[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 23, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3068-S3069]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 5913. Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER submitted an amendment intended to be
proposed by her to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for
fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense,
for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department
of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal
year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as
follows:
At the appropriate place in subtitle G of title X, insert
the following:
SEC. __. NATIONAL TALENT STRATEGY ACT.
(a) Short Title.--This section be cited as the ``National
Talent Strategy Act of 2026''.
(b) Talent Working Group.--
(1) Establishment.--Not later than 120 days after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor shall
establish a working group to be known as the ``American
Talent Working Group'' (in this section referred to as the
``Working Group'') to serve as a standing forum for aligning
Federal policy, funding, and data infrastructure related to
education, workforce, and talent.
(2) Composition.--The Working Group shall be composed of
the following:
(A) The Secretary of Commerce.
(B) The Secretary of Defense.
(C) The Secretary of Health and Human Services.
(D) The Secretary of Homeland Security.
(E) The Secretary of Labor.
(F) The Secretary of Education.
(G) The Secretary of Energy.
(H) The Secretary of Agriculture.
(I) The Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for
National and Community Service.
(J) The Secretary of Transportation.
(K) A representative from the Council of Economic Advisers.
(L) A representative from the Domestic Policy Council.
(M) The Chief Executive Officer of the Internal Revenue
Service.
(N) The Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
(O) The Commissioner of Labor Statistics.
(P) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management.
(Q) The Director of the Office of Science and Technology
Policy.
(R) The Director of the National Science Foundation.
(3) Activities.--The Working Group shall--
(A) drive the development of the Federal strategic talent
plan outlined in subsection (c);
(B) meet not less often than once a year to report on
workforce development activities to improve communication and
alignment of programs;
(C) identify challenges and barriers to the reach,
utilization, and successful outcomes of workforce development
programs;
(D) submit a report, not later than 30 days after the date
of a meeting, to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Education and
Workforce of the House of Representatives summarizing key
points from the meeting, common barriers identified, and any
recommendations;
(E) engage regularly with State and local governments,
business leaders, labor organizations, and institutions of
higher education; and
(F) ensure that workforce programs are aligned with updates
to the President's List of Critical and Emerging Technologies
(CET) and consider related skills needs and talent
development strategies.
[[Page S3069]]
(c) Comprehensive Federal Strategic Plan.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor, in
coordination with the Working Group and with representatives
from industries and labor organizations (as defined in
section 2 of the National Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C.
152)) that are connected with Federal workforce development
programs, shall develop a comprehensive Federal strategic
talent plan that complies with each of the following:
(A) Evaluates all workforce programs across the Federal
Government and provides analysis on program participation,
program outcomes for participants, program effectiveness in
meeting statutory goals, identifies areas of overlap among
programs, and identifies areas where programs could have more
efficient strategic alignment.
(B) Identifies and evaluates barriers to national workforce
readiness with a focus on the following areas, and identifies
the capacity of existing national workforce development
programs to support reducing the identified barriers:
(i) Industries of importance to national security and
national defense.
(ii) Industries projected to have significant job growth in
the next decade.
(iii) Industries of importance to global economic
competitiveness.
(iv) Domestic manufacturing and industrial capacity.
(v) Industries that offer consistent, high-wage career
pathways for workers.
(C) Creates an interagency strategic plan to--
(i) address barriers identified in subparagraph (B) through
existing or new Federal workforce development initiatives;
(ii) increase labor force participation across populations;
(iii) increase the reach of Federal workforce programs to
populations such programs are intended to serve;
(iv) increase utilization of apprenticeships registered
under the Act of August 16, 1937 (commonly known as the
``National Apprenticeship Act''; 50 Stat. 664, chapter 663;
29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.); and
(v) support workers affected by automation or other
disruptive impacts of artificial intelligence and emerging
technologies.
(D) Includes recommendations to Congress to resolve
inefficiencies and address barriers in Federal workforce
development programs.
(2) Update.--The comprehensive Federal strategic talent
plan developed under paragraph (1) shall--
(A) be submitted to the Committee on Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on
Education and Workforce of the House of Representatives; and
(B) be updated every 2 years.
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