[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3546-S3547]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 6421. Mr. PETERS (for himself and Mrs. Blackburn) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed by him 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, insert the following:
SEC. ___. NATIONAL MANUFACTURING ADVISORY COUNCIL.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Advisory council.--The term ``Advisory Council'' means
the National Manufacturing Advisory Council established under
subsection (b).
(2) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
(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 Natural Resources of the
Senate;
(D) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;
(E) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
(F) the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of
the Senate;
(G) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives;
(H) the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of
Representatives;
(I) the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the
House of Representatives;
(J) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of
Representatives;
(K) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives; and
(L) the Committee on Small Business of the House of
Representatives.
(3) Economically distressed area.--The term ``economically
distressed area'' means an area that meets 1 or more of the
requirements described in section 301(a) of the Public Works
and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3161(a)).
(4) Rural area.--The term ``rural area'' means an area
located outside a metropolitan statistical area, as
designated by the Office of Management and Budget.
(5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Commerce.
(b) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with
the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Defense, the
Secretary of Energy, the United States Trade Representative,
and the Secretary of Education, shall establish within the
Department of Commerce the National Manufacturing Advisory
Council.
(c) Mission.--The mission of the Advisory Council shall be
to--
(1) provide a forum for--
(A) regular communication between the Federal Government
and the manufacturing sector, including manufacturing
workers, in the United States; and
(B) discussing and proposing solutions to problems relating
to the manufacturing sector in the United States, including
the manufacturing workforce, supply chain interruptions, and
regulatory and other logistical challenges;
(2) advise the Secretary regarding policies and programs of
the Federal Government that affect manufacturing, including
the manufacturing workforce, in the United States; and
(3) annually produce a national strategic plan, as
described in subsection (g), that provides recommendations to
the Secretary and the appropriate committees of Congress
regarding how to help the United States remain the preeminent
destination throughout the world for investment in
manufacturing, which shall be based on the execution of the
duties of the Advisory Council.
(d) Duties.--The duties of the Advisory Council shall
include the following:
(1) Meeting not less frequently than once every 180 days,
in a manner to be determined by the Secretary and that is in
compliance with chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code, in
order to provide independent advice and recommendations to
the Secretary regarding issues involving manufacturing in the
United States.
(2) Identifying and assessing the impact that technological
developments, critical production capacity, skill
availability, investment patterns, and emerging defense needs
have on the manufacturing competitiveness of the United
States and providing advice and recommendations to the
Secretary regarding that impact.
(3) Soliciting input from the public and private sectors
and academia relating to emerging trends in manufacturing,
and the responsiveness of Federal programming with respect to
manufacturing, and providing advice and recommendations to
the Secretary for areas of increased Federal attention with
respect to manufacturing.
(4) Identifying, and providing advice and recommendations
to the Secretary regarding, global and domestic manufacturing
trends, including on matters such as supply chain
interruptions, logistical challenges, and demographic and
technological changes affecting the manufacturing base in the
United States.
(5) Providing advice and recommendations to the Secretary
on matters relating to investment in, and support of, the
manufacturing workforce in the United States, including on
matters such as--
(A) worker participation in planning for the deployment of
new technologies across the manufacturing sector in the
United States and within workplaces in that sector;
(B) training and education priorities for the Federal
Government and employers to assist workers in adapting the
skills and experiences of those workers to fit the demands of
the manufacturing sector in the United States in the 21st
century;
(C) how the development of new technologies and processes
have impacted, and will impact, the manufacturing workforce
of the United States and the economy of the United States,
which shall be based on input from manufacturing workers;
(D) policies and procedures that expand access to jobs,
career advancement opportunities, and management
opportunities in the manufacturing sector in the United
States for low-income individuals in the United States, or
new entrants into that sector, in both urban and rural areas;
and
(E) how to improve access to demand-driven manufacturing-
related education, training, and re-training for workers,
including at community and technical colleges, through other
institutions of higher education, and through apprenticeships
and work-based learning opportunities.
(6) Providing recommendations to the Secretary on ways to--
(A) provide--
(i) manufacturing-related worker education, training, and
development; and
(ii) entrepreneurship training relating to manufacturing;
(B) connect individuals and businesses with services
described in subparagraph (A) that are offered in the
communities of those individuals or businesses;
(C) coordinate services relating to manufacturing employee
engagement, including employee ownership and workforce
training;
(D) connect manufacturers with community and technical
colleges, other institutions of higher education, State or
local workforce development boards established under section
101 or 107 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
(29 U.S.C. 3111, 3122), labor organizations, and nonprofit
job training providers to develop and support training and
job placement services, and apprenticeship and online
learning platforms, for new and incumbent manufacturing
workers;
(E) integrate new technologies and processes into the
manufacturing sector in the United States and address the
workforce impacts of those new technologies and processes;
and
(F) develop best practices for manufacturers to
incorporate, or transition to, employee ownership structures.
(7) With respect to the matters described in paragraphs (1)
through (6), soliciting input from--
(A) economically distressed areas;
(B) geographically diverse regions of the United States,
including both urban and rural areas; and
(C) areas of the United States that have suffered mass
layoffs in the manufacturing sector.
(8) Identifying Federal, State, or other regulations that
may have caused, or will cause, unnecessary supply chain
disruptions, impaired business operations, increased prices,
or other costly burdens for consumers and the manufacturing
sector in the United States and recommending to the Secretary
steps to--
(A) mitigate those consequences; and
(B) foster an environment in the United States that is
favorable to manufacturers, manufacturing workers, and
consumers.
(9) Completing other specific tasks requested by the
Secretary.
(e) Membership.--
(1) In general.--The Advisory Council shall--
(A) consist of not more than 30 individuals appointed by
the Secretary with a balance of backgrounds, experiences, and
viewpoints; and
(B) include individuals with manufacturing experience who
represent--
(i) private industry, including small and medium-sized
manufacturers and any relevant standards development
organizations or relevant trade associations;
[[Page S3547]]
(ii) academia; and
(iii) labor.
(2) Public participation.--The Secretary shall, to the
maximum extent practicable, accept recommendations from the
public regarding the appointment of individuals under
paragraph (1).
(3) Period of appointment; vacancies.--
(A) In general.--Each member of the Advisory Council shall
be appointed by the Secretary for a term of 3 years.
(B) Renewal.--The Secretary may renew an appointment made
under subparagraph (A) for not more than 2 additional terms.
(C) Stagger terms.--The Secretary may stagger the terms of
the members of the Advisory Council to ensure that the terms
of those members expire during different years.
(D) Vacancies.--
(i) In general.--Subject to clause (ii), a member appointed
to fill a vacancy on the Advisory Council occurring before
the expiration of the term for which the predecessor of the
newly appointed member was appointed shall be appointed only
for the remainder of that term of the predecessor.
(ii) Further service.--A member of the Advisory Council who
is appointed for the remainder of a term of a predecessor
under clause (i) may serve after the expiration of that term
of the predecessor and until the date on which the Secretary
has appointed a successor.
(f) Transfer of Functions.--
(1) In general.--All functions of the United States
Manufacturing Council of the International Trade
Administration of the Department of Commerce, as in existence
on the day before the date of enactment of this Act, shall be
transferred to the Advisory Council.
(2) Deeming of name.--Any reference in any law, regulation,
document, paper, or other record of the United States to the
United States Manufacturing Council of the International
Trade Administration of the Department of Commerce shall be
deemed a reference to the Advisory Council.
(3) Existing advisory committee.--Any Federal advisory
committee of the Department of Commerce that is operating on
the day before the date of enactment of this Act under a
charter filed in accordance with section 1008(c) of title 5,
United States Code, for the purpose of addressing the
purposes and duties described in this section shall satisfy
the requirement under subsection (b) to establish the
Advisory Council if, not later than 180 days after that date
of enactment, the Federal advisory committee is modified, as
necessary, to comply with the requirements of this section.
(g) National Strategic Plan.--Not later than 180 days after
the date on which the Advisory Council holds the initial
meeting of the Advisory Council, and annually thereafter, the
Advisory Council shall submit to the Secretary and the
appropriate committees of Congress--
(1) a national strategic plan for manufacturing in the
United States that is based on the execution of the duties of
the Advisory Council under subsection (d); and
(2) a detailed statement of the activities that the
Advisory Council conducted to carry out the duties of the
Advisory Council under subsection (d).
(h) Departmental Support.--In accordance with prevailing
laws and regulations, the Secretary, as the Secretary
considers appropriate, shall furnish to the Advisory Council
relevant information that--
(1) is in the possession of the Department of Commerce; and
(2) relates to the mission of the Advisory Council.
(i) No Additional Funds Authorized.--No additional funds
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section.
(j) Sunset.--The Advisory Council shall terminate on
September 30 of the fifth year after the year in which the
Advisory Council holds the first meeting of the Advisory
Council.
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