Title: Transportation Workforce Modernization Act
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Transportation Workforce Modernization Act
This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to provide grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs) and other entities to develop a curriculum for and establish transportation worker training programs in urban and rural areas for workers whose jobs may be changed or worsened, or who may have been separated from their jobs as a result of being replaced by the adoption of automated driving systems.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) must study and report on the impact of driverless vehicle adoption on specified sectors of the economy. Additionally, DOT must seek to enter into an agreement with an IHE or nonprofit organization to conduct research on such impacts for inclusion in the GAO study.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7050 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7050

  To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a program to 
provide grants to retrain certain transportation workers, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 28, 2020

Ms. Johnson of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred 
         to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a program to 
provide grants to retrain certain transportation workers, 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 ``Transportation Workforce 
Modernization Act''.

SEC. 2. TRANSPORTATION WORKER RETRAINING GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Transportation shall establish 
a program to make grants to eligible entities to develop a curriculum 
for and establish transportation worker training programs in urban and 
rural areas to train, upskill, and prepare workers whose jobs may be 
changed or worsened by automation, or who have been separated from 
their jobs, or have received notice of impending job loss, as a result 
of being replaced by automated driving systems.
    (b) Eligible Entities.--The following entities shall be eligible to 
receive grants under this section:
            (1) Institutions of higher education.
            (2) Consortia of institutions of higher education.
            (3) Trade associations.
            (4) Nongovernmental stakeholders.
            (5) Organizations with a demonstrated capacity to develop 
        and provide career ladder programs through labor-management 
        partnerships and apprenticeships on a nationwide basis.
    (c) Limitation on Awards.--An entity may only receive one grant per 
year under this section in an amount determined appropriate by the 
Secretary.
    (d) Participants in Transportation Worker Retraining Programs.--A 
grant provided under this section may be used for participants in 
transportation worker retraining programs to pursue a degree or 
certification through the coursework or curriculum developed under the 
program.
    (e) Use of Funds.--A recipient of a grant under this section may 
use grant amounts for studies, pilot programs, as well as testing new 
roles for current jobs, including mechanical work, diagnostic, and 
fleet operations management.
    (f) General Selection Criteria.--The Secretary shall select 
recipients of grants under this section on the basis of the following 
criteria:
            (1) Demonstrated research and extension resources available 
        to the applicant for carrying out this section.
            (2) Capability of the applicant to develop curriculum in 
        the training or retraining of individuals described in 
        subsection (a) as a result of driverless vehicles.
            (3) Demonstrated commitment of the recipient to carry out a 
        transportation workforce development program through degree-
        granting programs or programs that provide other industry-
        recognized credentials.
    (g) Eligibility.--An applicant is only eligible for a grant under 
this section if such applicant--
            (1) has an established transportation program;
            (2) has expertise in solving transportation problems 
        through research, training, education, and technology; and
            (3) shares information with other programs.
    (h) Federal Share.--
            (1) In general.--The Federal share of a grant under this 
        section shall be a dollar for dollar match of the costs of 
        establishing and administering the retraining program and 
        related activities carried out by the grant recipient or 
        consortium of grant recipients.
            (2) Availability of funds.--For a recipient of a grant 
        under this section carrying out activities under such grant in 
        partnership with a public transportation agency that is 
        receiving amounts under section 5307, 5337, or 5339, not more 
        than 0.5 percent of amounts made available under any such 
        section may qualify as the non-Federal share under paragraph 
        (1).
    (i) Tracking of Certain Information.--Not later than 1 year after a 
grant award is made under this section, the Secretary shall implement a 
reporting or tracking mechanism to determine--
            (1) from which sectors of the transportation industry are 
        workers being displaced;
            (2) for what skills and professions are workers being 
        retrained;
            (3) how many workers have benefitted from the grant award; 
        and
            (4) relevant demographic information of impacted workers.
    (j) Definition of Institution of Higher Education.--In this Act, 
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).
    (k) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
        $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021, 2022, and 2023 to 
        carry out this section.
            (2) Availability of amounts.--Amounts made available to the 
        Secretary to carry out this section shall remain available for 
        obligation by the Secretary for a period of 3 years after the 
        last day of the fiscal year for which the amounts are 
        authorized.

SEC. 3. GAO STUDY.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct 
a study and submit to Congress a report on the impact of driverless 
vehicle adoption on--
            (1) the workforce of the United States;
            (2) the trucking, freight, and personal transportation 
        industries;
            (3) wages;
            (4) job losses, including the economic impact on each 
        region of the United States; and
            (5) the creation of new jobs and how transportation sector 
        jobs would change due to driverless vehicle adoption.
    (b) Consultation.--The study shall be carried out in consultation 
with--
            (1) academics;
            (2) labor unions;
            (3) the Department of Transportation; and
            (4) the Department of Labor.
    (c) Research.--The Secretary of Transportation shall seek to enter 
into an agreement with an institute of higher education or nonprofit 
organization with demonstrated capacity in carrying out research on the 
subject of the study required under subsection (a) to conduct such 
research. Such agreement shall require the institute or nonprofit to 
submit such research to the Comptroller General for inclusion in such 
study.
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