Sec. 3. Regional transition advisory committees
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/bill/117/hr/2245/ih/section-3·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
An economically distressed community may establish a committee, to be known as a Regional Transition Advisory Committee, to develop and implement an economic development transition plan for the economically distressed community. Each Regional Transition Advisory Committee established pursuant to this section shall include, to the extent practicable— at least 1 representative from the union or labor organization representing workers of the applicable covered electric generating station or associated mine; at least 1 representative who is the Chief Executive Officer, or a designee thereof, of each applicable State where the economically distressed community is located; at least 1 representative from each impacted local government; at least 1 representative from each electric utility associated with an applicable covered electric generating station; at least 1 representative from an economic development agency; at least 1 representative from an institution of higher education with demonstrated experience and expertise in energy workforce disruption or labor development issues; at least 1 representative from an environmental organization with demonstrated experience and expertise in energy workforce disruption or labor development issues; and at least 1 representative who is the Chief Executive Officer (or a designee thereof) of an impacted Tribal government within an economically distressed community (as applicable).
Each Regional Transition Advisory Committee shall be led by a designee of an impacted local government within an economically distressed community, who shall serve as the Chair of the Committee. In the event multiple local governments are impacted by a closure of a covered electric generating station within an economically distressed community, designees from each such impacted local government shall serve as Co-Chairs of the Committee. A Regional Transition Advisory Committee may develop and implement an plan, to be known as an economic development transition plan.
An economic development transition plan shall include, at a minimum, the following: A strategic vision that reflects the values, characteristics, and general economic needs of the applicable economically distressed community to guide the development and implementation of the economic development transition plan, such as— geographic proximity to an urban area; socioeconomic attributes of the general workforce; and such other characteristics the Regional Transition Advisory Committee determines are appropriate.
The steps a Regional Transition Advisory Committee will seek to implement in the applicable economically distressed community with the goals of, at a minimum— increasing employment opportunities for dislocated workers, to the extent practicable, including jobs in energy-related industries; increasing educational opportunities, to the extent practicable, at institutions of higher education or provided by labor organizations, for dislocated workers; and generating revenue, to be received by the applicable unit of local government or Indian Tribe, that is equal to or greater than the covered net revenue received by such unit of local government or Indian Tribe in the last full fiscal year in which the applicable covered electric generating station was operating.
An assessment and description of— available infrastructure, including a status on the condition of such infrastructure, to support economic development in the economically distressed community related to essential community services; the extent to which such environmental restoration activities described in subparagraph (D)(iii) may prioritize the employment of dislocated workers previously employed at the covered electric generating station or associated mine to carry out such activities (to the extent practicable); types of industries or occupations located in or near the economically distressed community which dislocated workers could likely transition to, including any available data on average wages and employment-related benefits associated for each occupation; covered net revenue losses incurred by the economically distressed community in the preceding fiscal year, or projected covered net revenue losses likely to be incurred, as a result of the closure of a covered electric generation station (including an associated mine), and the observed impact, or projected impact, such closure will impose on the provision of essential community services in the economically distressed community; the potential for distributed or renewable energy resources to provide electricity to electric consumers residing in the applicable economically distressed community; any disruptions experienced by dislocated workers in the economically distressed community in terms of— real wages, calculated on a weekly average basis; access to a health insurance policy previously available through an employer operating a covered electric generating station or associated mine; earned benefits, including— the retirement and health benefits for coal miners; or the United Mine Workers of America Combined Benefit Fund established under section 9702 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; or benefits under any qualified employer plan (as defined in section 72(p)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986); and available institutions of higher education or labor organizations in or near the applicable economically distressed community offering professional certification, technical training, apprenticeships, or educational instruction on jobs in energy-related industries.
A timeline, with benchmarks to measure progress, to— promote infrastructure investments to maintain or expand essential community services through available Federal, State, or local programs, or from the private sector, in the applicable economically distressed community; mitigate or replace the loss of covered net revenue for the economically distressed community to a level necessary to continue provide essential services and support the goals of a comprehensive economic development transition plan; conduct environmental restoration activities with respect to any mines (including surface mines, underground mines, or mine openings), coal ash ponds, and other coal mining operations directly associated with a covered electric generating station that has ceased producing electricity, including any necessary decommissioning activities at the site of the covered electric generating station; and increase technical training, professional certification, apprenticeships, or educational instruction opportunities for dislocated workers at institutions of higher education or provided by labor organizations in or near the applicable economically distressed community for jobs in energy-related industries.
A Regional Transition Advisory Committee shall, in consultation with the applicable economic development agency, develop measurable evaluation and performance metrics that the Regional Transition Advisory Committee shall adhere to throughout the implementation of the economic development transition plan.