National Transit Frontline Workforce Training Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.2129 | Sponsor: Rep. Brown, Anthony G. (D-MD)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
National Transit Frontline Workforce Training Act of 2021
This bill directs the Department of Transportation to establish a national transit frontline workforce training center to meet the needs of the rural and urban transit system frontline workforce through standards-based training relating to relevant maintenance and operations occupations. It must also evaluate, and provide a grant to, a nonprofit organization with demonstrated capacity to develop and provide transit career ladder programs through labor-management partnerships and apprenticeships on a nationwide basis to carry out the duties of the center.
The center must develop and carry out training and educational programs for public transportation employees serving in the frontline workforce, including programs relating to (1) developing consensus national training standards for key frontline occupations with demonstrated skill gaps; (2) developing national systems of qualification and apprenticeship for transit maintenance and operations occupations; and (3) establishing local, regional, and statewide transit training partnerships.

To amend title 49, United States Code, to establish a National Transit 
      Frontline Workforce Training Center, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Transit Frontline Workforce 
Training Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL TRANSIT FRONTLINE WORKFORCE TRAINING CENTER.

    (a) In General.--Section 5314(b) of title 49, United States Code, 
is amended--
            (1) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
            ``(2) National transit frontline workforce training 
        center.--
                    ``(A) Definitions.--In this paragraph:
                            ``(i) Administrator.--The term 
                        `Administrator' means the Administrator of the 
                        Federal Transit Administration.
                            ``(ii) Center.--The term `Center' means the 
                        National Transit Frontline Workforce Training 
                        Center established under subparagraph (B).
                            ``(iii) Human capital.--The term `human 
                        capital' means any knowledge, talent, skill, 
                        ability, experience, intelligence, training, 
                        judgment, or wisdom possessed, individually or 
                        collectively, by the transit frontline 
                        workforce (including operations, maintenance, 
                        and administrative personnel).
                    ``(B) Establishment.--The Secretary shall--
                            ``(i) establish a center, to be known as 
                        the `National Transit Frontline Workforce 
                        Training Center', to meet the needs of the 
                        rural and urban transit system frontline 
                        workforce through standards-based training 
                        relating to relevant maintenance and operations 
                        occupations; and
                            ``(ii) evaluate, and provide a grant to, a 
                        nonprofit organization with demonstrated 
                        capacity to develop and provide transit career 
                        ladder programs through labor-management 
                        partnerships and apprenticeships, on a 
                        nationwide basis, to carry out the duties of 
                        the Center described in subparagraph (C).
                    ``(C) Duties.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The Center, in 
                        cooperation with the Administrator, transit 
                        authorities, and other appropriate individuals 
                        and entities, shall develop and carry out 
                        training and educational programs for public 
                        transportation employees serving in the 
                        frontline workforce.
                            ``(ii) Training and educational program 
                        inclusions.--The training and educational 
                        programs developed under clause (i) may include 
                        courses in recent developments, techniques, and 
                        procedures relating to--
                                    ``(I) developing consensus national 
                                training standards, in partnership with 
                                industry stakeholders, for key 
                                frontline occupations with demonstrated 
                                skill gaps;
                                    ``(II) developing national systems 
                                of qualification and apprenticeship for 
                                transit maintenance and operations 
                                occupations;
                                    ``(III) establishing local, 
                                regional, and statewide transit 
                                training partnerships--
                                            ``(aa) to identify and 
                                        address workforce skill gaps; 
                                        and
                                            ``(bb) to develop skills 
                                        needed for--

                                                    ``(AA) delivering 
                                                quality transit 
                                                service; and

                                                    ``(BB) supporting 
                                                employee career 
                                                advancement;

                                    ``(IV) developing programs for the 
                                training of the frontline workforce, 
                                instructors, mentors, and labor-
                                management partnership representatives, 
                                in the form of classroom, hands-on, on-
                                the-job, and internet web-based 
                                training, to be delivered--
                                            ``(aa) at a national 
                                        center;
                                            ``(bb) regionally; or
                                            ``(cc) at an individual 
                                        transit agency;
                                    ``(V) developing training programs 
                                for skills relating to existing and 
                                emerging transit technologies, such as 
                                zero-emission buses;
                                    ``(VI) developing improved capacity 
                                for safety, security, and emergency 
                                preparedness in local transit systems 
                                and the industry as a whole through--
                                            ``(aa) developing the role 
                                        of the frontline workforce in 
                                        establishing and sustaining 
                                        safety culture and safety 
                                        systems in--

                                                    ``(AA) the 
                                                industry; and

                                                    ``(BB) individual 
                                                public transportation 
                                                systems; and

                                            ``(bb) training to address 
                                        frontline workforce roles in 
                                        promoting health and safety for 
                                        transit workers and the riding 
                                        public;
                                    ``(VII) developing local transit 
                                capacity for career pathway 
                                partnerships with schools and other 
                                community organizations for recruiting 
                                and training underrepresented 
                                populations as successful transit 
                                employees who can develop careers in 
                                the transit industry; and
                                    ``(VIII) in collaboration with the 
                                Administrator, conducting and 
                                disseminating research--
                                            ``(aa) to provide transit 
                                        workforce job projections and 
                                        identify training needs and 
                                        gaps;
                                            ``(bb) to determine the 
                                        most cost-effective methods for 
                                        transit workforce training and 
                                        development, including return-
                                        on-investment analysis;
                                            ``(cc) to identify the most 
                                        effective methods for 
                                        implementing successful safety 
                                        systems and a positive safety 
                                        culture;
                                            ``(dd) to promote transit 
                                        workforce best practices for 
                                        achieving cost-effective, 
                                        quality, safe, and reliable 
                                        public transportation services; 
                                        and
                                            ``(ee) to provide 
                                        culturally competent training 
                                        and education programs to all 
                                        participants, regardless of 
                                        gender, sexual orientation, or 
                                        gender identity, including 
                                        participants with limited 
                                        English proficiency, diverse 
                                        cultural and ethnic 
                                        backgrounds, and disabilities.
                    ``(D) Coordination.--The Secretary shall coordinate 
                the activities of the Center under this paragraph, to 
                the maximum extent practicable, with--
                            ``(i) the Office of Career, Technical, and 
                        Adult Education of the Department of Education; 
                        and
                            ``(ii) the Office of Apprenticeship of the 
                        Department of Labor.
                    ``(E) National transit database.--For the purposes 
                of carrying out this section, the Secretary shall 
                require the collection, through the National Transit 
                Database, on an annual basis, of additional data 
                relating to human capital, in accordance with such 
                requirements relating to the collection and definition 
                of those data as the Secretary may establish, in 
                coordination with relevant transportation sector 
                individuals and entities.
                    ``(F) Use of other grant amounts for center-related 
                activities.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Of the amounts made 
                        available to the recipient of a grant under 
                        section 5307, 5337, or 5339, the recipient may 
                        use not more than 0.5 percent, with the 
                        approval of the Secretary, to pay an amount 
                        equal to not more than 80 percent of the cost 
                        of an activity described in subparagraph (C).
                            ``(ii) Existing programs.--A recipient 
                        referred to in clause (i) may use the amounts 
                        described in that clause to carry out an 
                        existing local education or training program 
                        for public transportation employees supported 
                        by--
                                    ``(I) the Secretary;
                                    ``(II) the Department of Labor; or
                                    ``(III) the Department of 
                                Education.'';
            (2) in paragraph (3), by striking ``or (2)''; and
            (3) by striking paragraph (4).
    (b) Data Required To Be Reported in National Transit Database.--
Section 5335(c) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
inserting ``relating to human capital (as defined in section 
5314(b)(2)(A)) or physical capital'' before the period at the end.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 5338(c) of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``There are'' and inserting the following:
            ``(1) In general.--There is''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) National transit frontline workforce training 
        center.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
        section 5314(b)(2) $12,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 
        through 2026.''.
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