To amend the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act to require a plan for data collection and analytical capability relating to the skilled technical workforce, and for other purposes.
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill amends section 10314(b)(2) of the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act to change how federal workforce data planning is reported. Instead of requiring only a report on assessment results, it requires, one year after enactment and every two years after that, a plan for initiating and maintaining data collection and analytical capability within the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. The plan is focused on surveys related to the skilled technical workforce, a category central to technician, advanced manufacturing, laboratory, infrastructure, information technology, and other middle-skill science and engineering roles.
Who Benefits and How
Students, workers, community colleges, technical education programs, apprenticeship sponsors, workforce boards, employers seeking skilled technicians, and researchers benefit from stronger federal planning for skilled technical workforce data. The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics benefits from a clearer statutory mandate to build and maintain survey capacity rather than treating the issue as a one-time assessment.
Who Bears the Burden and How
NCSES staff, National Science Foundation data managers, survey contractors, education agencies, employers, and workforce intermediaries may face recurring work to design surveys, collect data, protect privacy, maintain analytic systems, and report plans every two years. Congress and federal workforce agencies must interpret the new planning reports when allocating resources or judging gaps in skilled technical workforce information.
Key Provisions
- Amends the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act skilled technical workforce provision.
- Requires a plan for data collection and analytical capability within NCSES.
- Requires the first plan one year after enactment and biennial plans after that.
- Focuses the plan on surveys related to the skilled technical workforce.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Requires the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics to maintain a biennial plan for data collection and analytic capacity on the skilled technical workforce instead of only reporting assessment results.
Key Policy Areas
Education, Labor, Research & Science
Primary Purpose
Requires the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics to maintain a biennial plan for data collection and analytic capacity on the skilled technical workforce instead of only reporting assessment results.
Policy Domains
Substantive provisions
Identified Gains
- Students in technical programs
- Skilled technical workers
- Community colleges
- Apprenticeship sponsors
- Employers seeking technicians
- Workforce researchers
- NCSES analysts
Identified Costs
- NCSES staff
- National Science Foundation data managers
- Survey contractors
- Education agencies
- Employers responding to surveys
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeReferred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Introduced in House
Ms. Scholten (for herself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, and Ms. Norton) introduced …
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
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