Transportation Workforce Modernization Act

Summary: Transportation Workforce Modernization Act  This bill authorizes the Department of Transportation to make grants to institutions of higher education and other entities to establish curriculum for a transportation worker retraining program for workers displaced by the adoption of automated driving systems. The Government Accountability Office shall study and report on the impact of driverless vehicle adoption on specified sectors of the economy.  

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Transportation Workforce 
Modernization Act''.

SEC. 2. TRANSPORTATION WORKER RETRAINING GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation may make grants 
under this section to institutions of higher education, a consortium of 
such institutions to establish curriculum for a transportation worker 
retraining program, or trade associations and other nongovernmental 
stakeholders.
    (b) Responsibilities.--The responsibilities of each grant recipient 
or consortium of recipients shall include developing a curriculum to 
establish a transportation worker retraining program aimed at training 
and preparing workers who have been separated from their jobs for a 
period determined by the Secretary or have received notice of impending 
job loss as a result of being replaced by automated driving systems of 
SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) level 4 or higher. Individuals 
who apply and are accepted to a transportation worker retraining 
program shall pursue a degree or certification through the developed 
coursework or curriculum. Grant recipients may use funds for studies, 
pilot programs, as well as testing new roles for current jobs, 
including mechanical work, diagnostic, and fleet operations management.
    (c) General Selection Criteria.--The Secretary shall select 
recipients of grants under this subsection on the basis of the 
following criteria:
            (1) The demonstrated research and extension resources 
        available to a grant recipient for carrying out this section.
            (2) The capability of a grant recipient to develop 
        curriculum in the training or retraining of individuals 
        described in subsection (b) as a result of driverless vehicles.
            (3) A grant recipient shall have an established 
        transportation program or programs with expertise in solving 
        transportation problems through research, training, education, 
        and technology and sharing such information with other 
        programs.
            (4) The demonstrated commitment of the recipient to carry 
        out a transportation workforce development program through 
        degree-granting programs or programs that provide other 
        industry-recognized credentials.
    (d) Federal Share.--The Federal share of a grant under this section 
shall be a dollar for dollar match of the costs of establishing and 
administering the retraining program and related activities carried out 
by the grant recipient or consortium of grant recipients.
    (e) Transparency.--The Secretary shall submit to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a 
report describing the overall review process under paragraph (3) that 
includes--
            (1) specific criteria of evaluation used in the review;
            (2) descriptions of the review process; and
            (3) explanations of why recipients were selected.
    (f) Tracking of Certain Information.--Not later than 1 year after 
grant awards are made under this section, the Secretary shall implement 
a reporting or tracking mechanism to determine--
            (1) from which sectors of industry are displaced 
        transportation workers coming from;
            (2) what skills and professions are participants being 
        retrained for;
            (3) how many workers have used the program; and
            (4) relevant demographic information.
    (g) Definition of Institution of Higher Learning.--For purposes of 
this Act the term ``institution of higher education'' has the same 
meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
        $25,000,000 to be used in fiscal years 2020, 2021, and 2022 to 
        carry out this section. Each recipient may receive a one-time 
        grant in an amount determined by the Secretary of 
        Transportation.
            (2) Limitation on availability of amounts.--Amounts made 
        available to the Secretary to carry out this section shall 
        remain available for obligation by the Secretary for a period 
        of 3 years after the last day of the fiscal year for which the 
        amounts are authorized.

SEC. 3. GAO STUDY.

    Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Comptroller General shall conduct a study and report to Congress 
regarding the impact of driverless vehicle adoption--
            (1) on the Nation's workforce;
            (2) on the trucking, freight movement, and personal 
        transportation industries;
            (3) on lost wages;
            (4) on job loss, including the economic impact on each 
        region of the United States; and
            (5) on the creation of new jobs and how such transportation 
        sector jobs would change.