Green Jobs and Opportunity Act
This bill requires the Department of Labor to address current and future workforce shortages within the clean energy technology sector.
Labor must monitor trends and shortages within the sector, recommend ways to prepare the workforce to meet the demands of a clean energy economy, and provide grants to establish training programs for occupations or fields of work with such shortages.
Labor must also establish a National Advisory Committee on the Clean Energy Technology Workforce to provide advice on preparing the workforce to transition to a clean energy economy.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7575 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7575
To require the Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the Secretary
of Energy and Secretary of Education, to submit a report on current and
future trends and shortages in the clean energy technology industry to
achieve a clean energy economy, and to provide grants to establish and
enhance training programs for any occupation or field of work for which
a shortage is identified, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 26, 2022
Mr. Delgado introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the Secretary
of Energy and Secretary of Education, to submit a report on current and
future trends and shortages in the clean energy technology industry to
achieve a clean energy economy, and to provide grants to establish and
enhance training programs for any occupation or field of work for which
a shortage is identified, 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 ``Green Jobs and Opportunity Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) The 21st century has some of the highest recorded
temperatures in known history.
(2) Scientists have high confidence that global
temperatures will continue to rise for decades to come, largely
due to greenhouse gases produced by human activities.
(3) According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC), which includes more than 1,300 scientists from
the United States and other countries, there will likely be a
temperature rise of 2.5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit over the next
century.
(4) With only around 4.4 percent of the Earth's population,
World Bank studies have found that the United States is the
second largest contributor of carbon dioxide emissions at 14.6
metric tons of CO<INF>2</INF> per capita.
(5) When the world gets hotter, it can fuel the
proliferation of drought, typhoons, hurricanes, wildfires, and
general habitat change, and can affect the availability of food
and water, among other issues.
(6) IPCC findings have revealed that the United States is
projected to lose more than $500,000,000,000 in annual economic
output by the year 2100 from global warming.
(7) Additionally, the IPCC discovered that to avoid the
most severe impacts of a changing climate, net-zero global
emissions by 2050 will be required.
(8) According to the Brookings Institution, a clean economy
would encompass a vast array of industries and jobs directly
involved in producing goods and providing services with an
environmental benefit.
(9) Under the 2019 Clean Jobs America report by E2
(Environmental Entrepreneurs), it is estimated that 3.26
million workers are currently employed in, or are engaged in
closely related activities, to the clean economy.
(10) According to the International Labor Organization, by
2030, it is projected that over 24 million new clean energy
jobs will be needed globally to transition to a clean economy.
(11) To meet this clean energy agenda, investing in job
training will be crucial to ensuring the United States has a
readied workforce.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to ensure the current
United States workforce is prepared to transition to a clean energy
economy.
SEC. 3. 21ST CENTURY WORKFORCE TRENDS AND SHORTAGES.
(a) Monitoring.--The Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the
Secretary of Energy, shall collect data to monitor current and future
trends and shortages within the clean energy technology industry, which
includes skilled technical personnel, electric power engineers,
transmission engineers, and other occupations or fields of work under--
(1) the agriculture and forestry industry;
(2) the electric utility industry;
(3) the manufacturing industry;
(4) the wholesale trade industry;
(5) the professional and business services industry; and
(6) the manufacturing and operation and maintenance
industries for component parts of clean energy technologies.
(b) Report on Current and Future Trends and Shortages.--Not later
than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and on a
quarterly basis thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress,
based on the data collected under subsection (a), a report on--
(1) trends and shortages as of the date of such report and
trends and shortages projected in the next 10 years;
(2) recommendations to prepare the workforce to address
such trends and shortages to meet the demands of a clean energy
economy, or prepare the workforce to meet such demands; and
(3) other recommendations the Secretary determines
appropriate.
SEC. 4. WORKFORCE TRAINING GRANTS.
(a) Grants.--The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of
Energy and the Secretary of Education, shall provide grants to eligible
entities described in subsection (b) to establish workforce training
programs (including distance learning) for any occupation or field of
work for which a workforce shortage is identified or projected under
subsection (b) or (c) of section 3.
(b) Eligible Entity.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this
subsection, an entity shall be--
(1) an institution of higher education (as such term is
defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1001(a))), including a junior or community college
(as such term is defined in section 312(f) of such Act (20
U.S.C. 1058(f)));
(2) a postsecondary vocational institution (as such term is
defined in section 102(c) of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1002(c)));
(3) an elementary school (as such term is defined in
section 8101 of the Elementary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
7801));
(4) a secondary school (as such term is defined in section
8101 of the Elementary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801));
(5) a Bureau-funded school (as such term is defined in
section 1141 of the Education Amendments of 1978 (25 U.S.C.
2021));
(6) a labor organization or joint labor-management
organization;
(7) an entity that is 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.) that
pays all participants of an apprenticeship program compensation
at least the higher of $15 an hour or the applicable Federal,
State, or local minimum wage in the location of the program;
(8) an area career and technical education school (as such
term is defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and
Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302)); and
(9) an education and training provider that is listed as an
eligible provider of training services for a program under
section 122(d) of the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (29
U.S.C. 3152 (d)) that pays all participants of an
apprenticeship or on-the-job-training program compensation at
least the higher of $15 an hour or the applicable Federal,
State, or local minimum wage in the location of the program.
(c) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant from the
Secretary under this section, an entity shall submit an application to
the Secretary containing such information as the Secretary may require,
including but not limited to--
(1) a description of the training the entity would provide
with funds from such a grant, how such training fulfills the
workforce needs described in subsection (b) or (c) of section
3, and that the workforce need being met is in an industry or
occupation in the region in which the training is conducted;
(2) evidence of experience in conducting training programs
in the clean energy technology sector;
(3) evidence that the program funded by such a grant will
aid a participating individual in finding new or more advanced
employment or training opportunities in the clean energy
technology sector and that such employment or training will
help the individual achieve economic self-sufficiency; and
(4) information about the entity and any relevant
partnerships with the Federal Government, other worker training
entities, employers or employer-sponsored organizations, State
or local agencies, labor or joint labor-management
organizations, institutions of higher education, community-
based organizations, or faith-based organizations.
(d) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary
shall give priority to eligible entities that, in carrying out training
programs under this section, give priority to the following:
(1) Displaced workers (particularly workers from the fossil
fuel industry).
(2) Individuals with a barrier to employment (as such term
is defined in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102)).
(3) Veterans, members of the reserve components of the
Armed Forces, or former members of such reserve components.
(4) Members of underrepresented populations.
(5) Frontline and vulnerable communities.
(6) Any other identified group the Secretary determines
appropriate.
(e) Grant Period and Amount.--A grant awarded under this section
shall be awarded for a one year period and may not exceed $2,500,000.
(f) Reporting.--Not later than two years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit a report to Congress
on the grant program carried out under this section, which shall
include--
(1) a description of each eligible entity awarded a grant
under this section;
(2) the amount of each such grant;
(3) the activities for which such grant was used;
(4) policy recommendations; and
(5) any other information the Secretary determines
appropriate.
SEC. 5. SECRETARY'S NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
The Secretary shall establish a National Advisory Committee on the
Clean Energy Technology workforce, referred to in this section as the
``Advisory Committee'', to meet the objectives of this Act.
(1) Composition.--The Advisory Committee shall have--
(A) 24 voting members appointed by the Secretary,
composed of--
(i) 6 representatives of employers who
participate in the clean energy technology
industry, including employers who participate
in a registered apprenticeship program in the
clean energy technology industry sponsored by a
joint labor-management partnership;
(ii) 6 representatives of labor or joint
labor-management organizations who represent
workers in the clean energy technology
industry;
(iii) 6 representatives of institutions of
higher education, postsecondary vocational
institutions, public high schools, an entity
that carries out programs registered under the
Act of August 16, 1937, and other education and
training providers that are listed as an
eligible provider of training services for a
program under section 122(d) of the Workforce
Innovation Opportunity Act; and
(iv) 6 representatives of environmental and
clean energy community organizations; and
(B) members who are ex officio nonvoting
representatives from the Departments of Labor,
Education, and Energy.
(2) Qualifications.--The members shall be selected upon the
basis of their experience and competence concerning workforce
development and training in the clean energy technology
industry.
(3) Terms.--The Secretary shall appoint the members for
terms of 3 years.
(4) Chairperson.--The Secretary shall designate one of the
members of the Advisory Committee to serve as Chairperson of
the Advisory Committee.
(5) Meetings.--The Advisory Committee shall hold not fewer
than 2 meetings during each calendar year. All meetings of the
Advisory Committee shall be open to the public. A transcript
shall be kept of each meeting and made available for public
inspection.
(6) Duties.--The Advisory Committee shall advise, consult
with, and make recommendations to the Secretary on matters
relating to the administration of this Act.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act,
$260,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2025.
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) In general.--Except as otherwise provided, any term
used in this Act that is defined in section 3 of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102) shall have the
meaning given the term in such section.
(2) Clean energy economy.--The term ``clean energy
economy'' means United States energy production resulting in
net-zero carbon emissions in accordance with the timeline
described in the IPCC Report to limit global warming to 1.5 C
above pre-industrialized levels.
(3) Clean energy technology industry.--The term ``clean
energy technology industry'' includes--
(A) the renewable, clean, and low-carbon electric
power energy generation sector;
(B) the electric transmission sector;
(C) the energy storage sector; and
(D) the energy efficiency sector.
(4) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the
Department of Labor.
(5) Distance learning.--The term ``distance learning''
means the transmission of educational or instructional
programming to geographically dispersed individuals and groups
via telecommunications.
(6) Frontline and vulnerable communities.--The term
``frontline and vulnerable communities'' means deindustrialized
communities, depopulated rural communities, and communities
where indigenous people, people of color, migrants, low-income
workers, women, the elderly, people with disabilities, and the
youth are disproportionately impacted.
(7) High school.--The term ``high school'' has the meaning
given the term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(8) IPCC report.--The term ``IPCC Report'' means the report
entitled ``IPCC, 2018: Global warming of 1.5 C. An IPCC
Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 C above
pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas
emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global
response to the threat of climate change, sustainable
development, and efforts to eradicate poverty'' published by
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on October 8,
2018.
(9) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Labor.
(10) Shortages.--The term ``shortages'' refers to when
workforce demand exceeds supply within an occupation or field
of work.
(11) Skilled technical personnel.--The term ``skilled
technical personnel'' means--
(A) journey- and apprentice-level workers
(including such workers who work in full supply chain
and manufacturing, and operation and maintenance), who
are enrolled in, or have completed, a registered
apprenticeship program 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.); and
(B) other skilled workers in the clean energy
technology industry, as determined by the Secretary.
(12) Trend.--The term ``trend'' refers to jobs being
created, jobs being eliminated, lifespan of jobs, required
competencies of jobs, skill gaps of jobs, geographical
locations of jobs, ongoing training for jobs, cleanliness of
jobs (based on greenhouse gas reductions), current job
openings, projected job openings, current wages of jobs,
projected wages of jobs, unionization rates of jobs, and other
information the Secretary determines appropriate.
(13) Underrepresented populations.--The term
``underrepresented populations'' is a group of individuals
(such as a group of individuals from the same gender or race)
that comprises less than 25 percent of the individuals employed
in each occupation or field of work within the clean-energy
technology industry.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
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