II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 356 

To develop and improve the transportation workforce, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 22, 2021 

Ms. CORTEZ MASTO introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To develop and improve the transportation workforce, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘Transportation Opportunities for Professional Service 

6 Act’’ or the ‘‘TOPS Act’’. 

7 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 

8 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

Sec. 2. Task force on developing a 21st century surface transportation workforce. 

Sec. 3. Definitions for transportation training and education programs. 

Sec. 4. Transportation education and training program. 

Sec. 5. Surface transportation workforce grants. 


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Sec. 6. Research and development strategic plan. 

Sec. 7. Transportation workforce scanning tour and national summit. 

Sec. 8. Report on barriers to work in emerging transportation technologies. 

Sec. 9. Centers of Excellence in transportation workforce training. 

Sec. 10. Transportation workforce outreach program. 

Sec. 11. Emerging technologies in the transportation workforce. 

1 SEC. 2. TASK FORCE ON DEVELOPING A 21ST CENTURY 

2 SURFACE TRANSPORTATION WORKFORCE. 

3 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

4 (1) APPRENTICESHIP-READINESS PROGRAM.— 

5 The term ‘‘apprenticeship-readiness program’’ 

6 means a program or set of strategies that— 

7 (A) is designed to prepare individuals to 

8 enter and succeed in a registered apprentice9 ship; 

10 (B) is carried out by a local educational 

11 agency (as defined in section 101 of the Ele12 mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 

13 (20 U.S.C. 7801)), a State educational agency 

14 (as defined in section 8101 of the Elementary 

15 and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 

16 U.S.C. 7801)), a local workforce development 

17 board established under section 107 of the 

18 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 

19 U.S.C. 3122), a State workforce development 

20 board, or a labor organization that has a docu21 mented partnership with not less than 1 spon22 sor of a registered apprenticeship; 


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1 (C) includes a training program— 

2 (i) that has a curriculum that is in ac3 cordance with industry standards and re4 viewed and approved annually by sponsors 

5 of the registered apprenticeships within the 

6 documented partnership, that will prepare 

7 individuals by teaching the skills and com8 petencies needed to enter 1 or more reg9 istered apprenticeships; and 

10 (ii) that provides hands-on training 

11 and theoretical education to individuals 

12 that— 

13 (I) accurately simulate the indus14 try and occupational conditions of the 

15 registered apprenticeship program de16 scribed in subparagraph (B); and 

17 (II) is carried out in a manner 

18 that— 

19 (aa) includes proper obser20 vation of supervision and safety 

21 protocols; and 

22 (bb) does not displace a paid 

23 employee; and 


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1 (D) is encompassed in a formal agreement 

2 between a sponsor of a registered apprentice3 ship and an individual that— 

4 (i) will enable an individual who suc5 cessfully completes the apprenticeship6 readiness program to enter directly into 

7 the registered apprenticeship, if a place in 

8 the program is available; and 

9 (ii) includes agreements with respect 

10 to earning credit recognized by an institu11 tion of higher education for skills and com12 petencies acquired during the program. 

13 (2) DEPARTMENT.—The term ‘‘Department’’ 

14 means the Department of Transportation. 

15 (3) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 

16 term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 

17 meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher 

18 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 

19 (4) INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION TECH20 NOLOGY.—The term ‘‘intelligent transportation tech21 nology’’ means an operational system of various 

22 technologies that, when combined and managed, im23 prove the operating capabilities of the overall trans24 portation system. 


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1 (5) REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP.—The term 

2 ‘‘registered apprenticeship’’ means an apprenticeship 

3 program registered under the Act of August 16, 

4 1937 (29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.) (commonly known as 

5 the ‘‘National Apprenticeship Act’’), that satisfies 

6 the requirements of parts 29 and 30 of title 29, 

7 Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on Janu8 ary 1, 2020). 

9 (6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

10 the Secretary of Transportation. 

11 (7) STATE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

12 BOARD.—The term ‘‘State workforce development 

13 board’’ means a State workforce development board 

14 established under section 101 of the Workforce In15 novation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3111). 

16 (8) TASK FORCE.—The term ‘‘Task Force’’ 

17 means the task force established under subsection 

18 (b). 

19 (9) UNDERREPRESENTED INDIVIDUAL.—The 

20 term ‘‘underrepresented individual’’ means— 

21 (A) an individual who belongs to a special 

22 population (as defined in section 3 of the Carl 

23 D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act 

24 of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302)); 


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1 (B) an individual with a barrier to employ2 ment (as defined in section 3 of the Carl D. 

3 Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 

4 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302)); or 

5 (C) an individual otherwise determined by 

6 the Secretary to be underrepresented in the 

7 transportation workforce. 

8 (10) WORK-BASED LEARNING.—The term 

9 ‘‘work-based learning’’ has the meaning given the 

10 term in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and 

11 Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302). 

12 (b) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after 

13 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 

14 establish a task force on developing a 21st century surface 

15 transportation workforce. 

16 (c) DUTIES OF TASK FORCE.—Not later than 1 year 

17 after the establishment of the Task Force under sub18 section (b), the Task Force shall develop and submit to 

19 the Secretary recommendations and strategies for the De20 partment, including— 

21 (1) an evaluation of the current and future 

22 state of the surface transportation workforce, includ23 ing projected job needs in the surface transportation 

24 sector; 


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1 (2) an identification of factors influencing indi2 viduals pursuing careers in surface transportation, 

3 including barriers to attracting individuals into the 

4 surface transportation workforce; 

5 (3) how to address barriers to retaining individ6 uals in surface transportation careers; 

7 (4) an identification of, and how to address, po8 tential impacts of emerging technologies, including 

9 intelligent transportation technologies, on the sur10 face transportation workforce; 

11 (5) how to increase access for vulnerable or 

12 underrepresented individuals, especially women and 

13 minorities, to in-demand surface transportation ca14 reers; 

15 (6) how to facilitate and encourage elementary, 

16 secondary, and post-secondary students in the 

17 United States to pursue careers in the surface trans18 portation sector; and 

19 (7) an identification of ways to develop path20 ways for students and individuals to secure a posi21 tion in an apprenticeship-readiness program, a reg22 istered apprenticeship, and other work-based learn23 ing opportunities in the surface transportation sector 

24 of the United States. 


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1 (d) CONSIDERATION.—In developing recommenda2 tions and strategies pursuant to subsection (c), the Task 

3 Force shall— 

4 (1) identify factors, including potential stigmas 

5 or misperceptions, that influence whether young in6 dividuals pursue careers in surface transportation, 

7 especially traditionally underrepresented individuals, 

8 including women and minorities; 

9 (2) consider how to address the potential stig10 mas or misperceptions described in paragraph (1) 

11 that are affecting the workforce pool of underrep12 resented individuals in the surface transportation 

13 sector; 

14 (3) consider how the Department, businesses, 

15 industry, labor, educators, and other stakeholders 

16 can coordinate efforts to support qualified individ17 uals in pursuing careers in the surface transpor18 tation sector; 

19 (4) identify methods of enhancing surface 

20 transportation apprenticeship-readiness programs 

21 and registered apprenticeships, job skills training, 

22 mentorships, education, and outreach programs that 

23 are exclusive to young individuals in the United 

24 States; 


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1 (5) identify methods to expand the expertise of 

2 the surface transportation workforce in skills in var3 ious types of intelligent transportation technologies, 

4 components, infrastructure, and equipment; 

5 (6) identify potential sources of funding, includ6 ing grants and scholarships, that may be used to 

7 support young and other qualified individuals in pur8 suing careers in the surface transportation sector; 

9 and 

10 (7) ensure geographically diverse perspectives 

11 and solutions. 

12 (e) CONSULTATION.—In developing recommendations 

13 and strategies pursuant to subsection (c), the Task Force 

14 shall consult with— 

15 (1) local educational agencies and institutions 

16 of higher education, including community colleges 

17 and vocational schools; 

18 (2) State workforce development boards; 

19 (3) local registered apprenticeships; and 

20 (4) surface transportation sector-related em21 ployers and planners. 

22 (f) MEMBERSHIP.— 

23 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Task Force shall be 

24 composed of members, as appointed by the Secretary 

25 under paragraph (2), who come from diverse backVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:03 Mar 05, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S356.IS S356

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1 grounds and geographical regions and have the re2 quired expertise that will allow the members to con3 tribute balanced viewpoints that will enable the Task 

4 Force to develop the recommendations and strate5 gies required under subsection (c). 

6 (2) APPOINTMENT.—The Task Force shall be 

7 composed of members appointed by the Secretary, 

8 including representatives of— 

9 (A) industries in the surface transportation 

10 sector; 

11 (B) labor organizations in the surface 

12 transportation sector; 

13 (C) institutions of higher education; and 

14 (D) other experts and stakeholders in the 

15 surface transportation sector that the Secretary 

16 determines appropriate, including the consider17 ation of geographical diversity and regional per18 spectives. 

19 (3) TERMS.—Each member shall be appointed 

20 for the life of the Task Force. 

21 (4) COMPENSATION.—Each member shall serve 

22 on the Task Force without compensation. 

23 (g) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days after the sub24 mission of the recommendations and strategies to the Sec25 retary required under subsection (c), and annually thereVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:03 Mar 05, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S356.IS S356

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1 after until September 30, 2024, the Secretary shall submit 

2 to the Committees on Environment and Public Works, 

3 Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Banking, Hous4 ing, and Urban Affairs, and Appropriations of the Senate 

5 and the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure 

6 and Appropriations of the House of Representatives a re7 port that includes the recommendations and strategies. 

8 (h) TERMINATION.—The Task Force shall terminate 

9 on the date on which the Secretary submits the last report 

10 required under subsection (g). 

11 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS FOR TRANSPORTATION TRAINING 

12 AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS. 

13 (a) TRAINING AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS DEFINI14 TIONS.—Section 504 of title 23, United States Code, is 

15 amended— 

16 (1) by redesignating subsections (a) through (h) 

17 as subsections (b) through (i), respectively; and 

18 (2) by inserting before subsection (b) (as so re19 designated) the following: 

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

21 ‘‘(1) APPRENTICESHIP-READINESS PROGRAM.— 

22 The term ‘apprenticeship-readiness program’ means 

23 a program or set of strategies that— 


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1 ‘‘(A) is designed to prepare individuals to 

2 enter and succeed in a registered apprentice3 ship; 

4 ‘‘(B) is carried out by a local educational 

5 agency, a State educational agency, a local 

6 workforce development board, a State workforce 

7 development board, or a labor organization that 

8 has a documented partnership with not less 

9 than 1 sponsor of a registered apprenticeship; 

10 ‘‘(C) includes a training program— 

11 ‘‘(i) that has a curriculum that is in 

12 accordance with industry standards and re13 viewed and approved annually by sponsors 

14 of the registered apprenticeships within the 

15 documented partnership, that will prepare 

16 individuals by teaching the skills and com17 petencies needed to enter 1 or more reg18 istered apprenticeships; and 

19 ‘‘(ii) that provides hands-on training 

20 and theoretical education to individuals 

21 that— 

22 ‘‘(I) accurately simulate the in23 dustry and occupational conditions of 

24 the registered apprenticeship program 

25 described in subparagraph (B); and 


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1 ‘‘(II) is carried out in a manner 

2 that— 

3 ‘‘(aa) includes proper obser4 vation of supervision and safety 

5 protocols; and 

6 ‘‘(bb) does not displace a 

7 paid employee; and 

8 ‘‘(D) is encompassed in a formal agree9 ment between a sponsor of a registered appren10 ticeship and an individual that— 

11 ‘‘(i) will enable an individual who suc12 cessfully completes the apprenticeship13 readiness program to enter directly into 

14 the registered apprenticeship, if a place in 

15 the program is available; and 

16 ‘‘(ii) includes agreements with respect 

17 to earning credit recognized by an institu18 tion of higher education for skills and com19 petencies acquired during the program. 

20 ‘‘(2) CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION.— 

21 The term ‘career and technical education’ has the 

22 meaning given the term in section 3 of the Carl D. 

23 Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 

24 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302). 


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1 ‘‘(3) CAREER PATHWAY.—The term ‘career 

2 pathway’ has the meaning given the term in section 

3 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 

4 (29 U.S.C. 3102). 

5 ‘‘(4) DUAL OR CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT

6 PROGRAM.—The term ‘dual or concurrent enrollment 

7 program’ has the meaning given the term in section 

8 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 

9 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 

10 ‘‘(5) ELIGIBLE AGENCY.—The term ‘eligible 

11 agency’ has the meaning given the term in section 

12 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Edu13 cation Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302). 

14 ‘‘(6) INDUSTRY OR SECTOR PARTNERSHIP.— 

15 The term ‘industry or sector partnership’ has the 

16 meaning given the term in section 3 of the Work17 force Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 

18 3102). 

19 ‘‘(7) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.— 

20 The term ‘institution of higher education’ has the 

21 meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher 

22 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 

23 ‘‘(8) INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION TECH24 NOLOGY.—The term ‘intelligent transportation tech25 nology’ means an operational system of various techVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:03 Mar 05, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S356.IS S356

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1 nologies that, when combined and managed, improve 

2 the operating capabilities of the overall transpor3 tation system. 

4 ‘‘(9) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.—The term 

5 ‘local educational agency’ has the meaning given the 

6 term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Sec7 ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 

8 ‘‘(10) LOCAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

9 BOARD.—The term ‘local workforce development 

10 board’ means a local workforce development board 

11 established under section 107 of the Workforce In12 novation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3122). 

13 ‘‘(11) ON-THE-JOB TRAINING.—The term ‘on14 the-job training’ has the meaning given the term in 

15 section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Oppor16 tunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102). 

17 ‘‘(12) PROGRAM OF STUDY.—The term ‘pro18 gram of study’ has the meaning given the term in 

19 section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Tech20 nical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302). 

21 ‘‘(13) RECOGNIZED POSTSECONDARY CREDEN22 TIAL.—The term ‘recognized postsecondary creden23 tial’ has the meaning given the term in section 3 of 

24 the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 

25 U.S.C. 3102). 


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1 ‘‘(14) REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP.—The 

2 term ‘registered apprenticeship’ means an appren3 ticeship program registered under the Act of August 

4 16, 1937 (29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.) (commonly known 

5 as the ‘National Apprenticeship Act’), that satisfies 

6 the requirements of parts 29 and 30 of title 29, 

7 Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on Janu8 ary 1, 2020). 

9 ‘‘(15) SPECIAL POPULATIONS.—The term ‘spe10 cial populations’ has the meaning given the term in 

11 section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Tech12 nical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302). 

13 ‘‘(16) STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.—The 

14 term ‘State educational agency’ has the meaning 

15 given the term in section 8101 of the Elementary 

16 and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

17 7801). 

18 ‘‘(17) STATE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

19 BOARD.—The term ‘State workforce development 

20 board’ means a State workforce development board 

21 established under section 101 of the Workforce In22 novation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3111). 

23 ‘‘(18) SURFACE TRANSPORTATION WORKFORCE

24 DEVELOPMENT, TRAINING, AND EDUCATION.—The 

25 term ‘surface transportation workforce development, 


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1 training, and education’ means activities associated 

2 with surface transportation career awareness, stu3 dent transportation career preparation, and training 

4 and professional development for surface transpor5 tation workers, including activities for women and 

6 minorities and training in various types of intelligent 

7 transportation technologies. 

8 ‘‘(19) TRANSPORTATION SECTOR.—The term 

9 ‘transportation sector’ means an industry sector that 

10 is involved in construction, manufacturing, mainte11 nance, operation, inspection, logistics, design, or en12 gineering with respect to transportation equipment, 

13 materials, technologies, or infrastructure relating to 

14 surface, transit, railway, aviation, and maritime 

15 transportation. 

16 ‘‘(20) UNDERREPRESENTED INDIVIDUAL.—The 

17 term ‘underrepresented individual’ means— 

18 ‘‘(A) an individual who belongs to a special 

19 population; 

20 ‘‘(B) an individual with a barrier to em21 ployment (as defined in section 3 of the Carl D. 

22 Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 

23 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302)); or 


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1 ‘‘(C) an individual otherwise determined by 

2 the Secretary to be underrepresented in the 

3 transportation workforce. 

4 ‘‘(21) WORK-BASED LEARNING.—The term 

5 ‘work-based learning’ has the meaning given the 

6 term in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and 

7 Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 

8 2302).’’. 

9 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

10 (1) TRAINING AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS.— 

11 Section 504 of title 23, United States Code, is 

12 amended— 

13 (A) in subsection (e) (as so redesignated), 

14 by striking paragraph (4); and 

15 (B) in subsection (f) (as so redesignated), 

16 by striking paragraph (3). 

17 (2) TRIBAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CEN18 TERS.—Section 202(a)(7) of title 23, United States 

19 Code, is amended by striking ‘‘section 504(b)’’ and 

20 inserting ‘‘section 504(c)’’. 

21 (3) UNIVERSITY TRANSPORTATION CENTER

22 PROGRAMS.—Section 5505(c) of title 49, United 

23 States Code, is amended— 


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1 (A) in paragraph (2)(C)(ii)(I), by striking 

2 ‘‘section 504(b)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 

3 504(c)’’; 

4 (B) in paragraph (3)(D)(ii)(I), by striking 

5 ‘‘section 504(b)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 

6 504(c)’’; and 

7 (C) in paragraph (4)(B)(ii)(I), by striking 

8 ‘‘section 504(b)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 

9 504(c)’’. 

10 SEC. 4. TRANSPORTATION EDUCATION AND TRAINING PRO11 GRAM. 

12 Section 504 of title 23, United States Code, is 

13 amended by striking subsection (g) (as redesignated by 

14 section 3(a)(1)) and inserting the following: 

15 ‘‘(g) TRANSPORTATION EDUCATION AND TRAINING

16 PROGRAM.— 

17 ‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary, in con18 sultation with the Secretary of Education and the 

19 Secretary of Labor, shall establish a program to pro20 vide grants to support transportation sector edu21 cation and workforce development projects (referred 

22 to in this section as the ‘program’). 

23 ‘‘(2) GRANT AUTHORITY.—In carrying out the 

24 program, the Secretary may award a grant on a 

25 competitive basis in accordance with this subsection. 


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1 ‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS.— 

2 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may 

3 award a grant under the program to any part4 nership that includes, at a minimum, the fol5 lowing entities: 

6 ‘‘(i) An institution of higher edu7 cation. 

8 ‘‘(ii) A State department of transpor9 tation. 

10 ‘‘(iii) A metropolitan planning organi11 zation. 

12 ‘‘(iv) Not less than 2 transportation 

13 sector employers. 

14 ‘‘(B) LABOR AND JOINT LABOR-MANAGE15 MENT ORGANIZATIONS.—A partnership eligible 

16 for a grant under the program may include a 

17 labor or joint labor-management organization. 

18 ‘‘(4) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.— 

19 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

20 subparagraph (B), grant funds awarded under 

21 the program may only be used to assist a 

22 project that includes not less than 2 of the fol23 lowing activities: 


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1 ‘‘(i) Developing, implementing, and 

2 assessing innovative programs of study 

3 with respect to a transportation sector. 

4 ‘‘(ii) Training educators to teach sec5 ondary or postsecondary career and tech6 nical education courses with respect to a 

7 transportation sector. 

8 ‘‘(iii) Increasing career recruitment 

9 and outreach to youth, including through 

10 career counseling and career exploration 

11 opportunities, to encourage participation in 

12 transportation sectors. 

13 ‘‘(iv) Developing on-the-job training 

14 and work-based learning opportunities, in15 cluding apprenticeship-readiness programs 

16 and registered apprenticeships, with re17 spect to a transportation sector. 

18 ‘‘(v) Increasing participation of under19 represented individuals, including women, 

20 in the transportation workforce. 

21 ‘‘(vi) Any other activity the Secretary 

22 determines appropriate for education or 

23 workforce development in a transportation 

24 sector. 


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1 ‘‘(B) EXCEPTION.—If a project is in the 

2 construction or maintenance sector, grant funds 

3 awarded under the program may only be used 

4 to develop apprenticeship-readiness programs 

5 that prepare individuals for acceptance into reg6 istered apprenticeships in that sector. 

7 ‘‘(5) APPLICATIONS.— 

8 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible for a 

9 grant under the program, a partnership re10 ferred to in paragraph (3) shall submit to the 

11 Secretary an application in such form, at such 

12 time, and containing such information as the 

13 Secretary determines to be appropriate, which 

14 shall include, at a minimum, a description of— 

15 ‘‘(i) how the partnership will use 

16 grant funds to assist an eligible project; 

17 ‘‘(ii) the roles and responsibilities of 

18 each partner in assisting the project; 

19 ‘‘(iii) any prior experience or dem20 onstrated success in workforce development 

21 of a partner; 

22 ‘‘(iv) the current and projected work23 force shortages, if any, in the relevant 

24 transportation sector and how the project 

25 will address those shortages; 


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1 ‘‘(v) any promotion of the increased 

2 participation of underrepresented individ3 uals, including women, in the transpor4 tation workforce that the project will pro5 vide; 

6 ‘‘(vi) any recognized postsecondary 

7 credentials that participants in the project 

8 will be prepared for; 

9 ‘‘(vii) any registered apprenticeships, 

10 apprenticeship-readiness programs, or 

11 other on-the-job training or work-based 

12 learning opportunities the project will pro13 vide; and 

14 ‘‘(viii) how the project will develop the 

15 skills of individuals in various types of in16 telligent transportation technologies and 

17 components, infrastructure, and equipment 

18 related to those technologies. 

19 ‘‘(B) PRIORITY.—In selecting partnerships 

20 referred to in paragraph (3) to receive a grant 

21 under the program, the Secretary shall give pri22 ority to a partnership that includes a labor or 

23 joint labor-management organization. 

24 ‘‘(6) CONSIDERATIONS.—In making a grant 

25 under the program, the Secretary shall consider— 


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1 ‘‘(A) geographical diversity; 

2 ‘‘(B) the degree to which an eligible project 

3 may address current or projected transportation 

4 workforce shortages; 

5 ‘‘(C) how the project will increase the skills 

6 of individuals in various types of intelligent 

7 transportation technologies, and components, 

8 infrastructure, and equipment related to those 

9 technologies; and 

10 ‘‘(D) if applicable, the quality of any pro11 posed on-the-job training or work-based learn12 ing opportunities to be provided. 

13 ‘‘(7) LIMITATIONS.— 

14 ‘‘(A) MAXIMUM.—The amount of a grant 

15 under this subsection may not exceed $300,000. 

16 ‘‘(B) FEDERAL SHARE.— 

17 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Except as pro18 vided in clause (ii), the Federal share of 

19 the cost of a project carried out with a 

20 grant under the program shall be 95 per21 cent. 

22 ‘‘(ii) MULTIPLE GRANTS.—After a re23 cipient has received 2 grants under the 

24 program, the Federal share of the cost of 

25 a project carried out with a subsequent 


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1 grant under the program shall be not more 

2 than 75 percent. 

3 ‘‘(8) REPORT.—A recipient of a grant under 

4 the program shall submit to the Secretary, at such 

5 time as the Secretary determines appropriate, a re6 port that includes a description of— 

7 ‘‘(A) how the grant funds were used; 

8 ‘‘(B) the education and employment out9 comes for individuals participating in or bene10 fitting from the project assisted with grant 

11 funds under the program (referred to in this 

12 subparagraph as the ‘participants’), 

13 disaggregated by special populations, which 

14 shall include at a minimum— 

15 ‘‘(i) the percentage, and median earn16 ings, of participants who are in unsub17 sidized employment by the date that is 90 

18 days after exit from the project; 

19 ‘‘(ii) the percentage of participants 

20 who are in unsubsidized employment by 

21 the date that is 180 days after exit from 

22 the project; 

23 ‘‘(iii) the percentage of participants 

24 who obtain a recognized postsecondary cre25 dential, or a secondary school diploma or 


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1 recognized equivalent during the project or 

2 not later than 1 year after exit from the 

3 project; and 

4 ‘‘(iv) the percentage of participants 

5 who, during the project— 

6 ‘‘(I) enrolled in an education or 

7 training program that leads to a rec8 ognized postsecondary credential or 

9 employment; and 

10 ‘‘(II) developed skills necessary 

11 to receive such a credential or employ12 ment through such program, including 

13 those skills in various types of intel14 ligent transportation technologies and 

15 components, infrastructure, and 

16 equipment related to those tech17 nologies; and 

18 ‘‘(C) the outreach efforts made to expand 

19 the awareness, engagement, and performance of 

20 the project for the students and workers in the 

21 geographical region.’’. 

22 SEC. 5. SURFACE TRANSPORTATION WORKFORCE GRANTS. 

23 Section 504(f)(1) of title 23, United States Code (as 

24 redesignated by section 3(a)(1)), is amended— 


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1 (1) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ‘‘, includ2 ing development of the skills necessary to utilize 

3 emerging technologies, such as intelligent transpor4 tation technologies’’ after ‘‘development’’; 

5 (2) in subparagraph (F), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

6 the end; 

7 (3) in subparagraph (G), by striking the period 

8 at the end and inserting a semicolon; and 

9 (4) by adding at the end the following: 

10 ‘‘(H) on-the-job training or work-based 

11 learning opportunities, including apprentice12 ship-readiness programs and registered appren13 ticeships; 

14 ‘‘(I) activities to support the establishment 

15 of industry or sector partnerships; 

16 ‘‘(J) activities to increase the number of 

17 underrepresented individuals in the surface 

18 transportation workforce; 

19 ‘‘(K) activities to update facilities and 

20 equipment used in career and technical edu21 cation programs of study; and 

22 ‘‘(L) training that increases the skills of 

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1 structure, and equipment related to those tech2 nologies.’’. 

3 SEC. 6. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN. 

4 Section 6503 of title 49, United States Code, is 

5 amended— 

6 (1) in subsection (c)(1)— 

7 (A) in subparagraph (E), by striking 

8 ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

9 (B) in subparagraph (F), by striking the 

10 semicolon at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

11 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

12 ‘‘(G) developing and maintaining a diverse 

13 workforce in transportation sectors;’’; and 

14 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

15 ‘‘(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

16 ‘‘(1) INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION TECH17 NOLOGY.—The term ‘intelligent transportation tech18 nology’ means an operational system of various tech19 nologies that, when combined and managed, improve 

20 the operating capabilities of the overall transpor21 tation system. 

22 ‘‘(2) TRANSPORTATION SECTOR.—The term 

23 ‘transportation sector’ means an industry sector that 

24 is involved in construction, manufacturing, mainte25 nance, operation, inspection, logistics, design, or enVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:03 Mar 05, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S356.IS S356

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1 gineering with respect to transportation equipment, 

2 materials, technologies, including intelligent trans3 portation technologies, or infrastructure relating to 

4 surface, transit, railway, aviation, and maritime 

5 transportation.’’. 

6 SEC. 7. TRANSPORTATION WORKFORCE SCANNING TOUR 

7 AND NATIONAL SUMMIT. 

8 (a) WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SCANNING TOUR.— 

9 Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 

10 this Act, the Secretary of Transportation, in coordination 

11 with the Task Force established under section 2 and the 

12 Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office 

13 of the Department of Transportation, shall conduct a na14 tional and international scanning tour of surface transpor15 tation agencies, including State and local departments of 

16 transportation, public transit agencies, rail agencies, and 

17 other similar entities, to identify critical future investment 

18 in workforce development, particularly investments related 

19 to enhancing the technology skills of the personnel that 

20 operate and maintain surface transportation systems, in21 frastructure, and vehicles. 

22 (b) NATIONAL SUMMIT ON TRANSPORTATION WORK23 FORCE DEVELOPMENT.—The Secretary of Transpor24 tation, in coordination with the Task Force established 


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1 under section 2, shall jointly host a National Summit on 

2 Transportation Workforce Development— 

3 (1) to engage public and private stakeholders; 

4 and 

5 (2) to develop training and initiatives based on 

6 previous findings by the Intelligent Transportation 

7 Systems Joint Program Office of the Department of 

8 Transportation and the scanning tour under sub9 section (a). 

10 SEC. 8. REPORT ON BARRIERS TO WORK IN EMERGING 

11 TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGIES. 

12 The Comptroller General of the United States shall 

13 conduct, and submit to Congress a report on the results 

14 of, a study that identifies issues relating to workforce de15 velopment in intelligent transportation technologies and 

16 zero-emissions transportation technologies, including— 

17 (1) any shortages of skilled employees in the 

18 fields of intelligent transportation technologies and 

19 zero-emissions transportation technologies; 

20 (2) issues relating to the transition of workers 

21 from traditional vehicle manufacturing, operation, 

22 and maintenance to the intelligent and zero-emis23 sions transportation workforce; 

24 (3) issues relating to the transition of workers 

25 from traditional surface transportation installation, 


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1 construction, manufacturing, operation, and mainte2 nance to incorporation into the intelligent transpor3 tation workforce; and 

4 (4) examples of successful models of workforce 

5 development in the fields of intelligent transpor6 tation technologies and zero-emissions transportation 

7 technologies. 

8 SEC. 9. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE IN TRANSPORTATION 

9 WORKFORCE TRAINING. 

10 Section 504 of title 23, United States Code, is 

11 amended by adding after subsection (i) (as redesignated 

12 by section 3(a)(1)) the following: 

13 ‘‘(j) CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE IN TRANSPORTATION

14 WORKFORCE TRAINING.— 

15 ‘‘(1) DESIGNATION.—Not later than 1 year 

16 after the date of the enactment of this subsection, 

17 the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of 

18 Education and the Secretary of Labor, shall des19 ignate certain geographically diverse consortia of 2- 

20 year institutions of higher education as Community 

21 and Technical College Centers of Excellence in 

22 Transportation Workforce Training (referred to in 

23 this section as a ‘Center of Excellence’) in accord24 ance with paragraph (2). 

25 ‘‘(2) CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATION.— 


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1 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 

2 designate as a Center of Excellence under para3 graph (1) a consortium the Secretary deter4 mines has a demonstrated ability— 

5 ‘‘(i) to address education and training 

6 related to careers in transportation and 

7 manufacturing sectors; and 

8 ‘‘(ii) to carry out certain activities, in9 cluding— 

10 ‘‘(I) developing and implementing 

11 career pathways and programs of 

12 study that lead to recognized postsec13 ondary credentials in transportation 

14 sectors; 

15 ‘‘(II) providing on-the-job train16 ing or work-based learning opportuni17 ties in transportation sectors; 

18 ‘‘(III) developing dual or concur19 rent enrollment programs to provide 

20 education and training opportunities 

21 to secondary school students; 

22 ‘‘(IV) providing education and 

23 training for the development of a 

24 workforce skilled in various types of 

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1 tation sectors, including intelligent 

2 transportation technologies and com3 ponents, infrastructure, and equip4 ment related to those technologies; 

5 ‘‘(V) partnering with employers, 

6 labor organizations, local workforce 

7 development boards, State workforce 

8 development boards, State educational 

9 agencies, and eligible agencies to ad10 dress education and training related 

11 to careers in transportation sectors; 

12 ‘‘(VI) providing greater opportu13 nities to underrepresented individuals 

14 in the various careers within the 

15 transportation sector; and 

16 ‘‘(VII) providing outreach and 

17 career counseling to increase partici18 pation in transportation sectors. 

19 ‘‘(B) GEOGRAPHICAL DIVERSITY.—To the 

20 extent practicable, in designating Centers of 

21 Excellence under paragraph (1), the Secretary 

22 shall select institutions of higher education that 

23 are geographically diverse. 

24 ‘‘(3) COLLABORATION.—To address education 

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1 tors, a Center of Excellence may seek to collaborate 

2 with an institution receiving a grants under section 

3 5505 of title 49. 

4 ‘‘(4) GRANTS TO CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE.— 

5 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 

6 establish a program (in this subsection referred 

7 to as the ‘Program’) to award grants on a com8 petitive basis, as determined by the Secretary, 

9 to Centers of Excellence to address education 

10 and training related to careers in transportation 

11 sectors. 

12 ‘‘(B) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.—Grant funds 

13 awarded under the Program may only be used 

14 for a project that facilitates an activity de15 scribed in paragraph (2). 

16 ‘‘(C) APPLICATIONS.—To be eligible for a 

17 grant under the Program, a Center of Excel18 lence shall submit to the Secretary an applica19 tion in such form, at such time, and containing 

20 such information as the Secretary determines 

21 appropriate. 

22 ‘‘(D) REQUIREMENT.—For each fiscal 

23 year, not less than 10 percent of the total 

24 amounts made available for the Program shall 

25 be used for grants for training in emerging 


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1 technologies, including intelligent transportation 

2 technologies. 

3 ‘‘(E) LIMITATIONS.— 

4 ‘‘(i) MAXIMUM AMOUNT.—The 

5 amount of a grant under the Program may 

6 not exceed $2,000,000. 

7 ‘‘(ii) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal 

8 share of the cost of a project carried out 

9 by a grant under the Program— 

10 ‘‘(I) shall be 100 percent for a 

11 project carried out in fiscal year 2022 

12 or 2023; and 

13 ‘‘(II) may not exceed 75 percent 

14 for a project carried out in any of fis15 cal years 2024 through 2026. 

16 ‘‘(F) REPORT.—Each recipient of a grant 

17 under the Program shall submit to the Sec18 retary a report in such form, at such time, and 

19 containing such information as the Secretary 

20 determines appropriate to evaluate the grant, 

21 including— 

22 ‘‘(i) information relating to the use of 

23 grant funds awarded to the recipient under 

24 the Program; and 


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1 ‘‘(ii) an evaluation of each project car2 ried out with the grant funds, including— 

3 ‘‘(I) the percentage, and median 

4 earnings, of individuals participating 

5 in or benefitting from the project (re6 ferred to in this clause as the ‘partici7 pants’) who are in unsubsidized em8 ployment by the date that is 90 days 

9 after exit from the project; 

10 ‘‘(II) the percentage of partici11 pants who are in unsubsidized employ12 ment by the date that is 180 days 

13 after exit from the project; 

14 ‘‘(III) the percentage of partici15 pants who obtain a recognized post16 secondary credential, or a secondary 

17 school diploma or recognized equiva18 lent, during the project or not later 

19 than 1 year after exit from the 

20 project; 

21 ‘‘(IV) the percentage of partici22 pants who, during the project— 

23 ‘‘(aa) enrolled in an edu24 cation or training program that 

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1 ondary credential or employment; 

2 or 

3 ‘‘(bb) developed skills nec4 essary to receive such credential 

5 or employment; and 

6 ‘‘(V) the percentage of underrep7 resented individuals in various careers 

8 within the transportation sector that 

9 developed skills in various types of in10 telligent transportation technologies 

11 and components, infrastructure, and 

12 equipment related to those tech13 nologies. 

14 ‘‘(G) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIA15 TIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated 

16 to carry out this subsection $15,000,000 for 

17 each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.’’. 

18 SEC. 10. TRANSPORTATION WORKFORCE OUTREACH PRO19 GRAM. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 55 of 

21 subtitle III of title 49, United States Code, is amended 

22 by adding at the end the following: 

23 ‘‘§ 5506. Transportation workforce outreach program 

24 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transportation 

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1 lish and administer a transportation workforce outreach 

2 program, under which the Secretary shall carry out a se3 ries of public service announcement campaigns during 

4 each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026. 

5 ‘‘(b) PURPOSES.—The purpose of the campaigns car6 ried out under the program under this section shall be— 

7 ‘‘(1) to increase awareness of career opportuni8 ties in the transportation sector, including aviation 

9 pilots, safety inspectors, mechanics and technicians, 

10 maritime transportation workers, air traffic control11 lers, flight attendants, truck drivers, engineers, tran12 sit workers, railroad workers, and other transpor13 tation professionals; 

14 ‘‘(2) to reduce any stigma or misinformation re15 lated to careers in the transportation sector; 

16 ‘‘(3) to identify and emphasize the existing and 

17 future needs of emerging technologies within the 

18 transportation sector; and 

19 ‘‘(4) to increase diversity, including with respect 

20 to race, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, 

21 of professionals in the transportation sector. 

22 ‘‘(c) ADVERTISING.—The Secretary may use, or au23 thorize the use of, amounts made available to carry out 

24 the program under this section for the development, pro25 duction, and use of broadcast, digital, and print media adVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:03 Mar 05, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00038 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S356.IS S356

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1 vertising and outreach in carrying out a campaign under 

2 this section. 

3 ‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

4 is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 

5 out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 

6 through 2026.’’. 

7 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

8 for subchapter I of chapter 55 of subtitle III of title 49, 

9 United States Code, is amended by inserting after the 

10 item relating to section 5505 the following: 

‘‘5506. Transportation workforce outreach program.’’. 

11 SEC. 11. EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN THE TRANSPOR12 TATION WORKFORCE. 

13 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

14 (1) DEPARTMENT.—The term ‘‘Department’’ 

15 means the Department of Transportation. 

16 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

17 the Secretary of Transportation. 

18 (b) EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES RECOMMENDATION

19 EFFORTS.—To the maximum extent practicable, the Sec20 retary shall implement certain recommendations of the 

21 Comptroller General of the United States identified in the 

22 report entitled ‘‘Automated Technologies: DOT Should 

23 Take Steps to Ensure Its Workforce Has Skills Needed 

24 to Oversee Safety’’ and dated December 2020, including 

25 by— 


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1 (1) carrying out efforts to identify all cyberse2 curity occupations across the Department, and in3 corporating the occupations relating to overseeing 

4 the cybersecurity of automated technologies into the 

5 workforce planning efforts of the Department; 

6 (2) assessing skill gaps in key occupations that 

7 are involved in overseeing the safety of automated 

8 technologies and implementing strategies to close 

9 those gaps; 

10 (3) not less frequently than annually, meas11 uring the progress of strategies implemented to close 

12 the skill gaps described in paragraph (2) and ensur13 ing other modal administrations of the Department 

14 offer training to close those gaps; 

15 (4) collecting and analyzing information on the 

16 effectiveness of recruiting strategies, including spe17 cial payment authorities, in attracting employees of 

18 the Department to occupations that oversee the safe19 ty of automated technologies; and 

20 (5) sharing the effective recruiting strategies 

21 described in paragraph (4) with other modal admin22 istrations of the Department. 

23 (c) EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES COORDINATION EF24 FORT.—The Office of Research, Development, and Tech25 nology of the Department and the Intelligent TransporVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:03 Mar 05, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00040 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S356.IS S356

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1 tation Systems Joint Program Office of the Department 

2 shall coordinate— 

3 (1) to establish a curriculum and leverage exist4 ing Department workforce programs to ensure the 

5 recruitment and training of cybersecurity and pri6 vacy technical experts to assist any modal adminis7 tration of the Department in overseeing the effec8 tiveness and safety of emerging technologies; and 

9 (2) to use the efforts carried out by the Sec10 retary under subsection (b) to provide a growing 

11 workforce for transportation providers in the United 

12 States that is adept in the curriculum and workforce 

13 programs described in paragraph (1). 

Æ 


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