S.Amdt. 2771

SA 2771. Mr. DURBIN (for Ms. Duckworth) submitted an amendment
intended to be proposed to amendment SA 2282 proposed by Mr. Inhofe
(for himself and Mr. McCain) to the bill H.R. 5515, to authorize
appropriations for fiscal year 2019 for military activities of the
Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense
activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel
strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of subtitle B of title III, add the following:

SEC. 3__. DOE MANUFACTURING TRADES EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM.

(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the
Department of Energy.
(2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means an
entity described in subsection (c).
(3) Eligible program of education.--The term ``eligible
program of education'' means a program of education described
in subsection (d).
(4) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the
term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
(5) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the DOE
Manufacturing Trades Education Grant Program established
under subsection (b)(1).
(6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Energy.
(b) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation with the
Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Education, the Director
of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the heads
of such other relevant Federal agencies as the Secretary
considers appropriate, may establish a grant program, to be
known as the ``DOE Manufacturing Trades Education Grant
Program'', under which the Secretary shall make grants on a
competitive basis to eligible entities to carry out eligible
programs of education that provide recognized postsecondary
credentials to enhance existing programs of, or the
establishment of new programs at, the Department in
manufacturing trades education to further the missions of the
national security laboratories of the Department and National
Nuclear Security Administration production sites.
(2) Grant period.--The term of a grant made under the
Program shall be 5 years.
(3) Coordination required.--The Secretary shall ensure that
the Program is coordinated with other programs of the
Department that are associated with advanced manufacturing
activities that carry out the missions of the national
security laboratories of the Department and National Nuclear
Security Administration production sites.
(c) Eligible Entities.--To be eligible to receive a grant
under the Program, an entity shall be--
(1) a manufacturing trades industry organization;
(2) a nonprofit organization;
(3) an institution of higher education;
(4) a workforce intermediary; or
(5) a consortium of 2 or more entities described in
paragraphs (1) through (4).
(d) Eligible Programs of Education.--An eligible entity
receiving a grant under the Program shall use the grant to
carry out a consolidated and integrated multidisciplinary
program of education that--
(1) provides postsecondary credentials;
(2) is a technical skills-based training program; and
(3) emphasizes--
(A) multidisciplinary instruction that--
(i) encompasses the total manufacturing engineering
enterprise; and
(ii) may include--

(I) manufacturing trades education and training through
classroom activities, laboratory, or employer site
activities, on the job training activities, participation in
employer site projects, sponsored pre-apprenticeship or
apprenticeship programs, cooperative work-study programs, and
interactions with other industrial facilities, consortia, or
such other activities and organizations in the United States
and foreign countries as the Secretary considers appropriate;
(II) subject matter expert development programs;
(III) recruitment of experienced and licensed professionals
that are highly qualified in relevant manufacturing trades to
teach or develop manufacturing trade courses and program
content;
(IV) presentation of seminars, workshops, and training for
the development of specific manufacturing trades skills;

[[Page S3720]]

(V) activities involving interaction between students and
industry, including programs for visiting experts from
industry or other sites or industry and personnel exchanges
between the national security laboratories of the Department
and National Nuclear Security Administration production
sites;
(VI) development of new, or updating and modification of
existing, manufacturing trades curriculum, course offerings,
and education programs;
(VII) establishment of programs in manufacturing workforce
training that are specific to the unique skills and
requirements needed at the national security laboratories of
the Department and National Nuclear Security Administration
production sites;
(VIII) establishment of joint manufacturing trades
education programs with defense laboratories, depots, the
national security laboratories of the Department, and
National Nuclear Security Administration production sites;
and
(IX) expansion of manufacturing trades training and
education programs and outreach for members of the Armed
Forces, dependents and children of members of the Armed
Forces, veterans, and employees of the Department of Defense,
the national security laboratories of the Department, and
National Nuclear Security Administration production sites;

(B) opportunities for students to obtain work experience in
manufacturing through such activities as apprenticeship and
preapprenticeship programs, internships, summer job
placements, or cooperative work-study programs; and
(C) faculty and student engagement with industry that is
directly related to, and supportive of, the education of
students in the manufacturing trades because of--
(i) the increased understanding of the students of
manufacturing challenges and potential solutions; and
(ii) the enhanced quality and effectiveness of the
instruction that result from that increased understanding.
(e) Selection of Grant Recipients.--
(1) Applications.--If the Secretary establishes the
Program, the Secretary shall solicit applications for grants.
(2) Merit competition.--The Secretary shall evaluate
applications received under paragraph (1) on the basis of
merit pursuant to competitive procedures prescribed by the
Secretary.
(3) Criteria.--The Secretary shall select for grants under
the Program eligible entities that demonstrate in the
application of the eligible entity how the eligible program
of education to be carried out using the grant will, at a
minimum--
(A) provide students access to registered apprenticeship or
preapprenticeship programs for improving trades education in
manufacturing technology;
(B) contain innovative approaches for improving trades
education in manufacturing technology;
(C) demonstrate a strong commitment to applying the
resources necessary to achieve the objectives of the eligible
program of education;
(D) provide for effective engagement with industry or
government organizations that--
(i) supports the instruction to be provided in the eligible
program of education; and
(ii) is likely to improve manufacturing capability and
technology;
(E) demonstrates a significant level of involvement of
United States industry in the proposed instructional and
research activities;
(F) is likely to attract regional students that will likely
have long careers at the national security laboratories of
the Department and National Nuclear Security Administration
production sites;
(G) promote careers in manufacturing trades at the national
security laboratories of the Department and National Nuclear
Security Administration production sites;
(H) involve fully qualified personnel and employer site
subject matter experts who are experienced in manufacturing
engineering education and technology;
(I) not later than 3 years after the date on which the
grant is made, attract non-Federal funding and other support
to sustain the eligible program of education;
(J) achieve a significant level of participation by women,
members of minority groups, young adults ages 17 to 29, and
individuals with disabilities through active recruitment; and
(K) train students in advanced manufacturing trades and in
relevant emerging technologies and production processes.
(4) Geographical distribution of grants.--In making grants
under the Program, the Secretary, to the maximum extent
practicable, shall avoid a geographical concentration of
grants.
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