I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3699 
To promote a 21st century energy and manufacturing workforce. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 25, 2023 
Mr. HUDSON (for himself and Mr. VEASEY) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, 
and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period 
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To promote a 21st century energy and manufacturing 
workforce. 
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 ‘‘Widening Opportuni-
ties to Recapture Key Energy Roles Act’’ or the ‘‘WORK-
ER Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. ENERGY AND MANUFACTURING WORKFORCE DE-
VELOPMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Energy (in this 
Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall prioritize edu-
cation and training for energy and manufacturing-related 
jobs in order to increase the number of skilled workers 
trained to work in energy and manufacturing-related fields 
when considering awards for existing grant programs, in-
cluding by carrying out the following: 
(1) Encouraging State education agencies and 
local educational agencies to equip students with the 
skills, mentorships, training, and technical expertise 
necessary to fill the employment opportunities vital 
to managing and operating the Nation’s energy and 
manufacturing industries, in collaboration with rep-
resentatives from the energy and manufacturing in-
dustries (including the oil, gas, coal, nuclear, utility, 
pipeline, renewable, petrochemical, manufacturing, 
and electrical construction sectors) to identify the 
areas of highest need in each sector and the skills 
necessary for a high-quality workforce in the fol-
lowing sectors of energy and manufacturing: 
(A) The energy efficiency industry, includ-
ing work in energy efficiency, conservation, 
weatherization, or retrofitting, or as inspectors 
or auditors. 
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(B) The pipeline industry, including work 
in pipeline construction and maintenance or 
work as engineers or technical advisors. 
(C) The utility industry, including work in 
the generation, transmission, and distribution 
of electricity and natural gas, such as utility 
technicians, operators, lineworkers, engineers, 
scientists, and information technology special-
ists. 
(D) The nuclear industry, including work 
as scientists, engineers, technicians, mathemati-
cians, or security personnel. 
(E) The oil and gas industry, including 
work as scientists, engineers, technicians, math-
ematicians, petrochemical engineers, or geolo-
gists. 
(F) The renewable industry, including 
work in the development, manufacturing, and 
production of renewable energy sources (such as 
solar, hydropower, wind, or geothermal energy). 
(G) The coal industry, including work as 
coal miners, engineers, developers and manufac-
turers of state-of-the-art coal facilities, tech-
nology vendors, coal transportation workers and 
operators, or mining equipment vendors. 
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(H) The manufacturing industry, including 
work as operations technicians, operations and 
design in additive manufacturing, 3-D printing, 
advanced composites, and advanced aluminum 
and other metal alloys, industrial energy effi-
ciency management systems, including power 
electronics, and other innovative technologies. 
(I) The chemical manufacturing industry, 
including work in construction (such as welders, 
pipefitters, and tool and die makers) or as in-
strument and electrical technicians, machinists, 
chemical process operators, chemical engineers, 
quality and safety professionals, and reliability 
engineers. 
(2) Strengthening and more fully engaging De-
partment of Energy programs and labs in carrying 
out the Department’s workforce development initia-
tives, including the Minorities in Energy Initiative. 
(b) PROHIBITION.—Nothing in this section may be 
construed to authorize the Secretary or any other officer 
or employee of the Federal Government to incentivize, re-
quire, or coerce a State, school district, or school to adopt 
curricula aligned to the skills described in subsection (a). 
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(c) PRIORITY.—The Secretary shall prioritize the 
education and training of underrepresented groups in en-
ergy and manufacturing-related jobs. 
(d) CLEARINGHOUSE.—In carrying out this section, 
the Secretary shall establish a clearinghouse to— 
(1) maintain and update information and re-
sources on training and workforce development pro-
grams for energy and manufacturing-related jobs, 
including job training and workforce development 
programs available to assist displaced and unem-
ployed 
energy 
and 
manufacturing 
workers 
transitioning to new employment; and 
(2) provide technical assistance for States, local 
educational agencies, schools, community colleges, 
universities (including minority-serving institutions), 
workforce development programs, labor-management 
organizations, and industry organizations that would 
like to develop and implement energy and manufac-
turing-related training programs. 
(e) COLLABORATION.—In carrying out this section, 
the Secretary shall— 
(1) collaborate with States, local educational 
agencies, schools, community colleges, universities 
(including minority-serving institutions), workforce- 
training organizations, national laboratories, State 
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(1) give special consideration to increasing out-
reach to minority-serving institutions and Histori-
cally Black Colleges and Universities; 
(2) make existing resources available through 
program cross-cutting to minority-serving institu-
tions with the objective of increasing the number of 
skilled minorities and women trained to go into the 
energy and manufacturing sectors; 
(3) encourage industry to improve the opportu-
nities for students of minority-serving institutions to 
participate in industry internships and cooperative 
work/study programs; and 
(4) partner with the Department of Energy lab-
oratories to increase underrepresented groups’ par-
ticipation in internships, fellowships, traineeships, 
and employment at all Department of Energy lab-
oratories. 
(g) OUTREACH TO DISLOCATED ENERGY AND MANU-
FACTURING WORKERS.—In carrying out this section, the 
Secretary shall— 
(1) give special consideration to increasing out-
reach to employers and job trainers preparing dis-
located energy and manufacturing workers for in-de-
mand sectors or occupations; 
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(2) make existing resources available through 
program cross-cutting to institutions serving dis-
located energy and manufacturing workers with the 
objective of training individuals to re-enter in-de-
mand sectors or occupations; 
(3) encourage the energy and manufacturing in-
dustries to improve opportunities for dislocated en-
ergy and manufacturing workers to participate in 
career pathways; and 
(4) work closely with the energy and manufac-
turing industries to identify energy and manufac-
turing operations, such as coal-fired power plants 
and coal mines scheduled for closure, to provide 
early intervention assistance to workers employed at 
such energy and manufacturing operations by— 
(A) partnering with State boards and local 
boards; 
(B) giving special consideration to employ-
ers and job trainers preparing such workers for 
in-demand sectors or occupations; 
(C) making existing resources available 
through program cross-cutting to institutions 
serving such workers with the objective of train-
ing them to re-enter in-demand sectors or occu-
pations; and 
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(D) encouraging the energy and manufac-
turing industries to improve opportunities for 
such workers to participate in career pathways. 
(h) ENROLLMENT IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT 
PROGRAMS.—In carrying out this section, the Secretary 
shall work with industry and community-based workforce 
organizations to help identify candidates, including from 
underrepresented communities such as minorities, women, 
and veterans, to enroll in workforce development programs 
for energy and manufacturing-related jobs. 
(i) PROHIBITION.—Nothing in this section may be 
construed as authorizing the creation of a new workforce 
development program. 
(j) REPORT.—Not later than five years after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall publish 
a comprehensive report to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce and the Committee on Education and the 
Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Energy and Natural Resources Committee of 
the Senate on the outlook for energy and manufacturing 
sectors nationally. The report shall also include a com-
prehensive summary of energy and manufacturing job cre-
ation as a result of the enactment of this section, and shall 
include performance data regarding the number of pro-
gram participants served, the percentage of participants 
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in competitive integrated employment two quarters and 
four quarters after program completion, the median in-
come of program participants two quarters and four quar-
ters after program completion, and the percentage of pro-
gram participants receiving industry-recognized creden-
tials. 
(k) USE OF EXISTING FUNDS.—No additional funds 
are authorized to carry out the requirements of this sec-
tion. Such requirements shall be carried out using 
amounts otherwise authorized. 
(l) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) CAREER PATHWAYS; DISLOCATED WORKER; 
IN-DEMAND
SECTORS
OR
OCCUPATIONS; 
LOCAL 
BOARD; STATE
BOARD.—The terms ‘‘career path-
ways’’, ‘‘dislocated worker’’, ‘‘in-demand sectors or 
occupations’’, ‘‘local board’’, and ‘‘State board’’ have 
the meanings given the terms ‘‘career pathways’’, 
‘‘dislocated worker’’, ‘‘in-demand sectors or occupa-
tions’’, ‘‘local board’’, and ‘‘State board’’, respec-
tively, in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and 
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102). 
(2) 
MINORITY-SERVING
INSTITUTION.—The 
term ‘‘minority-serving institution’’ means an insti-
tution of higher education with a designation of one 
of the following: 
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(A) Hispanic-serving institution (as de-
fined in 20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(5)). 
(B) Tribal College or University (as de-
fined in 20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)). 
(C) Alaska Native-serving institution or a 
Native Hawaiian-serving institution (as defined 
in 20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)). 
(D) Predominantly Black Institution (as 
defined in 20 U.S.C. 1059e(b)). 
(E) Native American-serving nontribal in-
stitution (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 1059f(b)). 
(F) Asian American and Native American 
Pacific Islander-serving institution (as defined 
in 20 U.S.C. 1059g(b)). 
Æ 
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