Civilian Conservation Center Enhancement Act of 2022
Bill: S.4877 | Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff (D-OR)
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Civilian Conservation Center Enhancement Act of 2022
This bill authorizes various activities in connection with Civilian Conservation Centers.
For example, the Departments of Agriculture and of the Interior shall offer at Civilian Conservation Centers specialized training programs focused on (1) forestry and rangeland management, (2) wildland firefighting, or (3) any other topic related to the mission of the Forest Service or Interior or the public interest.

To amend Public Law 91-378 to authorize activities relating to Civilian 
             Conservation Centers, 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 ``Civilian Conservation Center 
Enhancement Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CENTERS.

    Public Law 91-378 (16 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) is amended by adding at 
the end the following:

               ``TITLE III--CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CENTERS

``SEC. 301. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this title:
            ``(1) Civilian conservation center.--The term `Civilian 
        Conservation Center' means any residential workforce 
        development or training facility for disadvantaged youth 
        operated by the Department of the Interior or the Department of 
        Agriculture on Federal land.
            ``(2) Covered graduate.--The term `covered graduate' means 
        an individual who successfully completed a training program at 
        a Civilian Conservation Center.
            ``(3) Covered student.--The term `covered student' means an 
        individual who is enrolled in a training program at a Civilian 
        Conservation Center.
            ``(4) Secretaries.--The term `Secretaries' means--
                    ``(A) the Secretary of Agriculture; and
                    ``(B) the Secretary of the Interior.

``SEC. 302. CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CENTERS WILDFIRE AND CONSERVATION 
              TRAINING PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Specialized Training Programs.--The Secretaries, in 
coordination with the Secretary of Labor, shall offer at Civilian 
Conservation Centers specialized training programs focused on--
            ``(1) forestry and rangeland management;
            ``(2) wildland firefighting; or
            ``(3) any other topic relating to the mission of the Forest 
        Service or the Department of the Interior or the public 
        interest.
    ``(b) Prioritization.--The Secretaries shall prioritize offering 
specialized training programs under subsection (a) at facilities 
described in section 147(d) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 
Act (29 U.S.C. 3197(d)).

``SEC. 303. WILDLAND FIREFIGHTING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PILOT.

    ``(a) In General.--
            ``(1) Experiment, research, or demonstration pilots.--The 
        Secretaries, in coordination with the Secretary of Labor, may 
        carry out experimental, research, or demonstration pilots to 
        provide career and technical education curricula and course 
        offerings to advance the missions of the Department of the 
        Interior and the Department of Agriculture at Civilian 
        Conservation Centers, including facilities described in section 
        147(d) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
        U.S.C. 3197(d)), on Federal land west of the 100th meridian.
            ``(2) Curricula and courses.--Curricula and courses 
        described in paragraph (1) include--
                    ``(A) incident management and emergency response 
                logistics;
                    ``(B) disaster response;
                    ``(C) forest products measurement;
                    ``(D) timber sale administration and preparation;
                    ``(E) heavy equipment operation;
                    ``(F) equipment and mechanical services;
                    ``(G) industrial electrical;
                    ``(H) machining;
                    ``(I) mill operations;
                    ``(J) forest restoration;
                    ``(K) habitat and water quality monitoring;
                    ``(L) watershed and habitat enhancement;
                    ``(M) range management;
                    ``(N) recreation access improvement;
                    ``(O) visitor services; and
                    ``(P) historic preservation.
    ``(b) Requirements.--In carrying out subsection (a), the 
Secretaries shall--
            ``(1) identify workforce needs in public land agencies, 
        forest, conservation, and recreation industries, and rural 
        communities, after consulting with State governments and 
        agencies, Federal emergency management and public land 
        agencies, local communities, and Indian Tribes;
            ``(2) develop marketing and recruitment materials for the 
        curricula and courses offerings provided under subsection (a); 
        and
            ``(3) provide specialized staff necessary to teach 
        curricula and courses offerings provided under subsection (a), 
        to the extent practicable.

``SEC. 304. WILDLAND FIREFIGHTING WORKFORCE ENHANCEMENT.

    ``(a) Recruitment Goals and Investments.--
            ``(1) Recruitment goal.--The Secretaries--
                    ``(A) shall each set a goal of hiring 300 covered 
                graduates annually to contribute to wildland 
                firefighting or other critical workforce needs; and
                    ``(B) may make investments to support the 
                recruitment, training, hiring, and retention of covered 
                graduates.
            ``(2) Signing bonus.--The Secretaries may provide for a 
        signing bonus to enable the successful employment and 
        transition of covered graduates, including for the purpose of 
        securing housing in rural and remote communities.
    ``(b) Direct Hire Authority.--For fiscal year 2023 and each fiscal 
year thereafter, the Secretaries may appoint, without regard to the 
provisions of subchapter I of chapter 33 of title 5, United States 
Code, other than sections 3303 and 3328 of that title, a covered 
graduate directly to a position for which the covered graduate meets 
Office of Personnel Management qualification standards.
    ``(c) Pathways to Employment.--The Secretaries shall ensure that 
appropriate career pathways are developed for covered graduates of 
relevant Civilian Conservation Center training programs.
    ``(d) Disadvantaged Youth Employment.--Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, the Secretaries may employ or otherwise contract with 
covered students at regular rates of pay for necessary hours of work.

``SEC. 305. WILDLAND FIREFIGHTING HOUSING PILOT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretaries shall establish a pilot program 
to employ covered students to improve and expand the housing stock 
owned by the Federal Government for the purpose of housing wildland 
firefighters and other agency employees.
    ``(b) Requirements.--In carrying out the pilot program under 
subsection (a), the Secretaries shall--
            ``(1) identify properties currently owned by the Federal 
        Government that would be appropriate housing for wildland 
        firefighters and other agency employees;
            ``(2) identify areas where the construction of new housing 
        described in paragraph (1) would be appropriate and 
        sustainable; and
            ``(3) submit to Congress a prioritized list of projects for 
        renovation with a plan for how the Secretaries will employ 
        covered students to repair, renovate, and remediate the 
        properties identified under paragraph (1).

``SEC. 306. REPORT.

    ``Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this title, 
the Secretaries shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the 
House of Representatives a report--
            ``(1) describing underutilized capacity at Civilian 
        Conservation Centers, based on an assessment conducted by the 
        Secretaries; and
            ``(2) identifying the investments, improvements, and 
        efficiencies necessary to utilize the full capacity of Civilian 
        Conservation Centers.''.
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