II

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 2021

To provide for regional skills training alliances, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

APRIL 30, 1998

Mr. SARBANES (for himself and Mr. LIEBERMAN) introduced the following

bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Labor and

Human Resources

A BILL

To provide for regional skills training alliances, and for other

purposes.

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 ‘‘Technology Skills

5 Partnership Act of 1998’’.

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITION.

7 For purposes of this Act, the term ‘‘Secretary’’

8 means the Secretary of Commerce.
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1 TITLE I—SKILL GRANTS

2 SEC. 101. AUTHORIZATION.

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Commerce, act4 ing through the Director of the National Institute of

5 Standards and Technology, and in consultation and co6 ordination with the Secretary of Labor, shall provide

7 grants to eligible entities described in subsection (b) to

8 assist such entities to aid workers in improving job skills

9 necessary for employment in specific industries.

10 (b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES DESCRIBED.—

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity described

12 in this subsection is a consortium that—

13 (A) shall consist of representatives from

14 not fewer than 10 businesses (or nonprofit or15 ganizations that represent businesses) in a com16 mon industry; and

17 (B) may consist of representatives from 1

18 or more of the following:

19 (i) Labor organizations.

20 (ii) State and local government.

21 (iii) Education organizations.

22 (2) MAJORITY OF REPRESENTATIVES.—A ma23 jority of the representatives comprising the consor24 tium shall be representatives described in paragraph

25 (1)(A).
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1 (3) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT.—To the maxi2 mum extent practicable, each of the businesses, or3 ganizations, and governments whose representatives

4 form an eligible entity under paragraph (1) shall be

5 located in the same geographic region of the United

6 States.

7 (c) PRIORITY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.—In provid8 ing grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give

9 priority to an eligible entity if a majority of representatives

10 forming the entity represent small-business concerns, as

11 described in section 3(a) of the Small Business Act (15

12 U.S.C. 632(a)).

13 (d) MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF GRANT.—The amount of

14 a grant provided to an eligible entity under subsection (a)

15 may not exceed $1,000,000 for any fiscal year.

16 SEC. 102. APPLICATION.

17 (a) CERTAIN STATES WITH MULTIPLE CONSOR18 TIA.—In a State in which 2 or more eligible entities seek

19 grants under section 101 for a fiscal year, as determined

20 by the Governor of the State, the Governor may solicit

21 proposals from the entities concerning the activities to be

22 carried out under the grants. If the Governor solicits such

23 proposals, based on the proposals received, the Governor

24 shall submit an application on behalf of 1 or more of the

25 entities to the Secretary at such time, in such manner,
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1 and containing such information as the Secretary may rea2 sonably require. The provisions of this title relating to eli3 gible entities shall apply to each of the entities for which

4 the Governor applies.

5 (b) OTHER STATES.—In a State in which only 1 eligi6 ble entity seeks a grant under section 101 for a fiscal year,

7 as determined by the Governor of the State, or in which

8 the Governor does not solicit proposals as described in

9 subsection (a), the Secretary may not provide a grant

10 under section 101 to the eligible entity unless such entity

11 submits to the Secretary an application at such time, in

12 such manner, and containing such information as the Sec13 retary may reasonably require.

14 SEC. 103. USE OF AMOUNTS.

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may not provide a

16 grant under section 101 to an eligible entity unless such

17 entity agrees to use amounts received from such grant to

18 aid workers in improving job skills (which may include

19 skills related to computer technology, computer-based

20 manufacturing technology, telecommunications, and other

21 information technologies) necessary for employment by

22 businesses in the industry with respect to which such en23 tity was established.

24 (b) CONDUCT OF PROGRAM.—
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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the program

2 described in subsection (a), the eligible entity may

3 provide for—

4 (A) an assessment of training and job skill

5 needs for the industry;

6 (B) development of a sequence of skill

7 standards that are correlated with advanced in8 dustry practices;

9 (C) development of curriculum and train10 ing methods;

11 (D) purchase or receipt of donations of

12 training equipment;

13 (E) identification of training providers;

14 (F) development of apprenticeship pro15 grams;

16 (G) development of training programs for

17 dislocated workers;

18 (H) development of the membership of the

19 entity;

20 (I) provision of training programs for

21 workers; and

22 (J) development of training plans for busi23 nesses.

24 (2) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT.—In carrying

25 out the program described in subsection (a), the eli-
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1 gible entity shall provide for development and track2 ing of performance outcome measures for the pro3 gram and the training providers involved in the pro4 gram.

5 (c) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—The eligible entity

6 may use not more than 10 percent of the amount of a

7 grant to pay for administrative costs associated with the

8 program described in subsection (a).

9 SEC. 104. REQUIREMENT OF MATCHING FUNDS.

10 The Secretary may not provide a grant under section

11 101 to an eligible entity unless such entity agrees that—

12 (1) it will make available non-Federal contribu13 tions toward the costs of carrying out activities

14 under section 103 in an amount that is not less than

15 $2 for each $1 of Federal funds provided under a

16 grant under section 101; and

17 (2) of such non-Federal contributions, not less

18 than $1 of each such $2 shall be from businesses

19 with representatives serving on the eligible entity.

20 SEC. 105. LIMIT ON ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.

21 The Secretary may use not more than 5 percent of

22 the funds made available to carry out this title to pay for

23 Federal administrative costs associated with making

24 grants under this title.
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1 SEC. 106. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

2 There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out

3 this title $50,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1999,

4 2000, and 2001.

5 TITLE II—PLANNING GRANTS

6 SEC. 201. AUTHORIZATION.

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Commerce, act8 ing through the Director of the National Institute of

9 Standards and Technology, and in consultation with the

10 Secretary of Labor, shall provide grants to States to en11 able the States to assist businesses, organizations, and

12 agencies described in section 101(b) in conducting plan13 ning to form consortia described in such section.

14 (b) MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF GRANT.—The amount of

15 a grant provided to a State under subsection (a) may not

16 exceed $500,000 for any fiscal year.

17 SEC. 202. APPLICATION.

18 The Secretary may not provide a grant under section

19 201 to a State unless such State submits to the Secretary

20 an application at such time, in such manner, and contain21 ing such information as the Secretary may reasonably re22 quire.

23 SEC. 203. REQUIREMENT OF MATCHING FUNDS.

24 The Secretary may not provide a grant under section

25 201 to a State unless such State agrees that it will make

26 available non-Federal contributions toward the costs of
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1 carrying out activities under this title in an amount that

2 is not less than $1 for each $1 of Federal funds provided

3 under a grant under section 201.

4 SEC. 204. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

5 There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out

6 this title $5,000,000 for fiscal year 1999.

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