119-s2306

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2306 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 2306

 To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to create a new 
 national program to support mid-career workers in reentering the STEM 
 workforce, 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 level.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 July 16, 2025

Ms. Rosen (for herself, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, and Mr. Kelly) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to create a new 
 national program to support mid-career workers in reentering the STEM 
 workforce, 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 level.

 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 ``STEM Restoring Employment Skills 
through Targeted Assistance, Re-entry, and Training Act'' or the ``STEM 
RESTART Act''.

SEC. 2. RETURNING SKILLED WORKERS TO THE STEM WORKFORCE.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle D of title I of the Workforce Innovation 
and Opportunity Act is amended--

    (1) by redesignating 

section 172 (29 U.S.C. 3227) as 
 

section 173; and

    (2) by inserting after 

section 171 the following:

``

SEC. 172. GRANTS TO SUPPORT SKILLED WORKERS IN RETURNING OR 
 TRANSITIONING TO THE STEM WORKFORCE.

 ``

    (a) 

=== Purposes ===
-The purposes of this section are to--
 ``

    (1) prioritize expanding opportunities, through high-
 quality internships or other returnships in STEM fields for 
 unemployed or underemployed workers, particularly workers from 
 rural areas, who are mid-career skilled workers seeking to 
 return or transition to in-demand industry sectors or 
 occupations within the STEM workforce, at positions and 
 compensation above entry level; and
 ``

    (2) 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 evaluation, education, and training for mid-career 
 skilled workers described in paragraph

    (1) .
 ``

    (b) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:
 ``

    (1) Medium-sized enterprise.--The term `medium-sized', 
 used with respect to an enterprise, means an entity that 
 employs more than 499 and fewer than 10,000 employees.
 ``

    (2) RESTART grant.--The term `RESTART grant' means a 
 grant made under subsection
            (c) .
 ``

    (3) Returnship.--The term `returnship' shall mean any 
 internship, apprenticeship, re-entry opportunity, direct hiring 
 opportunity with support, or other similar opportunity designed 
 to provide workers seeking to return or transition to the STEM 
 workforce with positions that--
 ``
        (A) are above entry level;
 ``
        (B) provide salaries, stipends, or other 
 payments, and benefits, that are above entry level; and
 ``
            (C) provide training that leads workers toward 
 full-time careers and provides pathways toward 
 advancement and leadership.
 ``

    (4) Rural area.--The term `rural area' means an area that 
 is not an urban area (within the meaning of the notice of final 
 program criteria entitled `Urban Area Criteria for the 2010 
 Census' (76 Fed. Reg. 53030 (August 24, 2011))).
 ``

    (5) Small-sized enterprise.--The term `small-sized', used 
 with respect to an enterprise, means an entity that employs 
 more than 49 and fewer than 500 individuals.
 ``

    (6) STEM.--The term `STEM' has the meaning given the term 
 in 

section 2 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 
 2010 (42 U.S.C. 6621 note).
 ``

    (7) Unemployed or underemployed individual.--The term 
 `unemployed or underemployed individual' means--
 ``
        (A) an unemployed or underemployed individual as 
 defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics; and
 ``
        (B) a displaced or furloughed worker.
 ``
            (c) Grant.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--From the amounts made available to carry 
 out this section, the Secretary shall award grants, on a 
 competitive basis, to eligible entities, to carry out 
 returnship programs that provide opportunities above entry 
 level in STEM fields for mid-career skilled workers, and 
 achieve the purposes described in subsection

    (a) .
 ``

    (2) Periods.--The Secretary shall award the grants for an 
 initial period of not less than 3 years and not more than 5 
 years.
 ``

    (3) Amounts.--In awarding grants under this subsection, 
 the Secretary shall award a grant--
 ``
        (A) for a small-sized enterprise, in an amount so 
 that each annual payment for the grant is not less than 
 $100,000 or more than $1,000,000; and
 ``
        (B) for a medium-sized enterprise or consortium, 
 in an amount so that each annual payment for the grant 
 is not less than $500,000 or more than $5,000,000.
 ``
            (d) Eligibility.--
 ``

    (1) Eligible entities.--To be eligible to receive a 
 RESTART grant under this section, an entity shall--
 ``
        (A)
            (i) be located in the United States and have 
 significant operations and employees within the United 
 States;
 ``
            (ii) not be a debtor in a bankruptcy proceeding, 
 within the meaning of 

section 4003
            (c) (3)
            (D) 
            (i) 
            (V) of 
 the CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 9042
            (c) (3)
            (D) 
            (i) 
            (V) ) or under 
 a State bankruptcy law; and
 ``
            (iii) be within an in-demand industry sector or 
 occupation in a STEM field; and
 ``
        (B) be--
 ``
            (i) a small-sized enterprise;
 ``
            (ii) a medium-sized enterprise; or
 ``
            (iii) a consortium of small-sized or 
 medium-sized enterprises.
 ``

    (2) Eligible providers.--
 ``
        (A) 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 provider.
 ``
        (B) Provider.--To be eligible to enter into such 
 an arrangement, a provider--
 ``
            (i) may or may not directly employ 
 skilled workers in STEM fields but--
 ``
            (I) shall have expertise in human 
 resources-related activities, such as 
 identifying or carrying out staffing 
 with skilled workers; and
 ``
            (II) shall be capable of 
 providing high-quality education and 
 training services; and
 ``
            (ii) may be--
 ``
            (I) (aa) an institution of higher 
 education (as defined in 

section 101 of 
 the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
 U.S.C. 1001)); or
 ``

    (bb) a non-degree-granting 
 institution that is governed by the 
 same body that governs an institution 
 of higher education described in item

    (aa) ;
 ``
            (II) a public, private for-
 profit, or private nonprofit service 
 provider, approved by the local board;
 ``
            (III) a joint labor-management 
 organization;
 ``
            (IV) an eligible provider of 
 adult education and literacy activities 
 under title II; or
 ``
            (V) an established nonprofit 
 organization that conducts research or 
 provides training on technical and 
 employability skills and knowledge 
 aligned to the needs of adult learners 
 and workers.
 ``

    (e) Applications.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a RESTART 
 grant to carry out a returnship program, an entity shall submit 
 an application to the Secretary at such time and in such manner 
 as the Secretary may reasonably require.
 ``

    (2) Contents.--Such an application shall include--
 ``
        (A) a description of the demand for skilled 
 workers in STEM fields and how the RESTART grant will 
 be used to help meet that demand;
 ``
        (B) a description of how the program will lead to 
 employment of unemployed or underemployed individuals, 
 particularly workers from rural areas, who seek to 
 return or transition to the STEM workforce;
 ``
            (C) if the entity has entered into or plans to 
 enter into an arrangement with an eligible provider as 
 described in subsection
            (d) (2) to carry out a 
 returnship program, information identifying the 
 eligible provider, and a description of how the 
 arrangement will help the entity build the knowledge 
 and skills of skilled workers participating in the 
 program;
 ``
            (D) a description of how the eligible entity will 
 develop and establish, or expand, a returnship program 
 that adds to the number of full-time employees employed 
 by the entity, but does not displace full-time 
 employees currently (as of the date of submission of 
 the application) employed by the entity;
 ``
        (E) an assurance that any new or existing 
 returnship program developed and established, or 
 expanded, with the grant funds will last for at least 
 10 weeks and provide compensation to participants in 
 the form of a salary, stipend, or other payment, and 
 benefits, that are offered to full-time employees with 
 equivalent experience and expertise, such as health 
 care or child care benefits; and
 ``
        (F) if the returnship program leads to a 
 recognized postsecondary credential, information on the 
 quality of the program that leads to the credential.
 ``

    (3) Priority.--In making grants under this section, the 
 Secretary shall give priority to entities who are proposing 
 programs that prioritize returnships for workers in in-demand 
 industry sectors or occupations, according to the State board 
 or from rural areas.
 ``

    (f) Use of Funds.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--An entity that receives a grant under 
 this section shall use the grant funds to carry out a 
 returnship program, of not less than 10 weeks, through which 
 the entity provides for--
 ``
        (A) the education and training of returnship 
 participants; and
 ``
        (B) the services of existing employees (as of the 
 date the program begins) of the entity who are working 
 with returnship participants in an educational, 
 training, or managerial role, to maximize the retention 
 rate and effectiveness of the returnship program.
 ``

    (2) Specific uses.--The grant funds may be used--
 ``
        (A) to pay for the evaluation, and entry into the 
 program, and education and training of returnship 
 participants, including payment for the duration of the 
 program for the participants for--
 ``
            (i) equipment, travel, and (as necessary) 
 housing;
 ``
            (ii) mentorship and career counseling; 
 and
 ``
            (iii) salaries, stipends, or payments, 
 and benefits, described in subsection

    (e)

    (2)
        (E) ;
 ``
        (B) to supplement, and not supplant, the 
 compensation of those existing employees of the entity 
 who are directly supporting a returnship program 
 through the work described in paragraph

    (1)
        (B) ; and
 ``
            (C) to enter into an arrangement with an eligible 
 provider to carry out a returnship program.
 ``

    (3) Existing employees.--Not more than 20 percent of the 
 grant funds may be used to provide compensation for the 
 existing employees performing the work described in paragraph

    (1)
        (B) .
 ``

    (4) Coordination with state boards.--An entity that 
 receives a grant under this section shall coordinate activities 
 with the State board established under 

section 101, to ensure 
 collaboration and alignment of workforce programs.
 ``

    (g) Reporting and Evaluation Requirements.--
 ``

    (1) Report to the secretary.--An entity that receives a 
 grant under this section for a returnship program shall 
 prepare, certify the contents of, and submit to the Secretary 
 an annual report containing data regarding--
 ``
        (A) the total number of the participants, and the 
 number of such participants disaggregated by sex, race, 
 and ethnicity;
 ``
        (B) the total number of the participants 
 transitioned into full-time employment, and the number 
 of such transitioned participants disaggregated by sex, 
 race, and ethnicity; and
 ``
            (C) if the returnship program includes 
 participants in an internship, the conversion rate of 
 the internship participants to employees, for the total 
 number of those participants and the conversion rate of 
 those participants disaggregated by sex, race, and 
 ethnicity.
 ``

    (2) Evaluation and report by the secretary.--Not later 
 than 180 days after receiving the annual reports from grant 
 recipients under paragraph

    (1) , the Secretary shall--
 ``
        (A)
            (i) prepare a report that presents the data 
 collected through the reports, including data 
 disaggregated by sex, race, and ethnicity, and an 
 evaluation based on that data of the best practices for 
 effectively implementing returnship (including 
 internship) programs; and
 ``
            (ii) submit the report to the Committee on 
 Education and Workforce of the House of 
 Representatives, and the Committee on Health, 
 Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate; and
 ``
        (B) post information on a website on best 
 practices described in subparagraph
        (A)
            (i) .
 ``

    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $50,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.''.

    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents in 

section 1

    (b) of 
the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is amended--

    (1) by redesignating the item relating to 

section 172 as 
 the item relating to 

section 173; and

    (2) by inserting after the item relating to 

section 171 the 
 following:

``

Sec. 172. Grants to support skilled workers in returning or 
 transitioning to the STEM workforce.''.
            (c) Conforming Amendment.--

Section 8041

    (g)

    (2) of the Substance Use-
Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for 
Patients and Communities Act (29 U.S.C. 3225a

    (g)

    (2) ) is amended in 
subparagraph
            (C) , by striking ``172

    (f) '' and inserting ``173

    (f) ''.
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