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105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3270
To authorize the Secretary of Commerce to provide grants to improve the
job skills necessary for employment in specific industries.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 25, 1998
Mr. MORAN of Virginia (for himself, Mr. DAVIS of Virginia, Ms. STABENOW,
Mr. ADAM SMITH of Washington, Mr. SAWYER, Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon,
Ms. CHRISTIAN-GREEN, and Mr. RUSH) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Commerce to provide grants
to improve the job skills necessary for employment in
specific industries.
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 ‘‘Regional Skills Train-
ing Alliances Act of 1998’’.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Commerce, act-
ing through the Director of the National Institute of
Standards and Technology, and in consultation with the
Secretary of Labor, shall provide grants to eligible entities
described in subsection (b) to assist such entities to im-
prove the job skills necessary for employment in specific
industries.
(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES DESCRIBED.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity described
in this subsection is a consortium that—
(A) shall consist of representatives from
not less than 10 businesses (or a nonprofit or-
ganization that represents not less than 10
businesses); and
(B) may consist of representatives from
one or more of the following:
(i) Labor organizations.
(ii) State and local government.
(iii) Educational institutions.
(iv) Nonprofit organizations that rep-
resent businesses.
(2) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT.—To the maxi-
mum extent practicable, each business, organization,
or government that forms an eligible entity under
paragraph (1) shall be located in the same geo-
graphic region of the United States.
(c) PRIORITY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.—In provid-
ing grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give
priority to eligible entities that consist of a majority of
representatives from small businesses.
(d) MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF GRANT.—The amount of
a grant provided to an eligible entity under subsection (a)
may not exceed $1,000,000 for any fiscal year.
SEC. 3. APPLICATION.
The Secretary may not provide a grant under section
2 to an eligible entity unless such entity submits to the
Secretary an application containing such information as
the Secretary may reasonably require.
SEC. 4. USE OF AMOUNTS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may not provide a
grant under section 2 to an eligible entity unless such en-
tity agrees to use amounts received from such grant to
improve the job skills necessary for employment by busi-
nesses in the industry with respect to which such entity
was established.
(b) CONDUCT OF PROGRAM.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the program
described in subsection (a), the eligible entity may
provide for—
(A) an assessment of training and job skill
needs for the industry;
(B) development of a sequence of skill
standards that are benchmarked to advanced
industry practices;
(C) development of curriculum and train-
ing methods;
(D) purchase, lease, or receipt of donations
of training equipment;
(E) identification and development of
training providers;
(F) development of apprenticeship pro-
grams; and
(G) development of training programs for
dislocated workers.
(2) ADDITIONAL
REQUIREMENT.—In carrying
out the program described in subsection (a), the eli-
gible entity shall provide for development and track-
ing of performance outcome measures.
(c) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—The eligible entity
may use not more than 50 percent of the amount of a
grant to pay for administrative costs associated with the
program described in subsection (a).
SEC. 5. REQUIREMENT OF MATCHING FUNDS.
The Secretary may not provide a grant under section
2 to an eligible entity unless such entity agrees that—
(1) it will make available non-Federal contribu-
tions toward the costs of carrying out activities
under section 4 in an amount that is not less than
$2 for each $1 of Federal funds provided under a
grant under section 2; and
(2) of such non-Federal contributions, not less
than $1 of each such $2 shall be from businesses
participating in the eligible entity.
SEC. 6. DEFINITION.
For purposes of this Act, the term ‘‘Secretary’’
means the Secretary of Commerce.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out
this Act $50,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1999,
2000, and 2001.
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