Sec. 503. Program
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The Under Secretary, acting through the Director of the Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives established under section 902(b)(1) of division N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 ( 47 U.S.C. 1306 ), shall establish a program, to be known as the Telecommunications Workforce Training Grant Program , under which the Under Secretary shall award grants to eligible entities to develop training programs. An eligible entity desiring a covered grant shall submit to the Under Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Under Secretary may require.
An eligible entity shall include in an application submitted under paragraph (1)— a commitment from the industry partner of the eligible entity to collaborate with the eligible entity to develop a training program, including curricula and internships or apprenticeships; a description of how the eligible entity plans to use the covered grant funds, including the type of training program the eligible entity plans to develop; a plan for recruitment of students and potential students to participate in the applicable training program; a plan to increase female student participation in the applicable training program; a description of potential jobs to be secured through the applicable training program, including jobs in the communities surrounding the eligible entity; and a description of how the eligible entity will meet the short-term and long-term goals established under subsection (e)(2) and performance metrics established under that subsection.
An eligible entity may use covered grant funds, with respect to the training program of the eligible entity, to— hire faculty members to teach courses in the applicable training program; train faculty members to prepare students for employment in jobs related to the deployment of next-generation wired and wireless communications networks, including 5G networks, hybrid fiber-coaxial networks, and fiber infrastructure, particularly in— broadband, electromagnetic spectrum, or wireless network engineering; network deployment and maintenance; and industry field activities; design and develop curricula and other components necessary for degrees, courses, or programs of study, including certificate programs and credentialing programs, that comprise the training program; pay for costs associated with instruction under the training program, including the costs of equipment, telecommunications training towers, laboratory space, classroom space, and instructional field activities; fund scholarships, student internships, apprenticeships, and pre-apprenticeship opportunities in the areas described in paragraph (2); recruit students for the training program; and support the enrollment in the training program of individuals working in the telecommunications or electromagnetic spectrum industry in order for those individuals to advance professionally in the industry.
Not later than 2 years after the date on which amounts are made available to carry out this section, the Under Secretary shall award all covered grants. Of the total amount of covered grants made under this section, the Under Secretary shall award not less than— 20 percent of covered grant amounts to eligible entities that include historically Black colleges or universities; 20 percent of covered grant amounts to eligible entities that include Tribal Colleges or Universities; and 20 percent of covered grant amounts to eligible entities that include Hispanic-serving institutions.
The Under Secretary shall ensure that covered grant amounts awarded under paragraph
(2)are coordinated with grant amounts provided under section 902 of division N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 ( 47 U.S.C. 1306 ). In awarding covered grants for education relating to construction, the Under Secretary may prioritize applications that partner with registered apprenticeship programs, industry-led apprenticeship programs, pre-apprenticeship programs, other work-based learning opportunities, or public 2-year community or technical colleges that have a written agreement with 1 or more registered apprenticeship programs, industry-led apprenticeship programs, pre-apprenticeship programs, or other work-based learning opportunities. Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, after providing public notice and an opportunity to comment, the Under Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education, shall issue final rules governing the Grant Program. In the rules issued under paragraph (1), the Under Secretary shall— establish short-term and long-term goals for an eligible entity that receives a covered grant; establish performance metrics that demonstrate whether the goals described in paragraph
(1)have been met by an eligible entity; identify the steps the Under Secretary will take to award covered grants through the Grant Program if the demand for covered grants exceeds the amount appropriated to carry out the Grant Program; and develop criteria for evaluating applications for covered grants. The Under Secretary shall establish the term of a covered grant, which may not be less than 5 years. During the term of a covered grant received by an eligible entity, the eligible entity shall submit to the Under Secretary a semiannual report that, with respect to the preceding 180-day period— describes how the eligible entity used the covered grant amounts; describes the progress the eligible entity made in developing and executing the applicable training program; describes the number of faculty and students participating in the applicable training program; describes the partnership with the industry partner of the eligible entity, including— the commitments and in-kind contributions made by the industry partner; and the role of the industry partner in curriculum development, the degree program, and internships and apprenticeships; includes data on internship, apprenticeship, and employment opportunities and placements; and provides information determined necessary by Under Secretary to— measure progress toward the goals established under subsection (e)(2)(A); and assess whether the goals described in subparagraph
(A)are being met. The Inspector General of the Department of Commerce shall audit the Grant Program in order to— ensure that eligible entities use covered grant amounts in accordance with the requirements of this section, including the purposes for which covered grants may be used, as described in subsection (c); and prevent waste, fraud, abuse, and improper payments in the operation of the Grant Program. The Under Secretary shall revoke a covered grant awarded to an eligible entity if the eligible entity is not in compliance with the requirements of this section, including if the eligible entity uses the grant for a purpose that is not in compliance with subsection (c). Any finding by the Inspector General of the Department of Commerce under paragraph
(1)of waste, fraud, or abuse in the Grant Program, or that an improper payment has been made with respect to the Grant Program, shall identify the following: Any entity within the eligible entity that committed the applicable act. The amount of funding made available from the Grant Program to the eligible entity. The amount of funding determined to be an improper payment to an eligible entity, if applicable. Not later than 7 days after making a finding under paragraph
(1)of waste, fraud, or abuse in the Grant Program, or that an improper payment has been made with respect to the Grant Program, the Inspector General of the Department of Commerce shall concurrently notify the Under Secretary, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives of that finding, which shall include the information identified under paragraph
(3)with respect to the finding. The Under Secretary shall, with respect to the Grant Program— designate an entity within the Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives to lead fraud risk management activities; ensure that the entity designated under subparagraph
(A)has defined responsibilities and the necessary authority to serve the role of the entity; conduct risk-based monitoring and evaluation of fraud risk management activities with a focus on outcome measurement; collect and analyze data from reporting mechanisms and instances of detected fraud for real-time monitoring of fraud trends; use the results of the monitoring, evaluations, and investigations to improve fraud prevention, detection, and response; plan regular fraud risk assessments and assess risks to determine a fraud risk profile; develop, document, and communicate an antifraud strategy, focusing on preventative control activities; consider the benefits and costs of controls to prevent and detect potential fraud and develop a fraud response plan; and establish collaborative relationships with stakeholders and create incentives to help ensure effective implementation of the antifraud strategy. Until the year in which all covered grants have expired, the Under Secretary shall submit to Congress an annual report that, for the year covered by the report— identifies each eligible entity that received a covered grant and the amount of the covered grant; describes the progress each eligible entity described in paragraph
(1)has made toward accomplishing the overall purpose of the Grant Program, as described in subsection (c); summarizes the job placement status or apprenticeship opportunities of students who have participated in each training program; includes the findings of any audits conducted by the Inspector General of the Department of Commerce under subsection (h)(1) that were not included in the previous report submitted under this subsection; and includes information on— the progress of each eligibly entity towards the short-term and long-term goals established under subsection (e)(2)(A); and the performance of each eligible entity with respect to the performance metrics described in subsection (e)(2)(B).
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