[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 142 (Tuesday, September 5, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3897-S3898]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

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      By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Warnock, Ms. Cortez Masto, and 
        Mrs. Feinstein):
  S. 2722. 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. Madam 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. 2722

       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 2023''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) A 2019 Government Accountability Office report found 
     that while there are many Federal employment and training 
     programs, their total funding levels remain at nearly 
     $20,000,000,000, or less than 0.1 percent of the gross 
     domestic product of the United States.
       (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) Job losses from automation are more likely to impact 
     women, people of color, and workers making less than $40,000 
     annually.
       (4) The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated trends in automation, 
     with 43 percent of businesses in the World Economic Forum's 
     Future of Jobs survey indicating they plan to reduce their 
     workforce as a result of technology integration.
       (5) 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.
       (6) A focus on preparing the workforce of the United States 
     for jobs that utilize advanced technologies and require 
     digital literacy could grow wages, increase economic 
     productivity, and boost the competitiveness of the United 
     States.
       (7) Studies show that the United States would need to 
     invest $72,000,000,000 more annually just to reach the 
     average investment in workforce policies of other industrial 
     countries. For training alone, the United States would need 
     to invest nearly $8,500,000,000 just to reach the average 
     amount invested by member countries of the Organisation on 
     Economic Co-operation and Development.

     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) Covered population.--The term ``covered population'' 
     means a population of individuals with a barrier to 
     employment described in subparagraphs (A) through (N) of 
     section 3(24) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 
     (29 U.S.C. 3102(24)).
       (3) Digital literacy.--The term ``digital literacy'' has 
     the meaning given the term in section 60301 of the 
     Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (47 U.S.C. 1721).
       (4) 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).
       (5) Eligible partnership.--The term eligible partnership 
     means an industry or sector partnership, as defined in 
     section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 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 
     section 3(26)(A) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 
     Act, representatives of--
       (i) a State workforce development board or a local 
     workforce development board; and
       (ii) an economic development organization.
       (6) In-demand industry sector or occupation.--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).
       (7) Integrated education and training.--The term 
     ``integrated education and training'' has the meaning given 
     the term in section 203 of the Workforce Innovation and 
     Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3272).
       (8) 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).
       (9) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Labor.
       (10) Training services.--The term ``training services'' 
     means training services described in section 134(c)(3)(D) of 
     the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 
     3174(c)(3)(D)) and may include digital literacy skills.

     SEC. 4. GRANTS TO IMPROVE TRAINING FOR WORKERS IMPACTED BY 
                   AUTOMATION.

       (a) Grants Authorized.--
       (1) In general.--From the amounts appropriated under 
     subsection (g) and beginning in fiscal year 2024, the 
     Secretary 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.

[[Page S3898]]

       (2) Duration.--A grant awarded under this section shall be 
     for a period not to exceed 4 years.
       (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 project 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;
       (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; and
       (E) a description of how and which covered populations 
     within the area will be supported through this grant, 
     including a plan for stakeholder engagement.
       (c) Priorities.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
     Secretary shall--
       (1) first give priority to eligible partnerships that are 
     located in areas with a high percentage of individuals from 
     covered populations; and
       (2) to the extent amounts remain available for additional 
     grants after carrying out paragraph (1), give priority to--
       (A) eligible partnerships that are located in an area with 
     a high concentration of--
       (i) industries with a higher likelihood of being impacted 
     by automation; or
       (ii) 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));
       (B) eligible partnerships--
       (i) 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

       (ii) 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;
       (C) 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
       (D) 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.--
       (1) In general.--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--
       (A) the number of workers who received training services 
     through the demonstration or pilot project;
       (B) the number of such workers who successfully 
     transitioned into a new position following completion of the 
     training services;
       (C) the number of individuals who successfully transitioned 
     into an in-demand industry sector or occupation following 
     completion of the training services;
       (D) annual earnings data for individuals who have completed 
     training services through the demonstration or pilot project;
       (E) the percentage of individuals described in subparagraph 
     (D) who are in education or training activities, or in 
     employment, during the second quarter after exit from the 
     training services;
       (F) the percentage of individuals described in subparagraph 
     (D) who are in education or training activities, or in 
     employment, during the fourth quarter after exit from the 
     training services; and
       (G) 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.
       (2) Disaggregation.--Each eligible partnership shall 
     provide the information required under subparagraphs (A) 
     through (F) of paragraph (1) in the aggregate and 
     disaggregated by type of training service and by age, gender, 
     and race of the workers.
       (f) General Requirements.--An eligible partnership that 
     receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds 
     in a manner 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 fiscal years 2024 through 2028.

     SEC. 5. 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:
       ``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 2024 
     through 2028.''.

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