I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1032 

To address the workforce needs of the telecommunications industry. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 11, 2021 

Mr. WALBERG (for himself and Ms. CLARKE of New York) 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 address the workforce needs of the telecommunications 

industry. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Telecommunications 

5 Skilled Workforce Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. TELECOMMUNICATIONS INTERAGENCY WORKING 

2 GROUP. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Part I of title III of the Commu4 nications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 301 et seq.) is amended 

5 by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘SEC. 344. TELECOMMUNICATIONS INTERAGENCY WORK7 ING GROUP. 

8 ‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

9 ‘‘(1) 5G.—The term ‘5G’, with respect to wire10 less infrastructure and wireless technology, means 

11 fifth-generation wireless infrastructure and wireless 

12 technology. 

13 ‘‘(2) RURAL AREA.—The term ‘rural area’ 

14 means any area other than— 

15 ‘‘(A) a city, town, or incorporated area 

16 that has a population of more than 20,000 in17 habitants; or 

18 ‘‘(B) an urbanized area adjacent to a city 

19 or town that has a population of more than 

20 50,000 inhabitants. 

21 ‘‘(3) TELECOMMUNICATIONS INTERAGENCY

22 WORKING GROUP.—The term ‘telecommunications 

23 interagency working group’ means the interagency 

24 working group established under subsection (b). 

25 ‘‘(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 60 days after 

26 the date of enactment of this section, the Chairman of 


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1 the Commission, in consultation with the Secretary of 

2 Labor, shall establish within the Commission an inter3 agency working group to develop recommendations to ad4 dress the workforce needs of the telecommunications in5 dustry. 

6 ‘‘(c) DUTIES.—In developing recommendations under 

7 subsection (b), the telecommunications interagency work8 ing group shall— 

9 ‘‘(1) determine whether, and if so how, any 

10 Federal laws (including regulations), guidance, poli11 cies, or practices, or any budgetary constraints, in12 hibit institutions of higher education (as defined in 

13 section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 

14 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) or for-profit businesses from es15 tablishing, adopting, or expanding programs in16 tended to address the workforce needs of the tele17 communications industry, including the workforce 

18 needed to build and maintain the 5G wireless infra19 structure necessary to support 5G wireless tech20 nology; 

21 ‘‘(2) identify potential policies and programs 

22 that could encourage and improve coordination 

23 among Federal agencies, between Federal agencies 

24 and States, and among States, on telecommuni25 cations workforce needs; 


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1 ‘‘(3) identify ways in which existing Federal 

2 programs, including programs that help facilitate the 

3 employment of veterans and military personnel 

4 transitioning into civilian life, could be leveraged to 

5 help address the workforce needs of the tele6 communications industry; 

7 ‘‘(4) identify ways to encourage individuals and 

8 for-profit businesses to participate in qualified in9 dustry-led workforce development programs, includ10 ing the Telecommunications Industry Registered Ap11 prenticeship Program; 

12 ‘‘(5) identify ways to improve recruitment in 

13 qualified industry-led workforce development pro14 grams, including the Telecommunications Industry 

15 Registered Apprenticeship Program and other indus16 try-recognized apprenticeship programs; and 

17 ‘‘(6) identify Federal incentives that could be 

18 provided to institutions of higher education, for-prof19 it businesses, State workforce development boards 

20 established under section 101 of the Workforce In21 novation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3111), or 

22 other relevant stakeholders to establish or adopt pro23 grams, or expand current programs, to address the 

24 workforce needs of the telecommunications industry, 

25 including such needs in rural areas. 


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1 ‘‘(d) MEMBERS.—The telecommunications inter2 agency working group shall be composed of representatives 

3 of such Federal agencies and relevant non-Federal indus4 try stakeholder organizations as the Chairman of the 

5 Commission, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, 

6 considers appropriate, including— 

7 ‘‘(1) a representative of the Department of 

8 Education, appointed by the Secretary of Education; 

9 ‘‘(2) a representative of the National Tele10 communications and Information Administration, 

11 appointed by the Assistant Secretary of Commerce 

12 for Communications and Information; 

13 ‘‘(3) a representative of the Department of 

14 Commerce, appointed by the Secretary of Commerce; 

15 ‘‘(4) a representative of the Commission, ap16 pointed by the Chairman of the Commission; 

17 ‘‘(5) a representative of the Telecommuni18 cations Industry Registered Apprenticeship Pro19 gram, appointed by the Secretary of Labor; 

20 ‘‘(6) a representative of a telecommunications 

21 industry association, appointed by the Chairman of 

22 the Commission; 

23 ‘‘(7) a representative of an Indian Tribe or 

24 Tribal organization, appointed by the Secretary of 

25 Labor; 


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1 ‘‘(8) a representative of a rural telecommuni2 cations carrier, appointed by the Chairman of the 

3 Commission; 

4 ‘‘(9) a representative of a telecommunications 

5 contractor firm, appointed by the Chairman of the 

6 Commission; 

7 ‘‘(10) a representative of a minority institution 

8 (as defined in section 365 of the Higher Education 

9 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067k)), appointed by the 

10 Secretary of Education; and 

11 ‘‘(11) a representative of a labor organization, 

12 appointed by the Secretary of Labor. 

13 ‘‘(e) NO COMPENSATION.—A member of the tele14 communications interagency working group shall serve 

15 without compensation. 

16 ‘‘(f) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 180 

17 days after the date on which the telecommunications inter18 agency working group is established, the working group 

19 shall submit a report containing recommendations to ad20 dress the workforce needs of the telecommunications in21 dustry to— 

22 ‘‘(1) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

23 Transportation of the Senate; 

24 ‘‘(2) the Committee on Health, Education, 

25 Labor, and Pensions of the Senate; 


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1 ‘‘(3) the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

2 of the House of Representatives; and 

3 ‘‘(4) the Committee on Education and Labor of 

4 the House of Representatives. 

5 ‘‘(g) NONAPPLICABILITY OF FACA.—The Federal 

6 Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply 

7 to the telecommunications interagency working group.’’. 

8 (b) SUNSET.—Section 344 of the Communications 

9 Act of 1934, as added by subsection (a), shall be repealed 

10 on the day after the date on which the interagency work11 ing group established under subsection (b) of that section 

12 submits the report to Congress under subsection (f) of 

13 that section. 

14 SEC. 3. TELECOMMUNICATIONS WORKFORCE GUIDANCE. 

15 Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment 

16 of this Act, the Chairman of the Federal Communications 

17 Commission, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, 

18 shall establish and issue guidance on how States can ad19 dress the workforce needs of the telecommunications in20 dustry, including guidance on how a State workforce de21 velopment board established under section 101 of the 

22 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 

23 3111) can— 


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1 (1) utilize Federal resources available to States 

2 to meet the workforce needs of the telecommuni3 cations industry; and 

4 (2) promote and improve recruitment in quali5 fied industry-led workforce development programs, 

6 including the Telecommunications Industry Reg7 istered Apprenticeship Program. 

8 SEC. 4. GAO ASSESSMENT OF WORKFORCE NEEDS OF THE 

9 TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY. 

10 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

11 (1) 5G.—The term ‘‘5G’’, with respect to wire12 less infrastructure and wireless technology, means 

13 fifth-generation wireless infrastructure and wireless 

14 technology. 

15 (2) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT16 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com17 mittees’’ means— 

18 (A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, 

19 and Transportation of the Senate; 

20 (B) the Committee on Health, Education, 

21 Labor, and Pensions of the Senate; 

22 (C) the Committee on Energy and Com23 merce of the House of Representatives; and 

24 (D) the Committee on Education and 

25 Labor of the House of Representatives. 


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1 (3) BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE.—The term 

2 ‘‘broadband infrastructure’’ means any buried, un3 derground, or aerial facility, and any wireless or 

4 wireline connection, that enables users to send and 

5 receive voice, video, data, graphics, or any combina6 tion thereof. 

7 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

8 of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the 

9 United States shall submit to the appropriate congres10 sional committees a report that estimates the number of 

11 skilled telecommunications workers that will be required 

12 to build and maintain— 

13 (1) broadband infrastructure in rural areas; 

14 and 

15 (2) the 5G wireless infrastructure needed to 

16 support 5G wireless technology. 

Æ 


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