Title: Department of Energy National Labs Jobs ACCESS Act
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
Department of Energy National Labs Jobs ACCESS Act
This bill establishes the Department of Energy National Lab Jobs ACCESS Program to provide grants for technical, skills-based preapprenticeship and apprenticeship programs that provide employer-driven or recognized postsecondary credentials during the five-year grant period.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1739 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1739

  To enable projects that will aid in the development and delivery of 
        related instruction associated with apprenticeship and 
  preapprenticeship programs that are focused on serving the skilled 
technical workforce at the National Laboratories and certain facilities 
    of the National Nuclear Security Administration, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 5, 2019

  Ms. Duckworth (for herself and Mr. Crapo) introduced the following 
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To enable projects that will aid in the development and delivery of 
        related instruction associated with apprenticeship and 
  preapprenticeship programs that are focused on serving the skilled 
technical workforce at the National Laboratories and certain facilities 
    of the National Nuclear Security Administration, 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 ``Department of Energy National Labs 
Jobs ACCESS Act''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL LABORATORY JOBS ACCESS PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a program known as 
the ``Department of Energy National Lab Jobs ACCESS Program'', under 
which the Secretary shall award, on a competitive basis, 5-year grants 
to eligible entities described in subsection (c) for the Federal share 
of the costs of technical, skills-based preapprenticeship and 
apprenticeship programs that provide employer-driven or recognized 
postsecondary credentials during the grant period.
    (b) Requirements.--A program funded by a grant awarded under this 
section shall develop and deliver customized and competency-based 
training that--
            (1) leads to recognized postsecondary credentials for 
        secondary school and postsecondary students;
            (2) is focused on skills and qualifications needed to meet 
        the immediate and on-going needs of traditional and emerging 
        technician positions (including machinists and cyber security 
        technicians) at the National Laboratories and covered 
        facilities of the National Nuclear Security Administration;
            (3) creates an apprenticeship or preapprenticeship 
        partnership with a National Laboratory or covered facility of 
        the National Nuclear Security Administration; and
            (4) creates an apprenticeship or preapprenticeship program 
        with the Secretary of Labor or a State department of labor.
    (c) Eligible Entities.--An entity that is eligible to receive a 
grant under this section shall be a workforce intermediary or an 
eligible sponsor of a preapprenticeship or an apprenticeship program 
that--
            (1) demonstrates experience in implementing and providing 
        career planning and career pathways towards technical, skills-
        based apprenticeship or preapprenticeship training programs;
            (2)(A) has a relationship with a National Laboratory or 
        covered facility of the National Nuclear Security 
        Administration;
            (B) has knowledge of technician workforce needs of such 
        laboratory or facility and the associated security requirements 
        of such laboratory or facility; and
            (C) is eligible to enter into an agreement with such 
        laboratory or facility that would be paid for in part or 
        entirely from grant funds received under this section;
            (3) demonstrates the ability to recruit and support 
        individuals who plan to work in relevant technician positions 
        upon the successful completion of such programs;
            (4) provides students who complete such programs with a 
        recognized postsecondary credential, such as a journeyman craft 
        license or an industry-recognized certification;
            (5) uses a customized training curriculum that is 
        specifically aligned with employers, utilizing workplace 
        learning advisors and on-the-job training to the greatest 
        extent possible; and
            (6) demonstrates successful outcomes connecting graduates 
        of such programs to careers relevant to such programs.
    (d) Applications.--An eligible entity seeking a grant under this 
section shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may 
require.
    (e) Priority.--In selecting eligible entities to receive grants 
under this section, the Secretary shall prioritize an eligible entity 
that--
            (1) is a member of an industry or sector partnership;
            (2) provides the training described in subsection (b)--
                    (A) at an institution of higher education (such as 
                a community college) that includes basic science, 
                technology, and mathematics education in the 
                curriculum;
                    (B) through an apprenticeship program that was 
                registered with the Department of Labor or a State 
                before the date on which the eligible entity applies 
                for the grant under subsection (d); or
                    (C) with respect to a preapprenticeship program, at 
                a local educational agency, a secondary school, an area 
                career and technical education school, or an 
                appropriate community facility;
            (3) works with the Secretary of Defense or veterans 
        organizations to transition members of the Armed Forces and 
        veterans to apprenticeship or preapprenticeship programs in a 
        relevant sector;
            (4) plans to use the grant to carry out the training 
        described in subsection (b) with an entity that receives State 
        funding or is operated by a State agency; and
            (5) plans to use the grant to carry out the training 
        described in subsection (b) for--
                    (A) young adults ages 17 to 29, inclusive; or
                    (B) individuals with barriers to employment.
    (f) Additional Consideration.--In making grants under this section, 
the Secretary shall consider regional diversity.
    (g) Limitation on Applications.--An eligible entity may not submit, 
either individually or as part of a joint application, more than 1 
application for a grant under this section during any 1 fiscal year.
    (h) Limitations on Amount of Grant.--The amount of a grant provided 
under this section for any 24-month period of the 5-year grant period 
shall not exceed $500,000.
    (i) Non-Federal Share.--The non-Federal share of the cost of a 
customized training program carried out using a grant under this 
section shall be not less than 25 percent of the total cost of the 
program.
    (j) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary may provide technical 
assistance to eligible entities described in subsection (c) to leverage 
the existing job training and education programs of the Department of 
Labor and other relevant programs at appropriate Federal agencies.
    (k) Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not less than once every 2 years, the 
        Secretary of Labor shall submit to Congress, and make publicly 
        available on the website of the Department of Labor, a report 
        on the program established under this section, including--
                    (A) a description of--
                            (i) any entity that receives a grant under 
                        this section;
                            (ii) any activity carried out using the 
                        grants under this section; and
                            (iii) best practices used to leverage the 
                        investment of the Federal Government under this 
                        section; and
                    (B) an assessment of the results achieved by the 
                program established under this section, including the 
                rate of employment for participants after completing a 
                job training and education program carried out using a 
                grant under this section.
            (2) Provision of information.--The Secretary of Energy 
        shall provide such information as necessary to the Secretary of 
        Labor for purposes of the report under paragraph (1).
    (l) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) ESEA terms.--The terms ``local educational agency'' and 
        ``secondary school'' have the meanings given the terms in 
        section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
        1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (2) WIOA terms.--The terms ``career planning'', 
        ``community-based organization'', ``customized training'', 
        ``economic development agency'', ``individual with a barrier to 
        employment'', ``industry or sector partnership'', ``on-the-job 
        training'', ``recognized postsecondary credential'', and 
        ``workplace learning advisor'' have the meanings given such 
        terms in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 
        Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
            (3) Apprenticeship.--The term ``apprenticeship'' means an 
        apprenticeship registered under the Act of August 16, 1937 
        (commonly known as the ``National Apprenticeship Act''; 50 
        Stat. 664, chapter 663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.).
            (4) Area career and technical education school.--The term 
        ``area career and technical education school'' has the meaning 
        given the term in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and 
        Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302).
            (5) Community college.--The term ``community college'' has 
        the meaning given the term ``junior or community college'' in 
        section 312(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        1058(f)).
            (6) Covered facility of the national nuclear security 
        administration.--The term ``covered facility of the National 
        Nuclear Security Administration'' means a national security 
        laboratory or a nuclear weapons production facility as such 
        terms are defined in section 4002 of the Atomic Energy Defense 
        Act (50 U.S.C. 2501).
            (7) Eligible sponsor.--The term ``eligible sponsor'' means 
        a public organization or an organization described in section 
        501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax 
        under section 501(a) of that Code, that--
                    (A) with respect to an apprenticeship program, 
                administers such program through a partnership that may 
                include--
                            (i) a business;
                            (ii) an employer or industry association;
                            (iii) a labor-management organization;
                            (iv) a local workforce development board or 
                        State workforce development board;
                            (v) a 2- or 4-year institution of higher 
                        education that offers an educational program 
                        leading to an associate's or bachelor's degree 
                        in conjunction with a certificate of completion 
                        of apprenticeship;
                            (vi) the Armed Forces (including the 
                        National Guard and Reserves);
                            (vii) a community-based organization; or
                            (viii) an economic development agency; and
                    (B) with respect to a preapprenticeship program, is 
                a local educational agency, a secondary school, an area 
                career and technical education school, a State 
                workforce development board, a local workforce 
                development board, or a community-based organization, 
                that administers such program with any required 
                coordination and necessary approvals from the Secretary 
                of Labor or a State department of labor.
            (8) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001).
            (9) Local workforce development board.--The term ``local 
        workforce development board'' has the meaning given the term 
        ``local board'' in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and 
        Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
            (10) National laboratory.--The term ``National Laboratory'' 
        has the meaning given the term in section 2 of the Energy 
        Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801).
            (11) Preapprenticeship.--The term ``preapprenticeship'', 
        used with respect to a program, means an initiative or set of 
        strategies that--
                    (A) is designed to prepare participants to enter 
                and succeed in an apprenticeship program;
                    (B) is carried out by an eligible sponsor that has 
                a documented partnership with one or more sponsors of 
                apprenticeship programs; and
                    (C) includes each of the following:
                            (i) Training (including a curriculum for 
                        the training) aligned with industry standards 
                        related to apprenticeships and reviewed and 
                        approved annually by sponsors of the 
                        apprenticeships within the documented 
                        partnership that will prepare participants by 
                        teaching the skills and competencies needed to 
                        enter one or more apprenticeship programs.
                            (ii) Hands-on training and theoretical 
                        education for participants that--
                                    (I) includes proper observation of 
                                supervision and safety protocols; and
                                    (II) does not displace a paid 
                                employee.
                            (iii) A formal agreement with a sponsor of 
                        an apprenticeship program that would enable 
                        participants who successfully complete the 
                        preapprenticeship program--
                                    (I) to enter directly into the 
                                apprenticeship program if a place in 
                                the program is available and if the 
                                participant meets the qualifications of 
                                the apprenticeship program; and
                                    (II) to earn credits towards the 
                                apprenticeship program.
            (12) Related instruction.--The term ``related instruction'' 
        means an organized and systematic form of instruction designed 
        to provide an apprentice with the knowledge of the theoretical 
        and technical subjects related to the occupation of the 
        apprentice or the instruction needed to prepare an individual 
        to enter and succeed in an apprenticeship program.
            (13) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Energy, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, except 
        as otherwise specified in this Act.
            (14) State workforce development board.--The term ``State 
        workforce development board'' has the meaning given the term 
        ``State board'' in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and 
        Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
            (15) Workforce intermediary.--The term ``workforce 
        intermediary''--
                    (A) means an organization that proactively 
                addresses workforce needs using a dual customer 
                approach, which considers the needs of both employees 
                and employers; and
                    (B) may include a faith-based and community 
                organization, an employer organization, a community 
                college, a temporary staffing agency, a State workforce 
                development board, a local workforce development board, 
                or a labor organization.
    (m) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of the 
fiscal years 2020 through 2024.
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