Communications Jobs Training Act of 2019

Communications Jobs Training Act of 2019

This bill directs the Federal Communications Commission to make grants for the establishment or expansion of job training programs for communications tower service, construction, maintenance, and structural modification.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1848 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1848

     To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to direct the Federal 
 Communications Commission to carry out a grant program to make grants 
    for the establishment or expansion of job training programs for 
      communications tower service, construction, and maintenance.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 21, 2019

  Mr. Loebsack (for himself and Mr. Mullin) introduced the following 
 bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and 
in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to direct the Federal 
 Communications Commission to carry out a grant program to make grants 
    for the establishment or expansion of job training programs for 
      communications tower service, construction, and maintenance.

    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 ``Communications Jobs Training Act of 
2019''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) the reorganization of broadcast television spectrum 
        under section 6403(b) of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job 
        Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1452(b)), the establishment of 
        the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) under such 
        Act, and advances toward 5G technology have created high demand 
        for communications tower service, construction, maintenance, 
        and structural modification;
            (2) additional job training is necessary to meet such 
        demand; and
            (3) enhancement of communications tower service is 
        essential to the Nation's economy, competitiveness, homeland 
        security, and vital communications capabilities.

SEC. 3. COMMUNICATIONS TOWER JOB TRAINING GRANT PROGRAM.

    Part I of title III of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
301 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 344. COMMUNICATIONS TOWER JOB TRAINING GRANT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) In General.--The Commission, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Education, shall carry out a grant program to make grants 
to covered entities to establish or expand job training programs for 
communications tower service, construction, maintenance, and structural 
modification.
    ``(b) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
section, a covered entity shall submit an application to the Commission 
at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the 
Commission may require.
    ``(c) Deadline.--The Commission shall begin accepting applications 
for grants under this section not later than the date that is 90 days 
after the date of the enactment of this section.
    ``(d) Reports to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
the enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the Commission 
shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate a report on the grant program carried out 
under this section that includes, with respect to the 1-year period 
preceding the date of the submission of the report--
            ``(1) the number and total dollar amount of grants made 
        under this section;
            ``(2) the number of individuals and crews trained to 
        perform communications tower service, construction, 
        maintenance, and structural modification using grant funds; and
            ``(3) the number of communications towers on which service, 
        construction, maintenance, or structural modification was 
        performed by individuals or crews while participating in job 
        training programs receiving grant funds.
    ``(e) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Communications tower.--The term `communications 
        tower' means a structure that transmits broadcast radio 
        signals, commercial mobile service (as defined in section 332) 
        signals, or commercial mobile data service (as defined in 
        section 6001 of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation 
        Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1401)) signals.
            ``(2) Covered entity.--The term `covered entity' means--
                    ``(A) a junior or community college (as defined in 
                section 312(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 1058(f)));
                    ``(B) a postsecondary vocational institution (as 
                defined in section 102(c) of the Higher Education Act 
                of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(c)));
                    ``(C) an area career and technical education school 
                (as defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career 
                and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302)); 
                or
                    ``(D) any organization that provides career and 
                technical education (as defined in such section) to 
                veterans (as defined in section 101 of title 38, United 
                States Code).
    ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each of the 
fiscal years 2020 through 2022. Amounts appropriated under this 
subsection are authorized to remain available until expended.''.
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