Bill Sponsor
Senate Bill 3034
116th Congress(2019-2020)
TAA for Automation Act of 2019
Introduced
Introduced
Introduced in Senate on Dec 12, 2019
Overview
Text
Introduced in Senate 
Dec 12, 2019
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Introduced in Senate(Dec 12, 2019)
Dec 12, 2019
Not Scanned for Linkage
About Linkage
Multiple bills can contain the same text. This could be an identical bill in the opposite chamber or a smaller bill with a section embedded in a larger bill.
Bill Sponsor regularly scans bill texts to find sections that are contained in other bill texts. When a matching section is found, the bills containing that section can be viewed by clicking "View Bills" within the bill text section.
Bill Sponsor is currently only finding exact word-for-word section matches. In a future release, partial matches will be included.
S. 3034 (Introduced-in-Senate)


116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 3034


To make trade adjustment assistance available to workers whose jobs are eliminated through automation, and for other purposes.


IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

December 12, 2019

Mr. Peters (for himself, Ms. Stabenow, Mrs. Gillibrand, and Ms. Cortez Masto) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance


A BILL

To make trade adjustment assistance available to workers whose jobs are eliminated through automation, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. Short title.

This Act may be cited as the “TAA for Automation Act of 2019”.

SEC. 2. Eligibility of workers whose jobs are eliminated through automation for trade adjustment assistance.

(a) In general.—Section 222(a)(2) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2272(a)(2)) is amended—

(1) in subparagraph (A)(iii), by striking “; or” and inserting a semicolon; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

“(C) (i) there has been a shift in production of articles or supply of services by such workers’ firm from utilizing the workers to methods or systems primarily utilizing automation; and

“(ii) the shift described in clause (i) contributed importantly to such workers' separation or threat of separation; or

“(D) (i) the sales or production, or both, of such firm have decreased absolutely; and

“(ii) the use of automation in the production of articles or services like or directly competitive with articles produced or services supplied by such firm has increased; and

“(iii) the increase in the use of automation described in clause (ii) contributed importantly to such workers' separation or threat of separation and to the decline in the sales or production of such firm.”.

(b) Automation defined.—Section 222(c) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2272(c)) is amended—

(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (4) as paragraphs (2) through (5), respectively; and

(2) by inserting before paragraph (2), as redesignated by paragraph (1), the following:

“(1) AUTOMATION.—The term ‘automation’ means using technology to produce a good or service previously produced by human work.”.

(c) Specification of basis for eligibility.—Section 222 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2272) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(f) Specification of basis for eligibility.—When the Secretary certifies a group of workers under this section as eligible to apply for adjustment assistance, the Secretary shall specify in the certification the basis for the eligibility of the group under subsection (a).”.

(d) Conforming amendments.—Subsections (b) and (c) of section 222 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2272) are amended by striking “subsection (a)” each place it appears and inserting “subparagraph (A) or (B) of subsection (a)(2)”.

(e) Regulations; recommendations.—Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor shall—

(1) prescribe regulations to carry out the amendments made by this section; and

(2) submit to Congress a report that includes recommendations for any changes to law necessary to carry out the amendments made by this section, including any changes to section 236(a)(2)(A) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2296(a)(2)(A)).

(f) Effective date.—The amendments made by this section shall—

(1) take effect on the date that is 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act; and

(2) apply with respect to petitions for certifications of eligibility filed under section 221 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2271) on or after the date described in paragraph (1).

SEC. 3. Workforce advisory board or subcommittee on automation.

(a) Establishment.—The Secretary of Labor shall establish an advisory board, or form a subcommittee of an advisory board that exists as of the date of the enactment of this Act, to provide recommendations to the Secretary on addressing the impact of automation on the workforce, including matters relating to jobs and occupations at risk of elimination as a result of automation.

(b) Membership.—In establishing the advisory board or subcommittee under subsection (a), the Secretary shall ensure that the advisory board or subcommittee consists of nationally representative members, including the balanced participation of—

(1) State boards, as defined in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102);

(2) labor organizations;

(3) industry representatives;

(4) nonprofit entities, or community-based organizations, with experience researching the impact of automation on the workforce;

(5) academic experts in the field of workforce development, labor economics, and program evaluation;

(6) engineering and technology experts, such as experts from the National Institute of Standards and Technology; and

(7) any other stakeholders the Secretary considers appropriate.

(c) Annual report.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not less frequently than annually, the advisory board or subcommittee established under subsection (a) shall—

(A) identify—

(i) occupations at risk of elimination as a result of automation; and

(ii) occupations experiencing above average decline for which there is evidence that technological advancement has contributed to that decline;

(B) evaluate strategies for workforce development based on measurements of impact on the workforce due to automation and on other relevant evidence; and

(C) provide recommendations to the Secretary and to Congress based on that evaluation.

(2) PUBLIC ACCESS.—The Secretary shall disseminate the strategies recommended under paragraph (1) to relevant stakeholders and make such strategies available to the public.

(d) Federal Advisory Committee Act.—The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the advisory board or subcommittee established under subsection (a).

(e) Automation defined.—In this section, the term “automation” means using technology to produce a good or service previously produced by human work.