[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 138 (Tuesday, August 3, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5760-S5761]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2394. Ms. CORTEZ MASTO submitted an amendment intended to be 
proposed to amendment SA 2137 proposed by Mr. Schumer (for Ms. Sinema 
(for herself, Mr. Portman, Mr. Manchin, Mr. Cassidy, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. 
Collins, Mr. Tester, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Warner, and Mr. Romney)) to the 
bill H.R. 3684, to authorize funds for Federal-aid highways, highway 
safety programs, and transit programs, and for other purposes; which 
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

        At the appropriate place in title V of division B, insert 
     the following:

     SEC. 250__. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN.

       (a) In General.--Section 6503 of title 49, United States 
     Code (as amended by section 25014), is amended--
       (1) in subsection (c)(1)--
       (A) in subparagraph (F), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (B) in subparagraph (G), by striking the semicolon at the 
     end and inserting ``; and''; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(H) developing and maintaining a diverse workforce in 
     transportation sectors;''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(e) Definitions.--In this section:
       ``(1) Intelligent transportation technology.--The term 
     `intelligent transportation technology' means an operational 
     system of various technologies that, when combined and 
     managed, improve the operating capabilities and safety of the 
     overall transportation system.
       ``(2) Transportation sector.--The term `transportation 
     sector' means an industry sector that is involved in 
     construction, manufacturing, maintenance, operation, 
     inspection, logistics, design, or engineering with respect to 
     transportation equipment, materials, technologies, including 
     intelligent transportation technologies, or infrastructure 
     relating to surface, transit, railway, aviation, and maritime 
     transportation.''.
       (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 5505 of title 49, 
     United States Code (as amended by section 25017) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)(2)(C), by striking ``subparagraphs 
     (A) through (G) of section 6503(c)(1)'' and inserting 
     ``subparagraphs (A) through (H) of section 6503(c)(1)'';
       (2) in subsection (b)(4)(A), by striking ``subparagraphs 
     (A) through (G) of section 6503(c)(1)'' and inserting 
     ``subparagraphs (A) through (H) of section 6503(c)(1)''; and
       (3) in subsection (c)(3)(E)(i), by striking ``subparagraphs 
     (A) through (G) of section 6503(c)(1)'' and inserting 
     ``subparagraphs (A) through (H) of section 6503(c)(1)''.

     SEC. 250__. EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN THE TRANSPORTATION 
                   WORKFORCE.

       (a) Emerging Technologies Recommendation Efforts.--To the 
     maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall implement 
     certain recommendations of the Comptroller General of the 
     United States identified in the report entitled ``Automated 
     Technologies: DOT Should Take Steps to Ensure Its Workforce 
     Has Skills Needed to Oversee Safety'' and dated December 
     2020, including by--
       (1) carrying out efforts to identify all cybersecurity 
     occupations across the Department, and incorporating the 
     occupations relating to overseeing the cybersecurity of 
     automated technologies into the workforce planning efforts of 
     the Department;
       (2) assessing skill gaps in key occupations that are 
     involved in overseeing the safety of automated technologies 
     and implementing strategies to close those gaps;
       (3) not less frequently than annually, measuring the 
     progress of strategies implemented to close the skill gaps 
     described in paragraph (2) and ensuring other modal 
     administrations of the Department offer training to close 
     those gaps;
       (4) collecting and analyzing information on the 
     effectiveness of recruiting strategies, including special 
     payment authorities, in attracting employees of the 
     Department to occupations that oversee the safety of 
     automated technologies; and
       (5) sharing the effective recruiting strategies described 
     in paragraph (4) with other modal administrations of the 
     Department.
       (b) Emerging Technologies Coordination Effort.--At a 
     minimum, the Office of Research, Development, and Technology 
     of the Department, the Chief Information Officer of the 
     Department, and the Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint 
     Program Office of the Department shall coordinate--
       (1) to establish a curriculum and leverage existing 
     Department workforce programs to ensure the recruitment and 
     training of cybersecurity and privacy technical experts to 
     assist any modal administration of the Department in 
     overseeing the effectiveness and safety of emerging 
     technologies; and

[[Page S5761]]

       (2) to use the efforts carried out by the Secretary under 
     subsection (a) to provide a growing workforce for 
     transportation providers in the United States that is adept 
     in the curriculum and workforce programs described in 
     paragraph (1).
                                 ______