragraph (1) 
     shall include--
       (A) the number of individuals notified of Lifeline program 
     eligibility by States receiving grants under this section;
       (B) the number of new applicants to the Lifeline program 
     from States receiving grants under this section, including 
     the number of those applicants whose Lifeline program 
     applications were approved and the number of those applicants 
     whose Lifeline program applications were denied; and
       (C) the cost-effectiveness of the grant program established 
     under this section.
       (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Commission such sums as may be 
     necessary to carry out this section for the first 5 full 
     fiscal years beginning after the establishment of the grant 
     program under this section.

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