WORKER Act

II 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. 3245 To advance STEM education, provide for improved worker training, retention, and advancement, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES JANUARY 28, 2020 Ms. CORTEZ MASTO (for herself and Mr. JONES) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Edu- cation, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To advance STEM education, provide for improved worker training, retention, and advancement, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Working On Reward- 4 ing and Keeping Employees Resilient Act’’ or the 5 ‘‘WORKER Act’’. 6 SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 7 The table of contents for this Act is as follows: 8 Sec. 1. Short title. Sec. 2. Table of contents. TITLE I—ADVANCING STEM EDUCATION VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:33 Jan 29, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6211 E:\BILLS\S3245.IS S3245 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •S 3245 IS Subtitle A—Expansion of Engineering Programs at Elementary and Secondary Schools Sec. 101. Grant program. Sec. 102. Table of contents. Subtitle B—Expansion of Maker Education and Makerspaces Sec. 110. Definitions. Sec. 111. Local uses of funds. Sec. 112. Effective date. TITLE II—WORKER TRAINING, RETENTION, AND ADVANCEMENT Subtitle A—Leveraging Effective Apprenticeships to Rebuild National Skills Sec. 201. Short title. Sec. 202. Definitions. PART 1—PROMOTING REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIPS Sec. 211. Promoting registered apprenticeship programs. Sec. 212. Promoting integration with postsecondary education. PART 2—PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND ENHANCEMENT Sec. 221. Expanding registered apprenticeship programs. Subtitle B—Reemployment and Training Sec. 231. Coordinating State unemployment compensation programs with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. Sec. 232. Training vouchers. Sec. 233. Authorization of appropriations. TITLE III—AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS Sec. 301. Authorization of appropriations. TITLE I—ADVANCING STEM 1 EDUCATION 2 Subtitle A—Expansion of Engineer- 3 ing Programs at Elementary 4 and Secondary Schools 5 SEC. 101. GRANT PROGRAM. 6 Part F of title IV of the Elementary and Secondary 7 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7251 et seq.) is amend- 8 ed— 9 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:44 Jan 29, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3245.IS S3245 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •S 3245 IS (1) in section 4601— 1 (A) in subsection (a), in the matter pre- 2 ceding paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘(other than 3 subpart 5)’’ after ‘‘part’’; and 4 (B) by adding at the end the following: 5 ‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR SUB- 6 PART 5.—There are authorized to be appropriated to carry 7 out subpart 5— 8 ‘‘(1) $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 9 and 2022; and 10 ‘‘(2) $21,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 11 and 2024.’’; and 12 (2) by adding at the end the following: 13 ‘‘Subpart 5—Engineering Education 14 ‘‘SEC. 4651. GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED. 15 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—From amounts appropriated 16 under section 4601(c), the Secretary shall award grants, 17 on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to implement 18 formal and informal engineering education programs in el- 19 ementary schools and secondary schools to— 20 ‘‘(1) teach students the overall analytical and 21 experimental approaches used in engineering and en- 22 gineering technology; and 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:33 Jan 29, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3245.IS S3245 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •S 3245 IS ‘‘(2) increase participation of under-represented 1 student groups in the engineering and engineering 2 technology pipeline. 3 ‘‘(b) MAXIMUM GRANT AMOUNT.—A grant awarded 4 under this subpart may not exceed $1,000,000. 5 ‘‘(c) MATCHING FUNDS.—An eligible entity receiving 6 a grant under this subpart shall provide non-Federal 7 funds in amount equal to the grant amount. Such non- 8 Federal funds may include in-kind support (such as equip- 9 ment, supplies, materials, and participation of personnel 10 in the development and implementation of activities to be 11 carried out under the grant). 12 ‘‘(d) USES OF FUNDS.— 13 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity receiving 14 a grant under this subpart shall use such funds to 15 carry out a program that— 16 ‘‘(A) provides engineering instructional 17 materials based on review and analysis of the 18 effectiveness of existing formal, or informal re- 19 search-based and evidenced-based locally rel- 20 evant instructional materials; 21 ‘‘(B) provides professional development for 22 pre-service and in-service teachers to teach en- 23 gineering; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:33 Jan 29, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3245.IS S3245 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •S 3245 IS ‘‘(C) provides instructions on engineering 1 and engineering technology during normal 2 classroom hours or after school; 3 ‘‘(D) incorporates evidence-based practices 4 to increase diversity of student groups partici- 5 pating in the program; 6 ‘‘(E) encourages participation of engineers 7 from local private and public organizations to 8 mentor the teachers and students; 9 ‘‘(F) encourages engineering faculty and 10 students from institutions of higher education 11 as mentors for the elementary school or sec- 12 ondary school students, and teachers as appro- 13 priate; and 14 ‘‘(G) encourages members of local work- 15 force who use engineering technology and meth- 16 ods in the workplace to serve as mentors to 17 teachers and students. 18 ‘‘(2) PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.—Each 19 eligible entity awarded a grant under this subpart 20 shall be encouraged to carry out the program funded 21 under the grant in partnership with one or more of 22 the following: 23 ‘‘(A) Elementary schools or secondary 24 schools receiving assistance under this subpart. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:33 Jan 29, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3245.IS S3245 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 6 •S 3245 IS ‘‘(B) Institutions of higher education. 1 ‘‘(C) Private sector businesses. 2 ‘‘(D) Nonprofit organizations. 3 ‘‘(E) Community-based organizations. 4 ‘‘(F) Public or private entities with dem- 5 onstrated record of success in delivering edu- 6 cational support. 7 ‘‘(G) Summer school programs. 8 ‘‘(H) Registered apprenticeship programs 9 (meaning a program registered under the Act of 10 August 16, 1937 (commonly known as the ‘Na- 11 tional Apprenticeship Act’; 50 Stat. 664, chap- 12 ter 663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.)). 13 ‘‘(e) APPLICATIONS.—An application for a grant 14 under this subpart submitted by an eligible entity shall 15 demonstrate long-term commitment for the proposed pro- 16 gram through— 17 ‘‘(1) providing laboratory and instructional 18 space; 19 ‘‘(2) establishing ongoing professional training 20 programs for pre-service and in-service teachers and 21 teachers in-residence; and 22 ‘‘(3) commitment to scaling successful pro- 23 grams for engineering and engineering technology 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:33 Jan 29, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3245.IS S3245 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 7 •S 3245 IS education in elementary schools and secondary 1 schools under the jurisdiction of the eligible entity. 2 ‘‘(f) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sub- 3 part, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities 4 that serve under-represented minorities in engineering. 5 ‘‘(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 6 ‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en- 7 tity’ means a consortium of local educational agen- 8 cies. 9 ‘‘(2) INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS.—The term 10 ‘instructional materials’ means materials that— 11 ‘‘(A) emphasize— 12 ‘‘(i) engineering fundamentals and 13 concepts, problem-based learning; and 14 ‘‘(ii) essential skills such as systems 15 thinking, creativity, teamwork, communica- 16 tion, and ethical considerations; 17 ‘‘(B) are designed to introduce students to 18 modern engineering and engineering technology 19 tools such as computer-aided design, computer- 20 aided manufacturing, statistical analysis, codes 21 and standards, human factors, and reliability 22 analysis; and 23 ‘‘(C) are aligned with and integrated into 24 relevant science, engineering, and mathematics 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:33 Jan 29, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3245.IS S3245 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 8 •S 3245 IS standards that may exist in the applicable State 1 or may be developed. 2 ‘‘SEC. 4652. ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS. 3 ‘‘Not later than 1 year after the first grant is award- 4 ed under this subpart, and annually thereafter, the Sec- 5 retary shall provide a report to Congress on activities and 6 results under this subpart. Such reports shall describe— 7 ‘‘(1) the total number of grant applications re- 8 ceived for the preceding year; 9 ‘‘(2) the number and geographic distribution of 10 the grants for such year and for all grants awarded 11 under this subpart; 12 ‘‘(3) participation of minority-serving institu- 13 tions of higher education, such as historically Black 14 colleges and universities and Hispanic-serving insti- 15 tutions; 16 ‘‘(4) participation of under-represented and eco- 17 nomically disadvantaged student groups; 18 ‘‘(5) plans for collaboration among eligible enti- 19 ties receiving a grant under this subpart; 20 ‘‘(6) overall program outcomes and issues of 21 concern; and 22 ‘‘(7) recommendations for program revisions to 23 achieve the desired program outcome.’’. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:33 Jan 29, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3245.IS S3245 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 9 •S 3245 IS SEC. 102. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 1 The table of contents in section 2 of the Elementary 2 and Secondary Education Act of 1965 is amended by in- 3 serting after the item relating to section 4644 the fol- 4 lowing: 5 ‘‘SUBPART 5—ENGINEERING EDUCATION ‘‘Sec. 4651. Grant program authorized. ‘‘Sec. 4652. Annual report to Congress.’’. Subtitle B—Expansion of Maker 6 Education and Makerspaces 7 SEC. 110. DEFINITIONS. 8 Section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Tech- 9 nical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302) is amended 10 by adding at the end the following: 11 ‘‘(56) MAKER EDUCATION.—The term ‘maker 12 education’ means a hands-on learning approach that 13 encourages students to imagine, create, innovate, 14 tinker, and collaborate through the process of manu- 15 facturing, testing, and demonstrating their ideas. 16 ‘‘(57) MAKERSPACE.—The term ‘makerspace’ 17 means a community space that provides access to 18 tools, technology, worker expertise, and knowledge 19 for learners and entrepreneurs, that result in the 20 prototyping or creation of physical goods, and which 21 supports the development of educational opportuni- 22 ties for personal growth, workforce training, and 23 early stage business ventures.’’. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:33 Jan 29, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3245.IS S3245 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 10 •S 3245 IS SEC. 111. LOCAL USES OF FUNDS. 1 Section 135(b)(2)(I) of the Carl D. Perkins Career 2 and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 3 2355(b)(2)(I)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, the application 4 of maker education,’’ after ‘‘makerspaces’’. 5 SEC. 112. EFFECTIVE DATE. 6 The amendments made by this subtitle shall take ef- 7 fect on July 1, 2020. 8 TITLE II—WORKER TRAINING, 9 RETENTION, AND ADVANCE- 10 MENT 11 Subtitle A—Leveraging Effective 12 Apprenticeships to Rebuild Na- 13 tional Skills 14 SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE. 15 This subtitle may be cited as the ‘‘Leveraging Effec- 16 tive Apprenticeships to Rebuild National Skills Act’’ or the 17 ‘‘LEARNS Act’’. 18 SEC. 202. DEFINITIONS. 19 In this subtitle: 20 (1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis- 21 trator’’ means the Administrator of the Office of Ap- 22 prenticeship appointed under section 211(a). 23 (2) APPRENTICESHIP-READINESS PROGRAM.— 24 The term ‘‘apprenticeship-readiness program’’ 25 means a program or set of strategies that— 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:33 Jan 29, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3245.IS S3245 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 11 •S 3245 IS (A) is designed to prepare individuals to 1 enter and succeed in a registered apprenticeship 2 program; 3 (B) is carried out by an eligible entity de- 4 scribed in section 211(b)(2)(C) that has an ap- 5 plication approved under section 211(b)(3) and 6 that has a documented partnership with at least 7 1 sponsor of a registered apprenticeship pro- 8 gram; and 9 (C) includes each of the following elements: 10 (i) Training (including a curriculum 11 for the training), aligned with industry 12 standards and reviewed and approved an- 13 nually by sponsors of the registered ap- 14 prenticeships within the documented part- 15 nership, that will prepare individuals by 16 teaching the skills and competencies need- 17 ed to enter one or more registered appren- 18 ticeship programs. 19 (ii) Provision of hands-on training and 20 theoretical education to individuals that— 21 (I) accurately simulates the in- 22 dustry and occupational conditions of 23 the registered apprenticeship program 24 described in subparagraph (B); 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:33 Jan 29, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3245.IS S3245 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 12 •S 3245 IS (II) is carried out in a manner 1 that includes proper observation of su- 2 pervision and safety protocols; and 3 (III) is carried out in a manner 4 that does not displace a paid em- 5 ployee. 6 (iii) A formal agreement with a spon- 7 sor of a registered apprenticeship program 8 that would enable participants who suc- 9 cessfully complete the apprenticeship-readi- 10 ness program to enter directly into the reg- 11 istered apprenticeship program (if a place 12 in the program is available), and includes 13 agreements concerning earning credit rec- 14 ognized by a postsecondary educational in- 15 stitution for skills and competencies ac- 16 quired during the apprenticeship-readiness 17 program. 18 (3) CAREER PATHWAY.—The term ‘‘career 19 pathway’’ has the meaning given the term in section 20 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 21 (29 U.S.C. 3102). 22 (4) EDUCATIONAL SERVICE AGENCY.—The 23 term ‘‘educational service agency’’— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:33 Jan 29, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3245.IS S3245 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 13 •S 3 [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]