Investing in Tomorrow's Workforce Act of 2023
This bill directs the Department of Labor to award grants to eligible partnerships to support demonstration and pilot projects relating to the training needs of workers who are, or are likely to become, dislocated workers as a result of automation. Specifically, the bill expands training programs for such workers, including activities that prepare the individuals for occupations in the technology sector, authorizes the award of national dislocated worker grants to provide employment and training assistance to workers affected by advances in automation technology, and expands the funding authorization for national dislocated worker grants.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5350 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5350
To address the needs of workers in industries likely to be impacted by
rapidly evolving technologies.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 5, 2023
Mr. Schneider introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To address the needs of workers in industries likely to be impacted by
rapidly evolving technologies.
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 ``Investing in Tomorrow's Workforce
Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) A 2019 Government Accountability Office report found
that while there are many Federal employment and training
programs, their total funding levels remain at nearly
$20,000,000,000, or less than 0.1 percent of the gross domestic
product of the United States.
(2) The number of workers receiving federally supported
training has declined in the past 3 decades as advances in
technology have simultaneously shifted labor market demand over
time.
(3) Job losses from automation are more likely to impact
women, people of color, and workers making less than $40,000
annually.
(4) The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated trends in automation,
with 43 percent of businesses in the World Economic Forum's
Future of Jobs survey indicating they plan to reduce their
workforce as a result of technology integration.
(5) Strong Federal investment in expanding training
services for workers whose jobs may be lost due to automation
could prepare the United States workforce to better adapt to
changes in the labor market and enter into skilled positions in
technologically oriented occupations and industries.
(6) A focus on preparing the workforce of the United States
for jobs that utilize advanced technologies and require digital
literacy could grow wages, increase economic productivity, and
boost the competitiveness of the United States.
(7) Studies show that the United States would need to
invest $72,000,000,000 more annually just to reach the average
investment in workforce policies of other industrial countries.
For training alone, the United States would need to invest
nearly $8,500,000,000 just to reach the average amount invested
by member countries of the Organisation on Economic Co-
operation and Development.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Automation.--The term ``automation'' means a device,
process, or system that functions without continuous input from
an operator, including--
(A) advanced technologies, such as--
(i) data collection, classification
processing, and analytics; and
(ii) 3-D printing, digital design and
simulation, and digital manufacturing;
(B) robotics, including collaborative robotics, and
worker augmentation technology;
(C) autonomous vehicle technology; or
(D) autonomous machinery technology.
(2) Covered population.--The term ``covered population''
means a population of individuals with a barrier to employment
described in subparagraphs (A) through (N) of section 3(24) of
the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C.
3102(24)).
(3) Digital literacy.--The term ``digital literacy'' has
the meaning given the term in section 60301 of the
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (47 U.S.C. 1721).
(4) Dislocated worker.--The term ``dislocated worker'' has
the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
(5) Eligible partnership.--The term eligible partnership
means an industry or sector partnership, as defined in section
3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, except
that--
(A) for purposes of applying paragraph (26)(A)(iii)
of that section, the term ``institution of higher
education'' has the meaning given the term in section
101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1001); and
(B) the partnership shall include, in addition to
the representatives described in clauses (i) through
(iii) of section 3(26)(A) of the Workforce Innovation
and Opportunity Act, representatives of--
(i) a State workforce development board or
a local workforce development board; and
(ii) an economic development organization.
(6) In-demand industry sector or occupation.--The term
``in-demand industry sector or occupation'' has the meaning
given the term in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
(7) Integrated education and training.--The term
``integrated education and training'' has the meaning given the
term in section 203 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity
Act (29 U.S.C. 3272).
(8) Local and state workforce development boards.--The
terms ``local workforce development board'' and ``State
workforce development board'' have the meanings given the terms
``local board'' and ``State board'', respectively, in section 3
of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C.
3102).
(9) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Labor.
(10) Training services.--The term ``training services''
means training services described in section 134(c)(3)(D) of
the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C.
3174(c)(3)(D)) and may include digital literacy skills.
SEC. 4. GRANTS TO IMPROVE TRAINING FOR WORKERS IMPACTED BY AUTOMATION.
(a) Grants Authorized.--
(1) In general.--From the amounts appropriated under
subsection (g) and beginning in fiscal year 2024, the Secretary
shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible
partnerships to support demonstration and pilot projects
relating to the training needs of workers who are, or are
likely to become, dislocated workers as a result of automation.
(2) Duration.--A grant awarded under this section shall be
for a period not to exceed 4 years.
(b) Applications.--
(1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
this section, an eligible partnership shall submit an
application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Secretary shall reasonably
require.
(2) Contents.--Each application submitted under paragraph
(1) shall include a description of the demonstration or pilot
project to be completed with the grant funds, which description
shall include--
(A) a description of the members of the eligible
partnership who will be involved in the demonstration
or pilot project and the services each member will
provide;
(B) a description of the training services that
will be available to individuals participating in the
demonstration or pilot project, which may include--
(i) a plan to train dislocated workers from
industries likely to be impacted by automation
and transition the workers into regionally in-
demand industry sectors or occupations; and
(ii) a plan to partner with local
businesses to retrain, upskill, and re-deploy
workers within an industry as an alternative to
layoffs;
(C) a plan to provide workers with technology-based
skills training, which may include training to provide
skills related to coding, systems engineering, or
information technology security, in addition to other
skills;
(D) a description of the goals that the eligible
partnership intends to achieve to upskill workers and
prepare them for in-demand industry sectors or
occupations; and
(E) a description of how and which covered
populations within the area will be supported through
this grant, including a plan for stakeholder
engagement.
(c) Priorities.--In awarding grants under this section, the
Secretary shall--
(1) first give priority to eligible partnerships that are
located in areas with a high percentage of individuals from
covered populations; and
(2) to the extent amounts remain available for additional
grants after carrying out paragraph (1), give priority to--
(A) eligible partnerships that are located in an
area with a high concentration of--
(i) industries with a higher likelihood of
being impacted by automation; or
(ii) industries included in in-demand
industry sectors, as determined under
subparagraphs (A)(i) and (B) of section 3(23)
of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
(29 U.S.C. 3102(23));
(B) eligible partnerships--
(i) with a plan to provide incumbent worker
training--
(I) to assist workers in obtaining
the skills necessary to retain
employment or avert layoffs; or
(II) that allows a worker working
for an employer to acquire new skills
that allow the worker to obtain a
higher-skilled or higher-paid position
with such employer; and
(ii) that partner with local employers that
intend to backfill the pre-training positions
of the incumbent workers by hiring new workers
to fill those positions;
(C) eligible partnerships that will provide workers
with a transportation stipend, paid sick leave, paid
family and medical leave, access to child care
services, or other employment benefits; or
(D) eligible partnerships with a plan to develop a
shared training curriculum that can be used across
local and regional networks of employers and training
providers.
(d) Use of Funds.--An eligible partnership that receives a grant
under this section shall use the grant funds for 1 or more of the
following:
(1) Providing training services under the demonstration or
pilot project, which may include training services that prepare
workers for in-demand industry sectors or occupations.
(2) Providing assistance for employers in developing a
staff position for an individual who will be responsible for
supporting training services provided under the grant.
(3) Purchasing equipment or technology necessary for
training services provided under paragraph (1).
(4) Providing job search and other transitional assistance
to workers in industries with high rates of job loss.
(5) Providing a training stipend to workers for training
services.
(6) Providing integrated education and training.
(e) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after an eligible
partnership's completion of a demonstration or pilot project
supported under this section, the eligible partnership shall
prepare and submit to the Secretary a report regarding--
(A) the number of workers who received training
services through the demonstration or pilot project;
(B) the number of such workers who successfully
transitioned into a new position following completion
of the training services;
(C) the number of individuals who successfully
transitioned into an in-demand industry sector or
occupation following completion of the training
services;
(D) annual earnings data for individuals who have
completed training services through the demonstration
or pilot project;
(E) the percentage of individuals described in
subparagraph (D) who are in education or training
activities, or in employment, during the second quarter
after exit from the training services;
(F) the percentage of individuals described in
subparagraph (D) who are in education or training
activities, or in employment, during the fourth quarter
after exit from the training services; and
(G) any practices used by the partnership that
should be considered best practices with respect to
training workers in industries that have, or are
expected to have, high rates of job loss as a result of
automation.
(2) Disaggregation.--Each eligible partnership shall
provide the information required under subparagraphs (A)
through (F) of paragraph (1) in the aggregate and disaggregated
by type of training service and by age, gender, and race of the
workers.
(f) General Requirements.--An eligible partnership that receives a
grant under this section shall use the grant funds in a manner that is
consistent with the labor standards and protections described in
section 181 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C.
3241) and nondiscrimination provisions described in section 188 of such
Act (29 U.S.C. 3248).
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary
for fiscal years 2024 through 2028.
SEC. 5. EXPANSION OF WORKER TRAINING SERVICES.
(a) Adult and Dislocated Worker Employment and Training.--Section
134(d)(1)(A) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C.
3174(d)(1)(A)) is amended--
(1) in clause (xi), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in clause (xii), by striking the period and inserting
``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(xiii) training programs for individuals
who are, or are likely to become, dislocated
workers as a result of automation, including
activities that prepare the individuals for
occupations in the technology sector.''.
(b) National Dislocated Worker Grants.--Section 170 of the
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3225) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)(1)(A), by inserting ``advances in
automation technology,'' before ``plant closures,''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to any funds
reserved under section 132(a)(2)(A) to carry out this section, there
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $40,000,000
for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
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