Workforce DATA Act
Bill: S.1035 | Sponsor: Sen. Peters, Gary C. (D-MI)
Policy area: Labor and Employment

Summary:
Workforce Data for Analyzing and Tracking Automation Act of 2021 or the Workforce DATA Act
This bill provides for a study by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine on measuring the impact of automation on the workforce.
Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Labor to request the academies to enter into an arrangement to conduct a consensus study on how to measure the impact of automation on the workforce, including job creation, job displacement, job retention, and the shifting of skills in demand due to automation.
In addition, Labor must establish an advisory board, or form a subcommittee of an existing advisory board, to provide recommendations on addressing the impact of automation on the workforce.

To require the Secretary of Labor to take initiatives to measure the 
  impact of automation on the workforce in order to inform workforce 
            development strategies, 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 ``Workforce Data for Analyzing and 
Tracking Automation Act of 2021'' or the ``Workforce DATA Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Automation.--The term ``automation'' means using 
        technology to produce a good or service previously produced by 
        human work.
            (2) Board; subcommittee.--The term ``Board'' or 
        ``Subcommittee'' means the advisory board or subcommittee 
        established or formed under section 4(a).
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Labor.

SEC. 3. STUDY BY THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, AND 
              MEDICINE ON MEASURING THE IMPACT OF AUTOMATION ON THE 
              WORKFORCE.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 6 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall request the National 
Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to enter into an 
arrangement with the Secretary for the National Academies of Sciences, 
Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a consensus study on how to 
measure the impact of automation on the workforce, including job 
creation, job displacement, job retention, and the shifting of skills 
in demand due to automation.
    (b) Contents.--The study under subsection (a) shall--
            (1) include a review of workforce data programs used by the 
        Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of the date of enactment of this 
        Act, for measuring the impact of automation on the workforce;
            (2) identify and review other potential data sources for 
        measuring such impact;
            (3) identify appropriate statistical methods for using and 
        integrating other data sources to supplement or enhance the 
        workforce data programs described in paragraph (1); and
            (4) advise the Bureau of Labor Statistics on research 
        needed to acquire, evaluate, and incorporate additional data 
        sources to adequately measure and assess, on an ongoing basis--
                    (A) industry sectors and occupations significantly 
                impacted by automation;
                    (B) jobs and occupations created or substantially 
                changed as a result of automation;
                    (C) occupational shifts in labor demand, including 
                the number of workers displaced (or with a change in 
                earnings) due to automation, and the demographics of 
                such workers, such as the race, gender, age, level of 
                education, location, employment status, and earnings of 
                such workers;
                    (D) the consequences of displacement due to 
                automation, including the consequences of workers 
                becoming subsequently unemployed, exiting from the 
                workforce, entering retraining, changing positions 
                within a company, and experiencing a change in 
                earnings;
                    (E) changes to workforce skills in demand as a 
                result of automation; and
                    (F) additional data recommended by the Board or 
                Subcommittee under section 4(c)(1)(A)(iii).
    (c) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress, and make publicly 
available, a report on the results of the study under subsection (a).
    (d) Plan for Bureau of Labor Statistics.--Not later than 1 year 
after the date on which the Secretary submits the report to Congress 
under subsection (c), the Secretary shall make publicly available a 
plan for how the Bureau of Labor Statistics shall respond to the 
findings of the study contained in such report.

SEC. 4. INPUT ON IMPACT OF AUTOMATION FROM WORKFORCE ADVISORY BOARD OR 
              SUBCOMMITTEE.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish an advisory board, 
or form a subcommittee of an advisory board that exists on the date of 
enactment of this Act, to provide recommendations on addressing the 
impact of automation on the workforce.
    (b) Membership.--The Board or Subcommittee shall consist of 
nationally representative members, including the balanced participation 
of--
            (1) State boards, as defined in section 3 of the Workforce 
        Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102);
            (2) labor organizations;
            (3) industry representatives;
            (4) nonprofit entities, or community-based organizations, 
        with experience researching the impact of automation on the 
        workforce;
            (5) academic experts in the field of workforce development, 
        labor economics, and program evaluation; and
            (6) any other stakeholders the Secretary determines 
        appropriate.
    (c) Duties.--
            (1) Recommendations for additional data.--
                    (A) Initial evaluation.--Not later than 6 months 
                after the date of enactment of this Act, the Board or 
                Subcommittee shall--
                            (i) identify additional types of data 
                        related to the impact of automation on the 
                        workforce that would inform actions of business 
                        and labor stakeholders;
                            (ii) identify administrative data needed to 
                        guide policy formation related to easing 
                        impacts of automation; and
                            (iii) for purposes of the assessment under 
                        section 3(b)(4), provide recommendations to the 
                        Secretary and the National Academies of 
                        Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine based on 
                        the additional data identified under clauses 
                        (i) and (ii).
                    (B) Annual updates.--Not later than 1 year after 
                the date on which the recommendations are provided 
                under subparagraph (A), and each year thereafter, the 
                Board or Subcommittee shall evaluate the additional 
                data identified under such subparagraph, and provide 
                updated recommendations to the Secretary based on such 
                evaluation.
            (2) Recommendations based on bureau of labor statistics 
        measurements.--
                    (A) In general.--Not later than 4 years after the 
                date of enactment of this Act, and each year 
                thereafter, the Board or Subcommittee shall--
                            (i) evaluate strategies for workforce 
                        development, based on measurements of impact on 
                        the workforce due to automation determined by 
                        the Bureau of Labor Statistics and on other 
                        relevant evidence; and
                            (ii) provide recommendations to the 
                        Secretary and to Congress based on such 
                        evaluation.
                    (B) Public access.--The Secretary shall disseminate 
                the strategies recommended under subparagraph (A) to 
                relevant stakeholders and make such strategies 
                available to the public.
    (d) Federal Advisory Committee Act.--The Federal Advisory Committee 
Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Board or Subcommittee.
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