Title: TAA for Automation Act of 2019
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance

Summary:
TAA for Automation Act of 2019
This bill makes trade adjustment assistance, which provides adversely affected workers with the skills and support to obtain new employment, available to workers whose jobs are displaced through automation. The bill also requires the Department of Labor to specify the basis for eligibility when certifying a group of workers as eligible to apply for adjustment assistance.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3034 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 3034

To make trade adjustment assistance available to workers whose jobs are 
         eliminated through automation, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 12, 2019

Mr. Peters (for himself, Ms. Stabenow, Mrs. Gillibrand, and Ms. Cortez 
Masto) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 
                      to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To make trade adjustment assistance available to workers whose jobs are 
         eliminated through automation, 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 ``TAA for Automation Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY OF WORKERS WHOSE JOBS ARE ELIMINATED THROUGH 
              AUTOMATION FOR TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE.

    (a) In General.--Section 222(a)(2) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 
U.S.C. 2272(a)(2)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A)(iii), by striking ``; or'' and 
        inserting a semicolon; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(C)(i) there has been a shift in production of articles 
        or supply of services by such workers' firm from utilizing the 
        workers to methods or systems primarily utilizing automation; 
        and
            ``(ii) the shift described in clause (i) contributed 
        importantly to such workers' separation or threat of 
        separation; or
            ``(D)(i) the sales or production, or both, of such firm 
        have decreased absolutely; and
            ``(ii) the use of automation in the production of articles 
        or services like or directly competitive with articles produced 
        or services supplied by such firm has increased; and
            ``(iii) the increase in the use of automation described in 
        clause (ii) contributed importantly to such workers' separation 
        or threat of separation and to the decline in the sales or 
        production of such firm.''.
    (b) Automation Defined.--Section 222(c) of the Trade Act of 1974 
(19 U.S.C. 2272(c)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (4) as 
        paragraphs (2) through (5), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting before paragraph (2), as redesignated by 
        paragraph (1), the following:
            ``(1) Automation.--The term `automation' means using 
        technology to produce a good or service previously produced by 
        human work.''.
    (c) Specification of Basis for Eligibility.--Section 222 of the 
Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2272) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
    ``(f) Specification of Basis for Eligibility.--When the Secretary 
certifies a group of workers under this section as eligible to apply 
for adjustment assistance, the Secretary shall specify in the 
certification the basis for the eligibility of the group under 
subsection (a).''.
    (d) Conforming Amendments.--Subsections (b) and (c) of section 222 
of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2272) are amended by striking 
``subsection (a)'' each place it appears and inserting ``subparagraph 
(A) or (B) of subsection (a)(2)''.
    (e) Regulations; Recommendations.--Not later than 2 years after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor shall--
            (1) prescribe regulations to carry out the amendments made 
        by this section; and
            (2) submit to Congress a report that includes 
        recommendations for any changes to law necessary to carry out 
        the amendments made by this section, including any changes to 
        section 236(a)(2)(A) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 
        2296(a)(2)(A)).
    (f) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall--
            (1) take effect on the date that is 2 years after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act; and
            (2) apply with respect to petitions for certifications of 
        eligibility filed under section 221 of the Trade Act of 1974 
        (19 U.S.C. 2271) on or after the date described in paragraph 
        (1).

SEC. 3. WORKFORCE ADVISORY BOARD OR SUBCOMMITTEE ON AUTOMATION.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Labor shall establish an 
advisory board, or form a subcommittee of an advisory board that exists 
as of the date of the enactment of this Act, to provide recommendations 
to the Secretary on addressing the impact of automation on the 
workforce, including matters relating to jobs and occupations at risk 
of elimination as a result of automation.
    (b) Membership.--In establishing the advisory board or subcommittee 
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall ensure that the advisory 
board or subcommittee consists 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;
            (6) engineering and technology experts, such as experts 
        from the National Institute of Standards and Technology; and
            (7) any other stakeholders the Secretary considers 
        appropriate.
    (c) Annual Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not less frequently than annually, the 
        advisory board or subcommittee established under subsection (a) 
        shall--
                    (A) identify--
                            (i) occupations at risk of elimination as a 
                        result of automation; and
                            (ii) occupations experiencing above average 
                        decline for which there is evidence that 
                        technological advancement has contributed to 
                        that decline;
                    (B) evaluate strategies for workforce development 
                based on measurements of impact on the workforce due to 
                automation and on other relevant evidence; and
                    (C) provide recommendations to the Secretary and to 
                Congress based on that evaluation.
            (2) Public access.--The Secretary shall disseminate the 
        strategies recommended under paragraph (1) 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 advisory board or 
subcommittee established under subsection (a).
    (e) Automation Defined.--In this section, the term ``automation'' 
means using technology to produce a good or service previously produced 
by human work.
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