,,ii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #dfgg ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,september #bc1 #bjbj ,ms4 ,rosen 7for herself and ,mrs4 ,hyde-,smith7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act to create a new national program to support mid-career workers1 including workers from underrepresented populations1 in reentering the ,,stem workforce1 by providing funding to small- and medium-sized ,,stem businesses so the businesses can offer paid internships or other returnships that lead to positions above entry level4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,,stem ,restoring ,employment ,skills through ,targeted ,assistance1 ,re-entry1 and ,training ,act or the ,,stem ,,restart ,act4 #b4 ,returning skilled workers to the ,,stem workforce 7a7 ,in general ,subtitle ,d of title ,i of the ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act is amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating section #agb 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #cbbg7 as section #agc2 and 7#b7 by inserting after section #aga the following3 #agb4 ,grants to support skilled workers in returning or transitioning to the ,,stem workforce 7a7 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,the ,brookings ,institution expects the coronavirus pandemic will have lasting effects on the labor market and could change the composition of available jobs indefinitely1 with the ensuing economic decline ushering in a new era of automation4 ,employers will likely shed less skilled workers and replace them with higher-skilled technology workers1 which increases labor productivity as a recession tapers off4 7#b7 ,the current pipeline of engineering talent does not include many college graduates from large cohorts of the population4 ,women represent over #eg percent of college graduates but only #bb percent of the engineers entering the workforce4 ,within the workforce1 only #ad percent of engineers are women4 ,women also leave the engineering profession in greater numbers than men do4 7#c7 ,a #bjah ,pew ,research ,center study showed there are wide racial gaps among current ,,stem workers regarding reasons why so few ,black and ,hispanic people work in ,,stem4 ,for example1 over #gj percent of ,black ,,stem workers view lack of access to education and discriminatory hiring and promotion practices as reasons there are so few ,black men and women in the ,,stem fields4 ,by comparison1 less than #cj percent of ,white and ,asian ,,stem workers view that lack of access and those practices as barriers to ,black people entering the fields4 ,additionally1 #fb percent of ,black ,,stem workers say they have faced discrimination in their jobs compared to just #ac percent of ,white ,,stem workers4 7#d7 ,among the #be1cjj1jjj ,united ,states women ages #be through #ed with a bachelor's degree or higher degree in #bjag1 #d1bjj1jjj were out of the labor force4 ,while some of those women were disabled or retired1 the remaining #c1fjj1jjj women may be candidates to return to work4 7#e7 ,the ,center for ,talent ,innovation's research shows that while #ic percent of women who left the workforce want to resume their careers1 only #gd percent manage to get any kind of job at all and just #dj percent successfully return to work full-time4 7#f7 ,mid-career internship and other returnship programs are an effective way to address the difficulties of former ,,stem employees seeking to return to work1 as the programs provide a probationary period and also an opportunity to obtain mentorship1 professional development1 and support as the participants transition back to work4 ,even more important1 returnship programs allow an employer to base a hiring decision on an actual work sample instead of a series of interviews4 ,at the same time1 the programs give participants an opportunity to return to work together1 in a cohort of similarly situated returners4 7#g7 ,fortune #ejj companies like ,apple1 ,honeywell1 ,northrop ,grumman1 ,ingersoll ,rand1 and ,the ,procter ,gamble ,company have taken the initiative to try to close the gender gap among ,,stem professionals by providing mid-career internships for returning technical professionals4 ,however1 a #bjjh study by ,anthony ,breitzman and ,diana ,hicks for the ,office of ,advocacy of the ,small ,business ,administration1 entitled ,an ,analysis of ,small ,business ,patents by ,industry and ,firm ,size1 found that ,small firms are much more likely to develop emerging technologies than are large firms4 ,this is perhaps intuitively reasonable given theories on small firms effecting technological change1 but the quantitative data here support this assertion4 ,specifically1 although small firms account for only #h percent of patents granted1 they account for #bd percent of the patents in the top #ajj emerging clusters44 7b7 ,purposes ,the purposes of this section are to-- 7#a7 prioritize expanding opportunities1 through high-quality internships or other returnships in ,,stem fields for unemployed or underemployed workers1 particularly workers from underrepresented populations and workers from rural areas1 who are mid-career skilled workers seeking to return or transition to in-demand industry sectors or occupations within the ,,stem workforce1 at positions and compensation above entry level2 and 7#b7 establish grant funding and other incentives for small-sized and medium-sized companies in in-demand industry sectors or occupations to establish programs that provide on-the-job evaluation1 education1 and training for mid-career skilled workers described in paragraph 7#a74 7c7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,medium-sized enterprise ,the term medium-sized1 used with respect to an enterprise1 means an entity that employs more than #dii and fewer than #aj1jjj employees4 7#b7 ,,restart grant ,the term ,,restart grant means a grant made under subsection 7d74 7#c7 ,returnship ,the term returnship shall mean any internship1 apprenticeship1 re-entry opportunity1 direct hiring opportunity with support1 or other similar opportunity designed to provide workers seeking to return or transition to the ,,stem workforce with positions that-- 7,a7 are above entry level2 7,b7 provide salaries1 stipends1 or other payments1 and benefits1 that are above entry level2 and 7,c7 provide training that leads workers toward full-time careers and provides pathways toward advancement and leadership4 7#d7 ,rural area ,the term rural area means an area that is not an urban area 7within the meaning of the notice of final program criteria entitled ,urban ,area ,criteria for the #bjaj ,census 7#gf ,fed4 ,reg4 #ecjcj 7,august #bd1 #bjaa7774 7#e7 ,small-sized enterprise ,the term small-sized1 used with respect to an enterprise1 means an entity that employs more than #di and fewer than #ejj individuals4 7#f7 ,,stem ,the term ,,stem has the meaning given the term in section #b of the ,america ,,competes ,reauthorization ,act of #bjaj 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ffba note74 7#g7 ,underrepresented population ,the term underrepresented population means a group that is underrepresented in science and engineering1 as determined by the ,secretary of ,education under section #fcg4d7;b7 of title #cd1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7as in effect on the date of enactment of this ,act74 7#h7 ,unemployed or underemployed individual ,the term unemployed or underemployed individual means-- 7,a7 an unemployed or underemployed individual as defined by the ,bureau of ,labor ,statistics2 and 7,b7 a displaced or furloughed worker4 7d7 ,grant 7#a7 ,in general ,from the amounts made available to carry out this section1 the ,secretary shall award grants1 on a competitive basis1 to eligible entities1 to carry out returnship programs that provide opportunities above entry level in ,,stem fields for mid-career skilled workers1 and achieve the purposes described in subsection 7b74 7#b7 ,periods ,the ,secretary shall award the grants for an initial period of not less than #c years and not more than #e years4 7#c7 ,amounts ,in awarding grants under this subsection1 the ,secretary shall award a grant-- 7,a7 for a small-sized enterprise1 in an amount so that each annual payment for the grant is not less than #ajj1jjj or more than #a1jjj1jjj2 and 7,b7 for a medium-sized enterprise or consortium1 in an amount so that each annual payment for the grant is not less than #ejj1jjj or more than #e1jjj1jjj4 7e7 ,eligibility 7#a7 ,eligible entities ,to be eligible to receive a ,,restart grant under this section1 an entity shall-- 7,a7 7i7 be located in the ,united ,states and have significant operations and employees within the ,united ,states2 7ii7 not be a debtor in a bankruptcy proceeding1 within the meaning of section #djjc7;c77#c77;,d77i77,v7 of the ,,cares ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #ijdb7;c77#c77;,d77i77,v77 or under a ,state bankruptcy law2 and 7iii7 be within an in-demand industry sector or occupation in a ,,stem field2 and 7,b7 be-- 7i7 a small-sized enterprise2 7ii7 a medium-sized enterprise2 or 7iii7 a consortium of small-sized or medium-sized enterprises4 7#b7 ,eligible providers 7,a7 ,in general ,an eligible entity that desires to partner with a provider in order to carry out a returnship program under this section shall enter into an arrangement with an eligible provider4 7,b7 ,provider ,to be eligible to enter into such an arrangement1 a provider-- 7i7 may or may not directly employ skilled workers in ,,stem fields but-- 7,i7 shall have expertise in human resources-related activities1 such as identifying or carrying out staffing with skilled workers or underrepresented populations2 and 7,,ii7 shall be capable of providing high-quality education and training services2 and 7ii7 may be-- 7,i7 7aa7 an institution of higher education 7as defined in section #aja of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja772 or 7bb7 a non-degree-granting institution that is governed by the same body that governs an institutions of higher education described in item 7aa72 7,,ii7 a public1 private for-profit1 or private nonprofit service provider1 approved by the local board2 7,,iii7 a joint labor-management organization2 7,,iv7 an eligible provider of adult education and literacy activities under title ,,ii2 or 7,v7 an established nonprofit organization that conducts research or provides training on technical1 social and emotional1 and employability skills and knowledge aligned to the needs of adult learners and workers4 7f7 ,applications 7#a7 ,in general ,to be eligible to receive a ,,restart grant to carry out a returnship program1 an entity shall submit an application to the ,secretary at such time and in such manner as the ,secretary may reasonably require4 7#b7 ,contents ,such an application shall include-- 7,a7 a description of the demand for skilled workers in ,,stem fields and how the ,,restart grant will be used to help meet that demand2 7,b7 a description of how the program will lead to employment of unemployed or underemployed individuals1 particularly workers from underrepresented populations or from rural areas1 who seek to return or transition to the ,,stem workforce2 7,c7 if the entity has entered into or plans to enter into an arrangement with an eligible provider as described in subsection 7e77#b7 to carry out a returnship program1 information identifying the eligible provider1 and a description of how the arrangement will help the entity build the knowledge and skills of skilled workers participating in the program2 7,d7 a description of how the eligible entity will develop and establish1 or expand1 a returnship program that adds to the number of full-time employees employed by the entity1 but does not displace full-time employees currently 7as of the date of submission of the application7 employed by the entity2 7,e7 an assurance that any new or existing returnship program developed and established1 or expanded1 with the grant funds will last for at least #aj weeks and provide compensation to participants in the form of a salary1 stipend1 or other payment1 and benefits1 that are offered to full-time employees with equivalent experience and expertise1 such as health care or child care benefits2 and 7,f7 if the returnship program leads to a recognized postsecondary credential1 information on the quality of the program that leads to the credential4 7#c7 ,priority ,in making grants under this section1 the ,secretary shall give priority to entities who are proposing programs that prioritize returnships for workers from underrepresented populations or from rural areas4 7g7 ,use of funds 7#a7 ,in general ,an entity that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds to carry out a returnship program1 of not less than #aj weeks1 through which the entity provides for-- 7,a7 the education and training of returnship participants2 and 7,b7 the services of existing employees 7as of the date the program begins7 of the entity who are working with returnship participants in an educational1 training1 or managerial role1 to maximize the retention rate and effectiveness of the returnship program4 7#b7 ,specific uses ,the grant funds may be used-- 7,a7 to pay for the evaluation1 and entry into the program1 and education and training of returnship participants1 including payment for the duration of the program for the participants for-- 7i7 equipment1 travel1 and 7as necessary7 housing2 7ii7 mentorship and career counseling2 and 7iii7 salaries1 stipends1 or payments1 and benefits1 described in subsection 7f77#b77;,e72 7,b7 to supplement1 and not supplant1 the compensation of those existing employees of the entity who are directly supporting a returnship program through the work described in paragraph 7#a77;,b72 and 7,c7 to enter into an arrangement with an eligible provider to carry out a returnship program4 7#c7 ,existing employees ,not more than #bj percent of the grant funds may be used to provide compensation for the existing employees performing the work described in paragraph 7#a77;,b74 7#d7 ,coordination with ,state workforce boards ,an entity that receives a grant under this section shall coordinate activities with the ,state workforce development board established under section #aja of the ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #caaa71 to ensure collaboration and alignment of workforce programs4 7h7 ,reporting and evaluation requirements 7#a7 ,report to the secretary ,an entity that receives a grant under this section for a returnship program shall prepare1 certify the contents of1 and submit to the ,secretary an annual report containing data regarding-- 7,a7 the total number of the participants1 and the number of such participants disaggregated by sex1 race1 and ethnicity2 7,b7 the total number of the participants transitioned into full-time employment1 and the number of such transitioned participants disaggregated by sex1 race1 and ethnicity2 and 7,c7 if the returnship program includes participants in an internship1 the conversion rate of the internship participants to employees1 for the total number of those participants and the conversion rate of those participants disaggregated by sex1 race1 and ethnicity4 7#b7 ,evaluation and report by the secretary ,not later than #ahj days after receiving the annual reports from grant recipients under paragraph 7#a71 the ,secretary shall-- 7,a7 7i7 prepare a report that presents the data collected through the reports1 including data disaggregated by sex1 race1 and ethnicity1 and an evaluation based on that data of the best practices for effectively implementing returnship 7including internship7 programs2 and 7ii7 submit the report to the ,committee on ,education and ,labor of the ,house of ,representatives1 and the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions of the ,senate2 and 7,b7 post information on a website on best practices described in subparagraph 7,a77i74 7i7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there is authorized to be appropriated to the ,secretary to carry out this section #ej1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjba through #bjbe4 4 7b7 ,table of contents ,the table of contents in section #a7;b7 of the ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act is amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating the item relating to section #agb as the item relating to section #agc2 and 7#b7 by inserting after the item relating to section #aga the following3 ,sec4 #agb4 ,grants to support skilled workers in returning or transitioning to the ,,stem workforce4 4