I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7849 
To require the Secretary of Labor to carry out a pilot program to award 
competitive grants to eligible entities to train individuals for careers 
in the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 29, 2020 
Mr. RUIZ introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Labor to carry out a pilot pro-
gram to award competitive grants to eligible entities to 
train individuals for careers in the renewable energy and 
energy efficiency industries, and for other purposes. 
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 to as the ‘‘Renewable Energy 
Jobs Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. ALTERNATIVE ENERGY TRAINING AND EMPLOY-
MENT PILOT PROGRAM. 
(a) PILOT PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Labor shall 
carry out a pilot program (in this section referred to as 
the ‘‘pilot program’’) to award competitive grants to eligi-
ble entities to train individuals for careers in the renew-
able energy and energy efficiency industries. 
(b) APPLICATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—To apply for a grant under 
the pilot program, an eligible entity shall submit an 
application to the Secretary at such time, in such 
manner, and containing such information as the Sec-
retary may require. 
(2) CONTENTS.—A grant application under this 
section shall include the following: 
(A) A proposal for a program to train indi-
viduals for careers in the renewable energy and 
energy efficiency industries. 
(B) A description of the presence of such 
industries, and the availability of jobs in such 
industries, in the State in which the eligible en-
tity will carry out the program. 
(C) A description of the sustainability of 
long-term careers in such industries in such 
State, including a description of the growth of 
such industries over the 10-year period pre-
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ceding the date of the application and the pro-
duction output of such industries as of the date 
of such application. 
(D) A plan to coordinate the efforts of the 
eligible entity under the program with relevant 
efforts of workforce development boards. 
(E) A description of how the program 
aligns with the workforce plan of such State. 
(F) A description of how the program will 
aid participants to attain recognized postsec-
ondary credentials. 
(c) DURATION OF GRANT.—Each grant under this 
section shall be for a period of 3 years. 
(d) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity that receives 
a grant under this section may use the grant funds— 
(1) to carry out the proposal submitted by the 
recipient under subsection (b)(2)(A); 
(2) to reimburse a primary entity for the cost 
of providing on-the-job training; 
(3) to reimburse a secondary entity for the cost 
of providing skills training (or on-the-job training if 
in partnership with an energy efficient employer); 
(4) to reimburse an employer for wages associ-
ated with registered apprenticeship; 
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(5) to conduct outreach to inform primary enti-
ties, secondary entities, and the public, including in-
dividuals in rural areas and Indian tribes, of eligi-
bility or potential eligibility for participation in the 
program; and 
(6) to conduct any other activities that the Sec-
retary determines appropriate. 
(e) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall prioritize grants to eligible entities 
that submit a proposal to carry out a program in a State 
that is among the 5 States with the highest installed alter-
native energy power capacity. 
(f) CONDITIONS.—As a condition of receipt of funds 
under this section, the Secretary shall require an eligible 
entity to agree— 
(1) to repay to the Secretary any amount re-
ceived under the pilot program that is not used for 
the purposes described in subsection (d) by the date 
that is 3 years after the date on which the recipient 
received such funds; 
(2) to submit to the Secretary, at such times 
and containing such information as the Secretary 
shall require, reports on the use of grant funds; and 
(3) to ensure that any employer or other entity 
receiving funds through a program under this sec-
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tion pays each individual receiving on-the-job train-
ing provided by such employer or entity not less 
than the applicable minimum wage for the State or 
locality in which such training is provided. 
(g) LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.— 
(1) 
FEDERAL
ADMINISTRATION.—Of 
the 
amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization 
of appropriations under subsection (i), 2 percent 
shall be made available to the Secretary for adminis-
trative costs associated with implementing and eval-
uating the pilot program under this section and for 
preparing and submitting the report required under 
subsection (h). 
(2) PROGRAM
ADMINISTRATION.—The Sec-
retary shall determine the appropriate maximum 
amount of each grant awarded under this section 
that may be used by the recipient for administrative 
and reporting costs. 
(h) REPORT
TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary shall 
submit to Congress an annual report on the pilot program 
for each year of the grant period containing— 
(1) a description of activities carried out under 
this section; 
(2) an evaluation of the pilot program; and 
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(3) a description of how many participants were 
employed by renewable energy and energy efficiency 
employers within 6 months of completing the train-
ing. 
(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized 
to 
be 
appropriated 
to 
the 
Secretary 
$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2023, 
for the purpose of carrying out the pilot program. 
(j) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means— 
(A) a primary entity; or 
(B) a consortium of entities that— 
(i) consists of one or more primary 
entities; and 
(ii) may include one or more sec-
ondary entities. 
(2) The term ‘‘Indian tribe’’ has the meaning 
given that term in section 102 of the Federally Rec-
ognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 
479a). 
(3) The term ‘‘installed alternative energy 
power capacity’’ means the amount of wind, solar, 
and geothermal power generation, expressed in 
megawatts, installed in a State. 
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(4) The term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ 
has the meaning given such term in section 3 of the 
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
U.S.C. 3102). 
(5) The term ‘‘labor organization’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 2 of the Na-
tional Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 152). 
(6) The term ‘‘on-the-job training’’ means 
training by renewable energy and energy efficiency 
employers, a labor organization, a institution of 
higher education, or a nonprofit organization that is 
provided to a paid participant while engaged in pro-
ductive work that— 
(A) provides knowledge or skills essential 
to the full and adequate performance of the job; 
(B) provides reimbursement to the em-
ployer for the costs of providing the training 
and additional supervision related to the train-
ing; and 
(C) is limited in duration as appropriate to 
the occupation for which the participant is 
being trained, taking into account the content 
of the training, the prior work experience of the 
participant, and the service strategy of the par-
ticipant, as appropriate. 
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(7) The term ‘‘primary entity’’ means— 
(A) a renewable energy and energy effi-
ciency employer; or 
(B) a workforce development board. 
(8) The term ‘‘recognized postsecondary creden-
tial’’ has the meaning given the term in section 3 of 
the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
U.S.C. 3102). 
(9) The term ‘‘renewable energy and energy ef-
ficiency employer’’ means an employer that employs 
individuals in a trade or business in the renewable 
energy and energy efficiency industries. 
(10) The term ‘‘renewable energy and energy 
efficiency industries’’ means any of the following in-
dustries: 
(A) The energy-efficient building, construc-
tion, or retrofits industry. 
(B) The renewable electric power industry, 
including the wind, solar, and geothermal en-
ergy industries. 
(C) The energy efficiency assessment in-
dustry that serves the residential, commercial, 
or industrial sectors. 
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(D) The industries that manufacture solar 
panels, wind turbines, geothermal generators, 
and similar products. 
(11) The term ‘‘secondary entity’’ means— 
(A) a institution of higher education; 
(B) a nonprofit organization; or 
(C) a labor organization. 
(12) The term ‘‘skills training’’ means training 
by secondary entity that provides the knowledge and 
skills essential to specific jobs in the renewable en-
ergy and energy efficiency industries. 
(13) The term ‘‘State’’ includes each of the sev-
eral States, the District of Columbia, the Common-
wealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Com-
monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the 
Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the 
Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, and the ter-
ritories and possessions of the United States. 
(14) The term ‘‘workforce development board’’ 
means a State or local workforce development board 
established under title I of the Workforce Innovation 
and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3111 et seq.). 
Æ 
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