I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4788 
To address the needs of workers in industries likely to be impacted by 
rapidly evolving technologies. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 22, 2019 
Mrs. BUSTOS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To address the needs of workers in industries likely to be 
impacted by rapidly evolving technologies. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Investing in Tomor-
row’s Workforce Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) In 2014, the United States spent just 0.1 
percent of the Nation’s Gross Domestic Product on 
labor market policies, less than half of what the 
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United States spent on labor market policies 30 
years ago. 
(2) The number of workers receiving federally 
supported training has declined in the past 3 dec-
ades as advances in technology have simultaneously 
shifted labor market demand over time. 
(3) As much as 47 percent of all jobs in the 
United States are at risk of being replaced by auto-
mation technology, and job losses from automation 
are more likely to impact workers making less than 
$40,000 annually. 
(4) Strong Federal investment in expanding 
training services for workers whose jobs may be lost 
due to automation could prepare the United States 
workforce to better adapt to changes in the labor 
market and enter into skilled positions in techno-
logically oriented occupations and industries. 
(5) A focus on preparing the workforce of the 
United States for jobs that utilize advanced tech-
nologies could grow wages, increase economic pro-
ductivity, and boost the competitiveness of the 
United States. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
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(1) AUTOMATION.—The term ‘‘automation’’ 
means a device, process, or system that functions 
without continuous input from an operator, includ-
ing— 
(A) advanced technologies, such as— 
(i) data collection, classification proc-
essing, and analytics; and 
(ii) 3–D printing, digital design and 
simulation, and digital manufacturing; 
(B) robotics, including collaborative robot-
ics, and worker augmentation technology; 
(C) autonomous vehicle technology; or 
(D) autonomous machinery technology. 
(2) DISLOCATED
WORKER.—The term ‘‘dis-
located worker’’ has the meaning given the term in 
section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Oppor-
tunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102). 
(3) IN-DEMAND INDUSTRY SECTOR OR OCCUPA-
TION.—The term ‘‘in-demand industry sector or oc-
cupation’’ has the meaning given the term in section 
3 of that Act. 
(4) INTEGRATED EDUCATION AND TRAINING.— 
The term ‘‘integrated education and training’’ has 
the meaning given the term in section 203 of that 
Act (29 U.S.C. 3272). 
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(7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Labor. 
(8) TRAINING SERVICES.—The term ‘‘training 
services’’ means training services described in sec-
tion 
134(c)(3)(D) 
of 
that 
Act 
(29 
U.S.C. 
3174(c)(3)(D)). 
SEC. 4. GAO STUDY ON BARRIERS TO AND OPPORTUNITIES 
FOR RETRAINING WORKERS. 
(a) STUDY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of 
the United States, in coordination with the Sec-
retary of Labor, shall conduct a study of the bar-
riers to providing, and opportunities for improving, 
training for workers in industries that have, or are 
likely to have, high rates of job loss due to automa-
tion. 
(2) CONTENTS.—In conducting the study, the 
Comptroller General shall study— 
(A) considerations impacting, and strate-
gies to improve data collection with respect to, 
the workforce in industries with high rates of 
job loss or a high likelihood of automation in 
the United States, including considerations and 
data collection strategies concerning— 
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(i) industries and occupations most 
likely to be impacted by automation, in-
cluding— 
(I) the geographical location of 
those industries and occupations; 
(II) the annual average wages of 
those occupations; and 
(III) demographic data on the 
race, gender, and age of workers in 
those industries and occupations; 
(ii) employer-based training practices 
in those industries and occupations; 
(iii) the frequency with which employ-
ers provide worker training to address 
skills needs and react to changes in the 
labor market; 
(iv) projected job losses; and 
(v) labor organization membership 
rates in those industries and occupations; 
(B) considerations impacting, and strate-
gies to improve data collection with respect to, 
the workforce in in-demand industry sectors 
and occupations in the United States, such as 
advanced manufacturing, information tech-
nology, and health care, including consider-
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ations and data collection strategies con-
cerning— 
(i) industry sectors and occupations 
that may emerge or become in-demand in-
dustry sectors or occupations as a result of 
automation, including— 
(I) the geographical location of 
those industry sectors and occupa-
tions; 
(II) the average annual wages of 
those occupations; and 
(III) demographic data on the 
race, gender, and age of workers in 
those occupations; 
(ii) the skills and education needed to 
fill the positions in those industry sectors; 
(iii) employer-based training practices 
in those industry sectors; 
(iv) projected job gains; and 
(v) labor organization membership 
rates in those industries and occupations; 
(C) barriers to, and opportunities for, re-
training workers in industries that have a high 
likelihood of being impacted by automation; 
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(D) the impact of the geographical location 
of workers and their access to transportation on 
the ability of the workers to access job training 
and related higher-skilled positions; 
(E) the impact of workers’ access to other 
benefits and services, including child care, paid 
sick leave, paid family and medical leave, or a 
retirement plan, on the ability of the workers to 
access job training and related higher-skilled 
positions; and 
(F) how reduced Federal funding for job 
training programs has impacted the ability of 
State and local governments, employers, labor 
organizations, and communities to respond to 
changes in the labor market, including rapidly 
evolving technologies. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the 
United States shall prepare and submit to the Secretary 
of Labor and the appropriate committees of Congress a 
report concerning the results of the study. 
SEC. 5. GRANTS TO IMPROVE TRAINING FOR WORKERS IM-
PACTED BY AUTOMATION. 
(a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—From the amounts appro-
priated under subsection (g) and beginning not later 
than 1 year after receiving the report by the Comp-
troller General of the United States under section 
4(b), the Secretary of Labor shall award grants, on 
a competitive basis, to eligible partnerships to sup-
port demonstration and pilot projects relating to the 
training needs of workers who are, or are likely to 
become, dislocated workers as a result of automa-
tion. 
(2) DURATION.—A grant awarded under this 
section shall be for a period not to exceed 4 years. 
(3) USE OF REPORT.—The Secretary shall use 
the report prepared the Comptroller General under 
section 4(b) to inform the grant program carried out 
under this section. 
(b) APPLICATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a 
grant under this section, an eligible partnership shall 
submit an application to the Secretary at such time, 
in such manner, and containing such information as 
the Secretary shall reasonably require. 
(2) CONTENTS.—Each application submitted 
under paragraph (1) shall include a description of 
the demonstration or pilot project to be completed 
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with the grant funds, which description shall in-
clude— 
(A) a description of the members of the el-
igible partnership who will be involved in the 
demonstration or pilot program and the services 
each member will provide; 
(B) a description of the training services 
that will be available to individuals participating 
in the demonstration or pilot project, which 
may include— 
(i) a plan to train dislocated workers 
from industries likely to be impacted by 
automation and transition the workers into 
regionally in-demand industry sectors or 
occupations; and 
(ii) a plan to partner with local busi-
nesses to retrain, upskill, and re-deploy 
workers within an industry as an alter-
native to layoffs; 
(C) a plan to provide workers with tech-
nology-based skills training, which may include 
training to provide skills related to coding, sys-
tems engineering, or information technology se-
curity, in addition to other skills; and 
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(D) a description of the goals that the eli-
gible partnership intends to achieve to upskill 
workers and prepare them for in-demand indus-
try sectors or occupations. 
(c) PRIORITIES.—In awarding grants under this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall give priority to— 
(1) eligible partnerships that are located in an 
area with a high concentration of— 
(A) industries with a higher likelihood of 
being impacted by automation; or 
(B) industries included in in-demand in-
dustry sectors, as determined under subpara-
graphs (A)(i) and (B) of section 3(23) of the 
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
U.S.C. 3102(23)); 
(2) eligible partnerships— 
(A) with a plan to provide incumbent 
worker training— 
(i) to assist workers in obtaining the 
skills necessary to retain employment or 
avert layoffs; or 
(ii) that allows a worker working for 
an employer to acquire new skills that 
allow the worker to obtain a higher-skilled 
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or higher-paid position with such employer; 
and 
(B) that partner with local employers that 
intend to backfill the pre-training positions of 
the incumbent workers by hiring new workers 
to fill those positions; 
(3) eligible partnerships that will provide work-
ers with a transportation stipend, paid sick leave, 
paid family and medical leave, access to child care 
services, or other employment benefits; or 
(4) eligible partnerships with a plan to develop 
a shared training curriculum that can be used across 
local and regional networks of employers and train-
ing providers. 
(d) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible partnership that re-
ceives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds 
for one or more of the following: 
(1) Providing training services under the dem-
onstration or pilot project, which may include train-
ing services that prepare workers for in-demand in-
dustry sectors or occupations. 
(2) Providing assistance for employers in devel-
oping a staff position for an individual who will be 
responsible for supporting training services provided 
under the grant. 
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(3) Purchasing equipment or technology nec-
essary for training services provided under para-
graph (1). 
(4) Providing job search and other transitional 
assistance to workers in industries with high rates of 
job loss. 
(5) Providing a training stipend to workers for 
training services. 
(6) Providing integrated education and train-
ing. 
(e) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after an eligible 
partnership’s completion of a demonstration or pilot 
project supported under this section, the eligible partner-
ship shall prepare and submit to the Secretary a report 
regarding— 
(1) the number of workers who received train-
ing services through the demonstration or pilot 
project, disaggregated by type of training service 
and the age, gender, and race of the workers; 
(2) the number of such workers who success-
fully transitioned into a new position following com-
pletion of the training services; 
(3) the number of individuals who successfully 
transitioned into an in-demand industry sector or oc-
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cupation following completion of the training serv-
ices; 
(4) annual earnings data for individuals who 
have completed training services through the dem-
onstration or pilot project; 
(5) the percentage of individuals described in 
paragraph (4) who are in education or training ac-
tivities, or in employment, during the second quarter 
after exit from the training services; 
(6) the percentage of individuals described in 
paragraph (4) who are in education or training ac-
tivities, or in employment, during the fourth quarter 
after exit from the training services; and 
(7) any practices used by the partnership that 
should be considered best practices with respect to 
training workers in industries that have, or are ex-
pected to have, high rates of job loss as a result of 
automation. 
(f) GENERAL REQUIREMENTS.—An eligible partner-
ship that receives a grant under this section shall use the 
grant funds in a manner that is consistent with the labor 
standards and protections described in section 181 of the 
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 
3241) and nondiscrimination provisions described in sec-
tion 188 of such Act (29 U.S.C. 3248). 
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(g) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
such sums as may be necessary for the first 5 full fiscal 
years after the date of submittal of the report under sec-
tion 4(b). 
SEC. 6. EXPANSION OF WORKER TRAINING SERVICES. 
(a) ADULT
AND DISLOCATED WORKER EMPLOY-
MENT
AND
TRAINING.—Section 134(d)(1)(A) of the 
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 
3174(d)(1)(A)) is amended— 
(1) in clause (xi), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(2) in clause (xii), by striking the period and in-
serting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(xiii) training programs for individ-
uals who are, or are likely to become, dis-
located workers as a result of automation, 
including activities that prepare the indi-
viduals for occupations in the technology 
sector.’’. 
(b) NATIONAL DISLOCATED WORKER GRANTS.—Sec-
tion 170 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 
(29 U.S.C. 3225) is amended— 
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(1) in subsection (b)(1)(A), by inserting ‘‘ad-
vances in automation technology,’’ before ‘‘plant clo-
sures,’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—In ad-
dition to any funds reserved under section 132(a)(2)(A) 
to carry out this section, there are authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out this section $40,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2020 through 2024.’’. 
Æ 
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