National Innovation and Modern Skills Training Act of 2022
Bill: S.4730 | Sponsor: Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. (D-CO)
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
National Innovation and Modern Skills Training Act of 2022
This bill directs the Department of Agriculture to establish a pilot program to provide competitive grants to land-grant colleges and universities in 10 states to facilitate research and rapid workforce development and promote entrepreneurship and other benefits to communities in such states.

To amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching 
Policy Act of 1977 to establish a pilot program to provide competitive 
 grants to land-grant colleges and universities to facilitate research 
and rapid workforce development and promote entrepreneurship and other 
            benefits to communities, 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 Innovation and Modern 
Skills Training Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL INNOVATION AND MODERN SKILLS TRAINING COMPETITIVE 
              GRANT PILOT PROGRAM.

    The National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy 
Act of 1977 is amended by inserting after section 1418 (7 U.S.C. 3153) 
the following:

``SEC. 1419. NATIONAL INNOVATION AND MODERN SKILLS TRAINING COMPETITIVE 
              GRANT PILOT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Definition of Land-Grant College or University.--In this 
section, the term `land-grant college or university' includes a 1994 
Institution (as defined in section 532 of the Equity in Educational 
Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note; Public Law 103-382)).
    ``(b) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a pilot program 
(referred to in this section as the `pilot program') to award 
competitive grants to land-grant colleges and universities to carry out 
activities described in subsection (c).
    ``(c) Eligible Activities.--
            ``(1) In general.--A land-grant college or university that 
        receives a grant under the pilot program shall use the grant 
        funds to establish a statewide program, in cooperation with 
        cooperative extension services and industry experts, to 
        facilitate research and rapid workforce development and promote 
        entrepreneurship and other benefits to communities across the 
        applicable State.
            ``(2) Workforce development, research, and entrepreneurship 
        programs.--
                    ``(A) In general.--A statewide program established 
                under paragraph (1) shall be composed of 1 or more 
                workforce development, research, or entrepreneurship 
                programs, which shall--
                            ``(i) be provided through cooperative 
                        extension services, in partnership with 1 or 
                        more colleges or universities in the applicable 
                        geographic area;
                            ``(ii) be administered by the applicable 
                        land-grant college or university; and
                            ``(iii) confer to a participant a 
                        measurable benefit or credential on successful 
                        completion of the program.
                    ``(B) Workforce development programs.--A workforce 
                development program established under subparagraph (A) 
                shall--
                            ``(i) offer flexible and alternative 
                        educational pathways to promote workforce 
                        development, including--
                                    ``(I) stackable credentials;
                                    ``(II) micro degrees;
                                    ``(III) boot camps; or
                                    ``(IV) credit-by-examination 
                                programs; and
                            ``(ii) focus on the middle- and high-
                        skilled jobs needed in the economy, including 
                        local and remote work opportunities, with an 
                        emphasis on the unemployed and underemployed, 
                        through rapid upskilling, registered 
                        apprenticeships, and mentorship opportunities.
                    ``(C) Research programs.--A research program 
                established under subparagraph (A)--
                            ``(i) may be tailored to support the needs 
                        of regional attributes, workforce needs, and 
                        economic development goals; and
                            ``(ii) shall--
                                    ``(I) immerse participants in 
                                emerging science, technology, 
                                engineering, and mathematics fields and 
                                technologies such as artificial 
                                intelligence, cybersecurity, advanced 
                                computing, advanced manufacturing, 3D 
                                technology and printing, data 
                                management and use, digital 
                                technologies, biotechnology, health 
                                information technology, agricultural 
                                technology, advanced 
                                telecommunications, and robotics;
                                    ``(II) be tailored to support--
                                            ``(aa) the needs of large 
                                        industry partners and their 
                                        innovation pipelines;
                                            ``(bb) regional attributes; 
                                        or
                                            ``(cc) economic development 
                                        goals;
                                    ``(III) consist of research 
                                conducted by the land-grant college or 
                                university in partnership with the 
                                applicable community; and
                                    ``(IV) include the provision of 
                                match-funded research grants to local 
                                community members--
                                            ``(aa) to conduct research 
                                        led by the land-grant college 
                                        or university under subclause 
                                        (III); and
                                            ``(bb) to submit to faculty 
                                        of the land-grant college or 
                                        university or staff of the 
                                        cooperative extension service 
                                        quarterly reports describing 
                                        findings of the research 
                                        conducted under item (aa), 
                                        which may be shared with 
                                        private sector providers of 
                                        grants.
                    ``(D) Entrepreneurship programs.--An 
                entrepreneurship program established under subparagraph 
                (A)--
                            ``(i) shall focus on--
                                    ``(I) the strengths of local 
                                historical industries;
                                    ``(II) the modern globalized 
                                versions of those industries;
                                    ``(III) the innovation 
                                opportunities within those industries;
                                    ``(IV) the needs of the community; 
                                and
                                    ``(V) the variety of localized 
                                industries in the region; and
                            ``(ii) may focus on creating an 
                        entrepreneurial environment, professional 
                        network, mentoring, and other resources to 
                        develop strong entrepreneurial ecosystems and 
                        small businesses--
                                    ``(I) to spur economic development 
                                in underrepresented communities; and
                                    ``(II) to develop the next 
                                generation of entrepreneurs across the 
                                United States.
                    ``(E) Collaboration.--In carrying out a workforce 
                development, research, or entrepreneurship program 
                under this paragraph, a land-grant college or 
                university is encouraged to collaborate with private-
                sector partners, workforce development boards, other 
                institutions of higher education, and local leaders to 
                develop programs that--
                            ``(i) meet the professional and social 
                        needs of the applicable community; and
                            ``(ii) address areas of national importance 
                        or need.
    ``(d) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant under the pilot 
program, a land-grant college or university--
            ``(1) shall submit to the Secretary an application at such 
        time, in such manner, and containing such information as the 
        Secretary may require, including--
                    ``(A) a demonstration of the availability of 
                matching funding from the private sector equal to the 
                amount of the grant to carry out activities under the 
                pilot program;
                    ``(B) a 12-month plan that defines outcome goals 
                under the pilot program for workforce, 
                entrepreneurship, and research focuses; and
                    ``(C) a demonstration of community engagement or 
                community partners;
            ``(2) may submit an application under paragraph (1) jointly 
        with 1 or more other land-grant colleges or universities in the 
        same State; and
            ``(3) shall be subject to an evaluation, including metrics, 
        relating to the performance of the land-grant college or 
        university under the pilot program.
    ``(e) Selection of Recipients.--The Secretary shall provide grants 
under the pilot program--
            ``(1) to land-grant colleges or universities in 10 States, 
        including not more than 1 land-grant college or university in 
        any State, unless 2 or more land-grant colleges or universities 
        in a State submit a joint application in accordance with 
        subsection (d)(2); and
            ``(2) taking into consideration--
                    ``(A) regional and geographic diversity; and
                    ``(B) the capacity of a land-grant college or 
                university to engage industry, the workforce, and other 
                organizations.
    ``(f) Amount and Duration.--A grant under the pilot program shall 
be--
            ``(1) in the amount of $5,000,000; and
            ``(2) provided over a 3-year period.
    ``(g) Economic Development Coordinator.--The Secretary may appoint 
an Economic Development Coordinator--
            ``(1) to work with recipients of grants under this section; 
        and
            ``(2) to coordinate efforts with cooperative extension 
        services.
    ``(h) Coordination.--In carrying out the pilot program, the 
Secretary shall coordinate with--
            ``(1) the Secretary of Commerce;
            ``(2) the Secretary of Labor;
            ``(3) the Secretary of Education;
            ``(4) the Administrator of the Small Business 
        Administration; and
            ``(5) the Director of the National Science Foundation.
    ``(i) Reports.--
            ``(1) Economic impact reports.--Not later than 180 days 
        after the end of the period of a grant under the pilot program, 
        the recipient of the grant shall submit to the Secretary a 
        report describing the economic impacts of activities carried 
        out using the grant.
            ``(2) Report to congress.--Not later than 180 days after 
        the Secretary receives the report under paragraph (1) from the 
        last recipient of a grant under the pilot program, the 
        Secretary shall submit to Congress a report describing the 
        economic impacts of activities carried out using grants under 
        the pilot program, based on the reports submitted to the 
        Secretary under paragraph (1).''.
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