[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 88 (Thursday, May 20, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3268-S3269]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1851. Mr. THUNE (for himself, Mr. Tester, Mr. Moran, and Mr. 
Peters) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 
1502 proposed by Mr. Schumer to the bill S. 1260, to establish a new 
Directorate for Technology and Innovation in the National Science 
Foundation, to establish a regional technology hub program, to require 
a strategy and report on economic security, science, research, 
innovation, manufacturing, and job creation, to establish a critical 
supply chain resiliency program, and for other purposes; which was 
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

        At the end of division F, add the following:

            TITLE IV--TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY WORKFORCE

     SEC. 6401. SHORT TITLE.

       This title may be cited as the ``Telecommunications Skilled 
     Workforce Act''.

     SEC. 6402. TELECOMMUNICATIONS INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP.

       (a) In General.--Part I of title III of the Communications 
     Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 301 et seq.) is amended by adding at 
     the end the following:

     ``SEC. 344. TELECOMMUNICATIONS INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP.

       ``(a) Definition.--In this section, the term 
     `telecommunications interagency working group' means the 
     interagency working group established under subsection 
     (b)(1).
       ``(b) Establishment.--
       ``(1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
     enactment of this section, the Chairman of the Commission, in 
     partnership with the Secretary of Labor, shall establish 
     within the Commission an interagency working group to develop 
     recommendations to address the workforce needs of the 
     telecommunications industry, including the safety of that 
     workforce.
       ``(2) Date of establishment.--The telecommunications 
     interagency working group shall be considered established on 
     the date on which a majority of the members of the working 
     group have been appointed, consistent with subsection (d).
       ``(c) Duties.--In developing recommendations under 
     subsection (b), the telecommunications interagency working 
     group shall--
       ``(1) determine whether, and if so how, any Federal laws, 
     regulations, guidance, policies, or practices, or any 
     budgetary constraints, may be amended to strengthen the 
     ability of institutions of higher education (as defined in 
     section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
     1001)) or for-profit businesses to establish, adopt, or 
     expand programs intended to address the workforce needs of 
     the telecommunications industry, including the workforce 
     needed to build and maintain the 5G wireless infrastructure 
     necessary to support 5G wireless technology;
       ``(2) identify potential policies and programs that could 
     encourage and improve coordination among Federal agencies, 
     between Federal agencies and States, and among States, on 
     telecommunications workforce needs;
       ``(3) identify ways in which existing Federal programs, 
     including programs that help facilitate the employment of 
     veterans and military personnel transitioning into civilian 
     life, could be leveraged to help address the workforce needs 
     of the telecommunications industry;
       ``(4) identify ways to improve recruitment in workforce 
     development programs in the telecommunications industry;
       ``(5) identify Federal incentives that could be provided to 
     institutions of higher education, for-profit businesses, 
     State workforce development boards established under section 
     101 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
     U.S.C. 3111), or other relevant stakeholders to establish or 
     adopt new

[[Page S3269]]

     programs, expand current programs, or partner with registered 
     apprenticeship programs, to address the workforce needs of 
     the telecommunications industry, including such needs in 
     rural areas; and
       ``(6) identify ways to improve the safety of 
     telecommunications workers, including tower climbers.
       ``(d) Members.--The telecommunications interagency working 
     group shall be composed of the following representatives of 
     Federal agencies and relevant non-Federal industry and labor 
     stakeholder organizations:
       ``(1) A representative of the Department of Education, 
     appointed by the Secretary of Education.
       ``(2) A representative of the National Telecommunications 
     and Information Administration, appointed by the Assistant 
     Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information.
       ``(3) A representative of the Commission, appointed by the 
     Chairman of the Commission.
       ``(4) A representative of a registered apprenticeship 
     program in construction or maintenance, appointed by the 
     Secretary of Labor.
       ``(5) A representative of a telecommunications industry 
     association, appointed by the Chairman of the Commission.
       ``(6) A representative of an Indian Tribe or Tribal 
     organization, appointed by the Chairman of the Commission.
       ``(7) A representative of a rural telecommunications 
     carrier, appointed by the Chairman of the Commission.
       ``(8) A representative of a telecommunications contractor 
     firm, appointed by the Chairman of the Commission.
       ``(9) A representative of a minority-serving institution 
     (defined as an institution of higher education described in 
     section 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
     1067q(a))), appointed by the Secretary of Education.
       ``(10) A public interest advocate for tower climber safety, 
     appointed by the Secretary of Labor.
       ``(11) A representative of the Directorate of Construction 
     of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 
     appointed by the Secretary of Labor.
       ``(12) A representative of a labor organization 
     representing the telecommunications workforce, appointed by 
     the Secretary of Labor.
       ``(e) No Compensation.--A member of the telecommunications 
     interagency working group shall serve without compensation.
       ``(f) Other Matters.--
       ``(1) Chair and vice chair.--The telecommunications 
     interagency working group shall name a chair and a vice 
     chair, who shall be responsible for organizing the business 
     of the working group.
       ``(2) Subgroups.--The chair and vice chair of the 
     telecommunications interagency working group, in consultation 
     with the other members of the telecommunications interagency 
     working group, may establish such subgroups as necessary to 
     help conduct the work of the telecommunications interagency 
     working group.
       ``(3) Support.--The Commission and the Secretary of Labor 
     may detail employees of the Commission and the Department of 
     Labor, respectively, to assist and support the work of the 
     telecommunications interagency working group, though such a 
     detailee shall not be considered to be a member of the 
     working group.
       ``(g) Report to Congress.--
       ``(1) Report to congress.--Not later than 1 year after the 
     date on which the telecommunications interagency working 
     group is established, the working group shall submit a report 
     containing its recommendations to address the workforce needs 
     of the telecommunications industry to--
       ``(A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation of the Senate;
       ``(B) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
     Pensions of the Senate;
       ``(C) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
     Representatives;
       ``(D) the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of 
     Representatives;
       ``(E) the Department of Labor; and
       ``(F) the Commission.
       ``(2) Majority support.--The telecommunications interagency 
     working group may not submit the report under paragraph (1) 
     unless the report has the support of not less than the 
     majority of the members of the working group.
       ``(3) Views.--The telecommunications interagency working 
     group shall--
       ``(A) include with the report submitted under paragraph (1) 
     any concurring or dissenting view offered by a member of the 
     working group; and
       ``(B) identify each member to whom each concurring or 
     dissenting view described in subparagraph (A) should be 
     attributed.
       ``(4) Public posting.--The Commission and the Secretary of 
     Labor shall make a copy of the report submitted under 
     paragraph (1) available to the public on the websites of the 
     Commission and the Department of Labor, respectively.
       ``(h) Nonapplicability of FACA.--The Federal Advisory 
     Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the 
     telecommunications interagency working group.''.
       (b) Sunset.--Section 344 of the Communications Act of 1934, 
     as added by subsection (a), shall be repealed on the day 
     after the date on which the interagency working group 
     established under subsection (b)(1) of that section submits 
     the report to Congress under subsection (g) of that section.

     SEC. 6403. TELECOMMUNICATIONS WORKFORCE GUIDANCE.

        Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Secretary of Labor, in partnership with the Chairman 
     of the Federal Communications Commission, shall establish and 
     issue guidance on how States can address the workforce needs 
     and safety of the telecommunications industry, including 
     guidance on how a State workforce development board 
     established under section 101 of the Workforce Innovation and 
     Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3111) can--
       (1) utilize Federal resources available to States to meet 
     the workforce needs of the telecommunications industry;
       (2) promote and improve recruitment in workforce 
     development programs in the telecommunications industry; and
       (3) ensure the safety of the telecommunications workforce, 
     including tower climbers.

     SEC. 6404. GAO ASSESSMENT OF WORKFORCE NEEDS OF THE 
                   TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section, the term ``appropriate 
     congressional committees'' means--
       (1) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 
     of the Senate;
       (2) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 
     of the Senate;
       (3) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
     Representatives; and
       (4) the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of 
     Representatives.
       (b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 
     States shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
     committees a report that estimates the number of skilled 
     telecommunications workers that will be required to build and 
     maintain--
       (1) broadband infrastructure in rural areas, including 
     estimates based on--
       (A) current need; and
       (B) projected need, if Congress enacts legislation that 
     accelerates broadband infrastructure construction in the 
     United States; and
       (2) the wireless infrastructure needed to support 5G 
     wireless technology.
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