[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4583 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
<DOC>
114th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4583
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 1, 2016
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To promote a 21st century energy and manufacturing workforce.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. ENERGY AND MANUFACTURING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy (in this Act referred to
as the ``Secretary'') shall prioritize education and training for
energy and manufacturing-related jobs in order to increase the number
of skilled workers trained to work in energy and manufacturing-related
fields when considering awards for existing grant programs, including
by--
(1) encouraging State education agencies and local
educational agencies to equip students with the skills,
mentorships, training, and technical expertise necessary to
fill the employment opportunities vital to managing and
operating the Nation's energy and manufacturing industries, in
collaboration with representatives from the energy and
manufacturing industries (including the oil, gas, coal,
nuclear, utility, pipeline, renewable, petrochemical,
manufacturing, and electrical construction sectors) to identify
the areas of highest need in each sector and the skills
necessary for a high quality workforce in the following sectors
of energy and manufacturing:
(A) Energy efficiency industry, including work in
energy efficiency, conservation, weatherization, or
retrofitting, or as inspectors or auditors.
(B) Pipeline industry, including work in pipeline
construction and maintenance or work as engineers or
technical advisors.
(C) Utility industry, including work in the
generation, transmission, and distribution of
electricity and natural gas, such as utility
technicians, operators, lineworkers, engineers,
scientists, and information technology specialists.
(D) Nuclear industry, including work as scientists,
engineers, technicians, mathematicians, or security
personnel.
(E) Oil and gas industry, including work as
scientists, engineers, technicians, mathematicians,
petrochemical engineers, or geologists.
(F) Renewable industry, including work in the
development, manufacturing, and production of renewable
energy sources (such as solar, hydropower, wind, or
geothermal energy).
(G) Coal industry, including work as coal miners,
engineers, developers and manufacturers of state-of-
the-art coal facilities, technology vendors, coal
transportation workers and operators, or mining
equipment vendors.
(H) Manufacturing industry, including work as
operations technicians, operations and design in
additive manufacturing, 3-D printing, advanced
composites, and advanced aluminum and other metal
alloys, industrial energy efficiency management
systems, including power electronics, and other
innovative technologies.
(I) Chemical manufacturing industry, including work
in construction (such as welders, pipefitters, and tool
and die makers) or as instrument and electrical
technicians, machinists, chemical process operators,
chemical engineers, quality and safety professionals,
and reliability engineers; and
(2) strengthening and more fully engaging Department of
Energy programs and labs in carrying out the Department's
workforce development initiatives including the Minorities in
Energy Initiative.
(b) Prohibition.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to
authorize the Secretary or any other officer or employee of the Federal
Government to incentivize, require, or coerce a State, school district,
or school to adopt curricula aligned to the skills described in
subsection (a).
(c) Priority.--The Secretary shall prioritize the education and
training of underrepresented groups in energy and manufacturing-related
jobs.
(d) Clearinghouse.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary
shall establish a clearinghouse to--
(1) maintain and update information and resources on
training and workforce development programs for energy and
manufacturing-related jobs, including job training and
workforce development programs available to assist displaced
and unemployed energy and manufacturing workers transitioning
to new employment; and
(2) provide technical assistance for States, local
educational agencies, schools, community colleges, universities
(including minority serving institutions), workforce
development programs, labor-management organizations, and
industry organizations that would like to develop and implement
energy and manufacturing-related training programs.
(e) Collaboration.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary--
(1) shall collaborate with States, local educational
agencies, schools, community colleges, universities (including
minority serving institutions), workforce-training
organizations, national laboratories, State energy offices,
workforce investment boards, and the energy and manufacturing
industries;
(2) shall encourage and foster collaboration, mentorships,
and partnerships among organizations (including industry,
States, local educational agencies, schools, community
colleges, workforce-development organizations, and colleges and
universities) that currently provide effective job training
programs in the energy and manufacturing fields and entities
(including States, local educational agencies, schools,
community colleges, workforce development programs, and
colleges and universities) that seek to establish these types
of programs in order to share best practices; and
(3) shall collaborate with the Bureau of Labor Statistics,
the Department of Commerce, the Bureau of the Census, States,
and the energy and manufacturing industries to develop a
comprehensive and detailed understanding of the energy and
manufacturing workforce needs and opportunities by State and by
region.
(f) Outreach to Minority Serving Institutions.--In carrying out
this section, the Secretary shall--
(1) give special consideration to increasing outreach to
minority serving institutions and Historically Black Colleges
and Universities;
(2) make existing resources available through program
cross-cutting to minority serving institutions with the
objective of increasing the number of skilled minorities and
women trained to go into the energy and manufacturing sectors;
(3) encourage industry to improve the opportunities for
students of minority serving institutions to participate in
industry internships and cooperative work/study programs; and
(4) partner with the Department of Energy laboratories to
increase underrepresented groups' participation in internships,
fellowships, traineeships, and employment at all Department of
Energy laboratories.
(g) Outreach to Dislocated Energy and Manufacturing Workers.--In
carrying out this section, the Secretary shall--
(1) give special consideration to increasing outreach to
employers and job trainers preparing dislocated energy and
manufacturing workers for in-demand sectors or occupations;
(2) make existing resources available through program
cross-cutting to institutions serving dislocated energy and
manufacturing workers with the objective of training
individuals to re-enter in-demand sectors or occupations;
(3) encourage the energy and manufacturing industries to
improve opportunities for dislocated energy and manufacturing
workers to participate in career pathways; and
(4) work closely with the energy and manufacturing
industries to identify energy and manufacturing operations,
such as coal-fired power plants and coal mines, scheduled for
closure and to provide early intervention assistance to workers
employed at such energy and manufacturing operations by--
(A) partnering with State and local workforce
development boards;
(B) giving special consideration to employers and
job trainers preparing such workers for in-demand
sectors or occupations;
(C) making existing resources available through
program cross-cutting to institutions serving such
workers with the objective of training them to re-enter
in-demand sectors or occupations; and
(D) encouraging the energy and manufacturing
industries to improve opportunities for such workers to
participate in career pathways.
(h) Enrollment in Workforce Development Programs.--In carrying out
this section, the Secretary shall work with industry and community-
based workforce organizations to help identify candidates, including
from underrepresented communities such as minorities, women, and
veterans, to enroll in workforce development programs for energy and
manufacturing-related jobs.
(i) Prohibition.--Nothing in this section shall be construed as
authorizing the creation of a new workforce development program.
(j) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Career pathways; dislocated worker; in-demand sectors
or occupations; local workforce development board; state
workforce development board.--The terms ``career pathways'',
``dislocated worker'', ``in-demand sectors or occupations'',
``local workforce development board'', and ``State workforce
development board'' have the meanings given the terms ``career
pathways'', ``dislocated worker'', ``in-demand sectors or
occupations'', ``local board'', and ``State board'',
respectively, in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
(2) Minority-serving institution.--The term ``minority-
serving institution'' means an institution of higher education
with a designation of one of the following:
(A) Hispanic-serving institution (as defined in 20
U.S.C.1101a(a)(5)).
(B) Tribal College or University (as defined in 20
U.S.C.1059c(b)).
(C) Alaska Native-serving institution or a Native
Hawaiian-serving institution (as defined in 20
U.S.C.1059d(b)).
(D) Predominantly Black Institution (as defined in
20 U.S.C.1059e(b)).
(E) Native American-serving nontribal institution
(as defined in 20 U.S.C.1059f(b)).
(F) Asian American and Native American Pacific
Islander-serving institution (as defined in 20
U.S.C.1059g(b)).
SEC. 2. REPORT.
Five years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary
shall publish a comprehensive report to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce and the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House
of Representatives and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources
Committee on the outlook for energy and manufacturing sectors
nationally. The report shall also include a comprehensive summary of
energy and manufacturing job creation as a result of the enactment of
this Act. The report shall include performance data regarding the
number of program participants served, the percentage of participants
in competitive integrated employment two quarters and four quarters
after program completion, the median income of program participants two
quarters and four quarters after program completion, and the percentage
of program participants receiving industry-recognized credentials.
SEC. 3. USE OF EXISTING FUNDS.
No additional funds are authorized to carry out the requirements of
this Act. Such requirements shall be carried out using amounts
otherwise authorized.
Passed the House of Representatives February 29, 2016.
Attest:
KAREN L. HAAS,
Clerk.