Renewable Energy Jobs Act - Requires the Secretary of Labor to carry out a pilot program to train individuals for careers in the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries and award grants under the program to the five states with the highest installed alternative energy power capacity.
Defines "renewable energy and energy efficiency industries" as the following industries:
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4648 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4648
To provide for the establishment of a pilot program to train
individuals for employment in the renewable energy and energy
efficiency industries.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 9, 2014
Mr. Ruiz (for himself, Mr. Swalwell of California, Mr. Loebsack, Mrs.
Napolitano, Mrs. Negrete McLeod, Mr. Huffman, Mr. Cardenas, Mrs.
Christensen, Mr. Ryan of Ohio, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Ms. Lofgren, Ms.
Hahn, Mr. Sires, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Ms. Lee of California, Mr.
Pastor of Arizona, Mr. Gene Green of Texas, Mr. Castro of Texas, Mr.
Gutierrez, Mr. Honda, Mrs. Bustos, Mr. Al Green of Texas, Mr.
Garamendi, Mr. Horsford, Mrs. Capps, and Ms. Matsui) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and
the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for the establishment of a pilot program to train
individuals for employment in the renewable energy and energy
efficiency industries.
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 to as the ``Renewable Energy Jobs Act''.
SEC. 2. ALTERNATIVE ENERGY TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM.
(a) Pilot Program.--The Secretary of Labor shall carry out a pilot
program to award competitive grants to States to train individuals for
careers in the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries.
(b) Grant Awards.--The Secretary shall award grants under the pilot
program to the five States with the highest installed alternative
energy power capacity.
(c) Application.--
(1) In general.--A State that desires a grant under the
pilot program shall submit an application to the Secretary at
such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information
as the Secretary may reasonably require.
(2) Contents.--A grant application under the pilot program
shall include the following:
(A) Evidence of the installed alternative energy
power capacity for wind, solar, and geothermal
facilities in that State.
(B) A description of how the funds will be used to
establish and administer a program designed to provide
skills training or on-the-job training for a
significant number of individuals and ensure lasting
and sustainable employment in the renewable energy and
energy efficiency industries.
(C) A description of the State's option to
coordinate with its State and local workforce
investment boards and Energy Efficiency Industry
Councils in carrying out a program funded by a grant
under this Act, including through partnerships of local
boards with renewable energy and energy efficiency
employers and other appropriate providers of training
services.
(D) A description of the skills training, on-the-
job training, or both that may be offered to
individuals by grant recipients, and how this training
will lead to an industry-recognized certificate or
similar credential.
(E) A description of how the State plans to
prioritize grants among grant recipients.
(F) A description of how the grant may be used to
support existing programs focused on renewable energy
job creation.
(d) Grant Amount.--The Secretary shall ensure that grants are of
sufficient size to enable States to carry out all required activities.
(e) Duration of Grant.--A grant under this section shall be for a
period of 3 years.
(f) Use of Funds.--A State receiving a grant under this section
shall use the grant funds to--
(1) reimburse a renewable energy and energy efficiency
employer for the cost of providing on-the-job training;
(2) reimburse any of the following entities for the cost of
providing skills training (or on-the-job training if in
partnership with an energy efficient employer)--
(A) a labor organization;
(B) a postsecondary educational institution; or
(C) nonprofit organizations; and
(3) conduct outreach to inform renewable energy and energy
efficiency employers, labor organizations, postsecondary
educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and the
general public, including individuals in rural areas and Indian
tribes, of their eligibility or potential eligibility for
participation in the program.
(g) Conditions.--Under the pilot program, a grant to a State shall
be subject to the following conditions:
(1) The State shall repay to the Secretary, on such date as
shall be determined by the Secretary, any amount received under
the pilot program that is not used for the purposes described
in subsection (f).
(2) The State shall submit to the Secretary, at such times
and containing such information as the Secretary shall require,
reports on the use of grant funds.
(h) Requirements of Grant Recipients.--In order to receive a grant
made by a State under the pilot program, an entity described in
subsection (f) shall--
(1) submit an application to the State that includes such
other information and assurances as the State may require; and
(2) agree to submit to the State, for each quarter, a
report containing such information as the Secretary may
specify.
(i) Limitation on Administrative Costs.--
(1) Federal administration.--Of the amounts appropriated
pursuant to the authorization of appropriations under
subsection (l), 2 percent shall be made available to the
Secretary for administrative costs associated with implementing
and evaluating the pilot program under this section and for
preparing and submitting the report required under subsection
(j).
(2) State administration.--The Secretary shall determine
the appropriate maximum amount of each grant awarded under this
section that may be used by the recipient for administrative
and reporting costs.
(j) Report to Congress.--The Secretary shall submit to Congress an
annual report on the pilot program for each year of the grant period.
The report on the pilot program shall include a detailed description of
activities carried out under this section and an evaluation of the
program, and how many participants were employed by renewable energy
and energy efficiency employers within 6 months of completing the
training.
(k) Appropriations.--There is authorized to be appropriated to the
Secretary $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2015 through 2017, for
the purpose of carrying out the pilot program.
(l) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
(1) The term ``Indian tribe'' has the meaning given that
term in section 102 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe
List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 479a).
(2) The term ``installed alternative energy power
capacity'' means the amount of wind, solar, and geothermal
power generation, expressed in megawatts, installed in a State.
(3) The term ``labor organization'' has the meaning given
such term in section 2 of the National Labor Relations Act.
(4) The term ``on-the-job training'' means training by
renewable energy and energy efficiency employers, a labor
organization, a postsecondary educational institution, or a
nonprofit organization that is provided to a paid participant
while engaged in productive work that--
(A) provides knowledge or skills essential to the
full and adequate performance of the job;
(B) provides reimbursement to the employer for the
costs of providing the training and additional
supervision related to the training; and
(C) is limited in duration as appropriate to the
occupation for which the participant is being trained,
taking into account the content of the training, the
prior work experience of the participant, and the
service strategy of the participant, as appropriate.
(5) The term ``postsecondary educational institution'' has
the meaning given such term in section 101 of the Workforce
Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801).
(6) The term ``renewable energy and energy efficiency
employer'' means an entity that employs individuals in a trade
or business in the renewable energy and energy efficiency
industries.
(7) The term ``renewable energy and energy efficiency
industries'' means any of the following industries:
(A) The energy-efficient building, construction, or
retrofits industry.
(B) The renewable electric power industry,
including the wind, solar, and geothermal energy
industries.
(C) The energy efficiency assessment industry that
serves the residential, commercial, or industrial
sectors.
(8) The term ``skills training'' means training by a labor
organization, a postsecondary educational institution, or a
nonprofit organization that provides the knowledge and skills
essential to specific jobs in the renewable energy and energy
efficiency industries.
(9) The term ``State'' includes each of the several States,
the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the
Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of
the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, and the
territories and possessions of the United States.
(10) The term ``workforce investment board'' refers to a
State or local workforce investment board established pursuant
to the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (20 U.S.C. 2801 et
seq.) that coordinates job training programs for that State or
local area under that Act.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training.
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