II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 2363 

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to establish a Telecommunications 

Workforce Development Advisory Council within the Federal Communications Commission, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 31, 2019 

Mr. GARDNER (for himself and Ms. SINEMA) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 

Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to establish 

a Telecommunications Workforce Development Advisory 

Council within the Federal Communications Commission, 

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 ‘‘Telecommunications 

5 Opportunities for Workers Engaging in Real Infrastruc6 ture Deployment Act of 2019’’ or the ‘‘TOWER Infra7 structure Deployment Act of 2019’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. TELECOMMUNICATIONS WORKFORCE DEVELOP2 MENT ADVISORY COUNCIL. 

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

4 (47 U.S.C. 301 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 

5 the following: 

6 ‘‘SEC. 344. TELECOMMUNICATIONS WORKFORCE DEVELOP7 MENT ADVISORY COUNCIL. 

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

9 ‘‘(1) the term ‘Advisory Council’ means the 

10 Telecommunications Workforce Development Advi11 sory Council established under subsection (b); 

12 ‘‘(2) the term ‘communications facility installa13 tion’ has the meaning given the term in section 

14 6409(d) of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job 

15 Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1455(d)); and 

16 ‘‘(3) the term ‘minority institution’ has the 

17 meaning given the term in section 365 of the Higher 

18 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067k). 

19 ‘‘(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established within 

20 the Commission a Telecommunications Workforce Devel21 opment Advisory Council. 

22 ‘‘(c) DUTIES.—The Advisory Council shall advise the 

23 Commission on, and develop recommendations with re24 spect to— 


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1 ‘‘(1) the needs of the workforce in the commu2 nications industry to promote the deployment of 

3 communications facility installations; 

4 ‘‘(2) ways to encourage participation in indus5 try-led workforce development programs; and 

6 ‘‘(3) ways to improve workforce development in 

7 the communications industry. 

8 ‘‘(d) MEMBERS.— 

9 ‘‘(1) COMPOSITION OF COUNCIL.—The Advisory 

10 Council shall be composed of members appointed 

11 under paragraph (2) and shall include not less than 

12 1 member representing each of the following: 

13 ‘‘(A) The Telecommunications Industry 

14 Registered Apprenticeship Program. 

15 ‘‘(B) The National Telecommunications 

16 and Information Administration. 

17 ‘‘(C) A State agency. 

18 ‘‘(D) A local agency. 

19 ‘‘(E) A Tribal agency. 

20 ‘‘(F) The communications industry. 

21 ‘‘(G) A minority institution. 

22 ‘‘(2) INITIAL APPOINTMENTS.—Not later than 

23 90 days after the date of enactment of this section, 

24 the Chairman of the Commission shall appoint mem25 bers to serve on the Advisory Council. 


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1 ‘‘(3) TERM.—Each member appointed under 

2 paragraph (2) shall serve on the Advisory Council 

3 until the date on which the Advisory Council termi4 nates under subsection (f). 

5 ‘‘(4) CHAIR.—The Chairman of the Commission 

6 shall designate a member of the Advisory Council to 

7 serve as Chair of the Advisory Council. 

8 ‘‘(5) VACANCY.—A vacancy in the Advisory 

9 Council shall be filled in the manner in which the 

10 original appointment was made. 

11 ‘‘(6) COMPENSATION.—The members of the Ad12 visory Council shall serve without compensation. 

13 ‘‘(e) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

14 of enactment of this section, the Advisory Council shall 

15 submit a report containing the recommendations devel16 oped under subsection (c) to— 

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

18 Transportation of the Senate; 

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

20 Labor, and Pensions of the Senate; 

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

22 of the House of Representatives; and 

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

24 the House of Representatives. 


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1 ‘‘(f) TERMINATION OF ADVISORY COUNCIL.—Not2 withstanding section 14 of the Federal Advisory Com3 mittee Act (5 U.S.C. App.), the Advisory Council shall ter4 minate on March 1, 2024.’’. 

Æ 


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