Exact Language: Green Construction Careers Demonstration Project in the Senate Bill
Below is the exact language from the discussion draft of the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act designed to build middle class careers in green construction.
§303. GREEN CONSTRUCTION CAREERS DEMONSTRATION PROJECT
(a) ESTABLISHMENT AND AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, shall, not later than 180 days after the enactment of this Act, establish a Green Construction Careers demonstration project by rules, regulations, and guidance in accordance with the provisions of this section. The purpose of the demonstration project shall be to promote middle class careers and quality employment practices in the green construction sector among targeted workers and to advance efficiency and performance on construction projects related to this Act. In order to advance these purposes, the Secretary shall identify projects, including residential retrofitting projects, funded directly by or assisted in whole or in part by or through the Federal Government pursuant to this Act or by any other entity established in accordance with this Act, to which all of the following shall apply.
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretaries may establish such terms and conditions for the demonstration projects as the Secretaries determine are necessary to meet the purposes of subsection (a), including establishing minimum proportions of hours to be worked by targeted workers on such projects. The Secretaries may require the contractors and subcontractors performing construction services on the project to comply with the terms and conditions as a condition of receiving funding or assistance from the Federal Government under this Act.
(c) EVALUATION.—The Secretaries shall evaluate the demonstration projects against the purposes of this section at the end of 3 years from initiation of the demonstration project. If the Secretaries determine that the demonstration projects have been successful, the Secretaries may identify further projects to which of the provisions of this section shall apply.
(d) GAO REPORT.—The Comptroller General shall prepare and submit a report to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Education and Labor and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, which
shall advise the committees of the results of the demonstration projects and make appropriate recommendations.
(e) DEFINITION AND DESIGNATION OF TARGETED WORKERS.—As used in this section, the term ‘‘targeted worker’’ means an individual who resides in the same labor market area (as defined in section 101(18) of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801(18))) as the project and who—
(1) is a member of a targeted group, within the meaning of section 51 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, other than an individual described in subsection (d)(1)(C) of such section;
(2)
(A) resides in a census tract in which not less than 20 percent of the households have incomes below the Federal poverty guidelines; or
(B) is a member of a family that received a total family income that, during the 2-year period prior to employment on the project or admission to the pre-apprenticeship program, did not exceed 200 percent of the Federal poverty guidelines (exclusive of unemployment compensation, child support payments, payments described in section 101(25)(A) of the Workforce Investment Act (29 U.S.C. 2801(25)(A)), and old-age and survivors insurance benefits received under section 202 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402); or
(3) is a displaced homemaker, as such term is defined in section 3(10) of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302(10)).
(f) QUALIFIED PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM.—A qualified pre-apprenticeship program is a pre-apprenticeship program that has demonstrated an ability to recruit, train, and prepare for admission to apprenticeship programs individuals who are targeted workers.
(g) QUALIFIED APPRENTICESHIP AND OTHER TRAINING PROGRAMS.—
(1) PARTICIPATION BY EACH CONTRACTOR REQUIRED. Each contractor and subcontractor that seeks to provide construction services on projects identified by the Secretaries pursuant to subsection (a) shall submit adequate assurances with its bid or proposal that it participates in a qualified apprenticeship or other training program, with a written arrangement with a qualified pre-apprenticeship program, for each craft or trade classification of worker that it intends to employ to perform work on the project.
(2) DEFINITION OF QUALIFIED APPRENTICESHIP OR OTHER TRAINING PROGRAM.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of this section, the term ‘‘qualified apprenticeship or other training program’’ means an apprenticeship or other training program that qualifies as an employee welfare benefit plan, as defined in section 3(1) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1002(1)).
(B) CERTIFICATION OF OTHER PROGRAMS IN CERTAIN LOCALITIES.—In the event that the Secretary of Labor certifies that a qualified apprenticeship or other training program (as defined in subparagraph (A)) for a craft or trade classification of workers that a prospective contractor or subcontractor intends to employ, is not operated in the locality where the project will be performed, an apprenticeship or other training program that is not an employee welfare benefit plan (as defined in such section) may be certified by the Secretary as a qualified apprenticeship or other training program provided it is registered with the Office of Apprenticeship of the Department of Labor, or a State apprenticeship agency recognized by the Office of Apprenticeship for Federal purposes.
(h) FACILITATING COMPLIANCE. The Secretary may require Federal contracting agencies, recipients of Federal assistance, and any other entity established in accordance with this Act to require contractors to enter into an agreement in a manner comparable with the standards set forth in sections 3 and 4 of Executive Order 13502 in order to achieve the purposes of this section, including any requirements established by subsection (b).
(i) LIMITATION. The requirements of this section shall not apply to any project funded under this Act in American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the United States Virgin Islands, unless participation is requested by the governor of such territories within 1 year of the promulgation of rules under this Act.
