I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1848 

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to direct the Federal Communications Commission to carry out a grant program to make grants for 

the establishment or expansion of job training programs for communications tower service, construction, and maintenance. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 21, 2019 

Mr. LOEBSACK (for himself and Mr. MULLIN) 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 amend the Communications Act of 1934 to direct the 

Federal Communications Commission to carry out a 

grant program to make grants for the establishment 

or expansion of job training programs for communications tower service, construction, and maintenance. 

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 ‘‘Communications Jobs 

5 Training Act of 2019’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds that— 

3 (1) the reorganization of broadcast television 

4 spectrum under section 6403(b) of the Middle Class 

5 Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 

6 1452(b)), the establishment of the First Responder 

7 Network Authority (FirstNet) under such Act, and 

8 advances toward 5G technology have created high 

9 demand for communications tower service, construc10 tion, maintenance, and structural modification; 

11 (2) additional job training is necessary to meet 

12 such demand; and 

13 (3) enhancement of communications tower serv14 ice is essential to the Nation’s economy, competitive15 ness, homeland security, and vital communications 

16 capabilities. 

17 SEC. 3. COMMUNICATIONS TOWER JOB TRAINING GRANT 

18 PROGRAM. 

19 Part I of title III of the Communications Act of 1934 

20 (47 U.S.C. 301 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 

21 the following: 

22 ‘‘SEC. 344. COMMUNICATIONS TOWER JOB TRAINING 

23 GRANT PROGRAM. 

24 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission, in consultation 

25 with the Secretary of Education, shall carry out a grant 

26 program to make grants to covered entities to establish 


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1 or expand job training programs for communications 

2 tower service, construction, maintenance, and structural 

3 modification. 

4 ‘‘(b) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant 

5 under this section, a covered entity shall submit an appli6 cation to the Commission at such time, in such manner, 

7 and containing such information as the Commission may 

8 require. 

9 ‘‘(c) DEADLINE.—The Commission shall begin ac10 cepting applications for grants under this section not later 

11 than the date that is 90 days after the date of the enact12 ment of this section. 

13 ‘‘(d) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1 year 

14 after the date of the enactment of this section, and annu15 ally thereafter, the Commission shall submit to the Com16 mittee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Rep17 resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 

18 and Transportation of the Senate a report on the grant 

19 program carried out under this section that includes, with 

20 respect to the 1-year period preceding the date of the sub21 mission of the report— 

22 ‘‘(1) the number and total dollar amount of 

23 grants made under this section; 

24 ‘‘(2) the number of individuals and crews 

25 trained to perform communications tower service, 


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1 construction, maintenance, and structural modifica2 tion using grant funds; and 

3 ‘‘(3) the number of communications towers on 

4 which service, construction, maintenance, or struc5 tural modification was performed by individuals or 

6 crews while participating in job training programs 

7 receiving grant funds. 

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

9 ‘‘(1) COMMUNICATIONS TOWER.—The term 

10 ‘communications tower’ means a structure that 

11 transmits broadcast radio signals, commercial mobile 

12 service (as defined in section 332) signals, or com13 mercial mobile data service (as defined in section 

14 6001 of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Cre15 ation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1401)) signals. 

16 ‘‘(2) COVERED ENTITY.—The term ‘covered en17 tity’ means— 

18 ‘‘(A) a junior or community college (as de19 fined in section 312(f) of the Higher Education 

20 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1058(f))); 

21 ‘‘(B) a postsecondary vocational institution 

22 (as defined in section 102(c) of the Higher 

23 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(c))); 

24 ‘‘(C) an area career and technical edu25 cation school (as defined in section 3 of the 


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1 Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Edu2 cation Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302)); or 

3 ‘‘(D) any organization that provides career 

4 and technical education (as defined in such sec5 tion) to veterans (as defined in section 101 of 

6 title 38, United States Code). 

7 ‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

8 is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

9 $20,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2020 through 

10 2022. Amounts appropriated under this subsection are au11 thorized to remain available until expended.’’. 

Æ 


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