47 U.S.C. § 344 (TELECOMMUNICATIONS)
§ 344. Telecommunications interagency working group
(a) Definition
In this section, the term “telecommunications interagency working group” means the interagency working group established under subsection (b)(1).
(b) Establishment
(1) In general
Not later than 60 days after November 15, 2021, the Chairman of the Commission, in partnership with the Secretary of Labor, shall establish within the Commission an interagency working group to develop recommendations to address the workforce needs of the telecommunications industry, including the safety of that workforce.
(2) Date of establishment
The telecommunications interagency working group shall be considered established on the date on which a majority of the members of the working group have been appointed, consistent with subsection (d).
(c) Duties
In developing recommendations under subsection (b), the telecommunications interagency working group shall—
(1) determine whether, and if so how, any Federal laws, regulations, guidance, policies, or practices, or any budgetary constraints, may be amended to strengthen the ability of institutions of higher education (as defined in section 1001 of title 20) or for-profit businesses to establish, adopt, or expand programs intended to address the workforce needs of the telecommunications industry, including the workforce needed to build and maintain the 5G wireless infrastructure necessary to support 5G wireless technology;
(2) identify potential policies and programs that could encourage and improve coordination among Federal agencies, between Federal agencies and States, and among States, on telecommunications workforce needs;
(3) identify ways in which existing Federal programs, including programs that help facilitate the employment of veterans and military personnel transitioning into civilian life, could be leveraged to help address the workforce needs of the telecommunications industry;
(4) identify ways to improve recruitment in workforce development programs in the telecommunications industry;
(5) identify Federal incentives that could be provided to institutions of higher education, for-profit businesses, State workforce development boards established under section 3111 of title 29, or other relevant stakeholders to establish or adopt new programs, expand current programs, or partner with registered apprenticeship programs, to address the workforce needs of the telecommunications industry, including such needs in rural areas;
(6) identify ways to improve the safety of telecommunications workers, including tower climbers; and
(7) identify ways that trends in wages, benefits, and working conditions in the telecommunications industry impact recruitment of employees in the sector.
(d) Members
The telecommunications interagency working group shall be composed of the following representatives of Federal agencies and relevant non-Federal industry and labor stakeholder organizations:
(1) A representative of the Department of Education, appointed by the Secretary of Education.
(2) A representative of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, appointed by the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information.
(3) A representative of the Commission, appointed by the Chairman of the Commission.
(4) A representative of a registered apprenticeship program in construction or maintenance, appointed by the Secretary of Labor.
(5) A representative of a telecommunications industry association, appointed by the Chairman of the Commission.
(6) A representative of an Indian Tribe or Tribal organization, appointed by the Chairman of the Commission.
(7) A representative of a rural telecommunications carrier, appointed by the Chairman of the Commission.
(8) A representative of a telecommunications contractor firm, appointed by the Chairman of the Commission.
(9) A representative of an institution of higher education described in section 1067q(a) of title 20, appointed by the Secretary of Education.
(10) A public interest advocate for tower climber safety, appointed by the Secretary of Labor.
(11) A representative of the Directorate of Construction of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, appointed by the Secretary of Labor.
(12) A representative of a labor organization representing the telecommunications workforce, appointed by the Secretary of Labor.
(e) No compensation
A member of the telecommunications interagency working group shall serve without compensation.
(f) Other matters
(1) Chair and vice chair
The telecommunications interagency working group shall name a chair and a vice chair, who shall be responsible for organizing the business of the working group.
(2) Subgroups
The chair and vice chair of the telecommunications interagency working group, in consultation with the other members of the telecommunications interagency working group, may establish such subgroups as necessary to help conduct the work of the telecommunications interagency working group.
(3) Support
The Commission and the Secretary of Labor may detail employees of the Commission and the Department of Labor, respectively, to assist and support the work of the telecommunications interagency working group, though such a detailee shall not be considered to be a member of the working group.
(g) Report to Congress
(1) Report to Congress
Not later than 1 year after the date on which the telecommunications interagency working group is established, the working group shall submit a report containing its recommendations to address the workforce needs of the telecommunications industry to—
(A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate;
(B) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate;
(C) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives;
(D) the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives;
(E) the Department of Labor; and
(F) the Commission.
(2) Majority support
The telecommunications interagency working group may not submit the report under paragraph (1) unless the report has the support of not less than the majority of the members of the working group.
(3) Views
The telecommunications interagency working group shall—
(A) include with the report submitted under paragraph (1) any concurring or dissenting view offered by a member of the working group; and
(B) identify each member to whom each concurring or dissenting view described in subparagraph (A) should be attributed.
(4) Public posting
The Commission and the Secretary of Labor shall make a copy of the report submitted under paragraph (1) available to the public on the websites of the Commission and the Department of Labor, respectively.
(h) Nonapplicability of FACA
The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the telecommunications interagency working group.
(June 19, 1934, ch. 652, title III, § 344, as added and amended Pub. L. 117–58, div. F, title VI, § 60602, Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 1246.)
heading: Repeal of Section
text: For repeal of section, see section 60602(b) of Pub. L. 117–58, set out as a note below.
heading: Editorial Notes
heading: References in Text
text: The Federal Advisory Committee Act, referred to in subsec. (h), is Pub. L. 92–463, Oct. 6, 1972, 86 Stat. 770, which is set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.
heading: Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
heading: Repeal of Section
text: Pub. L. 117–58, div. F, title VI, § 60602(b), Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 1249, provided that: “Section 344 of the Communications Act of 1934 [47 U.S.C. 344], as added by subsection (a), shall be repealed on the day after the date on which the interagency working group established under subsection (b)(1) of that section [Jan. 14, 2022] submits the report to Congress under subsection (g) of that section [Jan. 13, 2023].”