I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4877 
To allow State manufacturing extension partnerships to award grants to 
small- and medium-sized manufacturers for the purpose of training new 
workers to replace departing experienced workers. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 28, 2019 
Mr. LANGEVIN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
A BILL 
To allow State manufacturing extension partnerships to 
award grants to small- and medium-sized manufacturers 
for the purpose of training new workers to replace de-
parting experienced workers. 
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 ‘‘Retain Innovation and 
Manufacturing Excellence (RIME) Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
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(1) CENTER.—The term ‘‘Center’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 25(a) of the Na-
tional Institute of Standards and Technology Act 
(15 U.S.C. 278k(a)). 
(2) ELIGIBLE
MANUFACTURERS.—The term 
‘‘eligible manufacturer’’ means a manufacturer 
that— 
(A) is a small business concern, as that 
term is defined under section 3 of the Small 
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632); and 
(B) has an existing relationship with a 
Center. 
SEC. 3. PILOT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Commerce shall 
establish a pilot program to award National Institute of 
Standards and Technology Manufacturing Extension 
Partnership (MEP) grants to help ensure an adequately 
trained manufacturing workforce. Under the program, eli-
gible Centers may award MEP grants to eligible manufac-
turers to retain retiring employees for up to 90 days for 
the purpose of transferring job-specific skills and training 
to existing or new employees. The length of each grant 
shall be determined through negotiations between the Cen-
ter and the eligible manufacturer. 
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(b) ELIGIBILITY.—In order to be eligible to receive 
funding and award grants under the program, a Center 
must meet the following criteria: 
(1) A Center must be able to document evi-
dence of an aging workforce within manufacturing 
firms that are seeking assistance with retaining 
skills and knowledge of their operations. 
(2) A Center shall establish a transparent appli-
cation process for eligible manufacturing firms that 
may include one or more of the following pref-
erences: 
(A) A preference for manufacturers that 
employ veterans discharged or released under 
honorable conditions. 
(B) A preference for manufacturing firms 
from industry sectors that are most in need of 
assistance as determined by the local MEP. 
(C) A preference for manufacturing firms 
with a facility in the State or region for an ex-
tended period of time before the application is 
submitted (as determined by the Center). 
(D) A preference for manufacturing firms 
that have an existing relationship with the local 
MEP. 
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(3) A Center must be able to demonstrate their 
ability to assess, advise, and train manufacturers on 
how to transfer the job-specific skills and training 
through the implementation of a training structure 
and train-the-trainer program focused on knowledge 
capture and transfer. 
(c) TRAINING.—In awarding grants pursuant to this 
section, consideration shall be given to the use of funds 
by Centers to assist manufacturers that are experiencing 
high employee turnover due to their inability to transfer 
required job-specific skills and training to new employees 
with the implementation of training structures and train- 
the-trainer programs. 
(d) COST SHARING.—To be eligible for a grant under 
the pilot program under this section, a Center shall dem-
onstrate that 50 percent of the amount of the funds 
awarded are matched from non-Federal sources. Those 
sources may include State and local agencies engaged in 
workforce development, foundations engaged in workforce 
development, or an in-kind contribution from an employer 
that would stand to directly benefit from the grant re-
ceived by the Center. 
(e) NUMBER AND SIZE OF AWARDS.— 
(1) NUMBER.—The Secretary may award up to 
25 grants to Centers under the pilot program. 
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(2) SIZE.—Each award under the program 
shall be for not less than $50,000 and not more 
than $500,000. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology $10,000,000 to carry out the 
pilot program. 
Æ 
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