HR7179-119

What This Bill Does

The Historic Infrastructure Management and Jobs Training Act adds a new Historic Preservation Workforce Development grants section to chapter 3029 of title 54. The Interior Secretary establishes a competitive grant program to support workforce training, apprenticeships, and skilled trade development for preservation and conservation of historic properties and objects, including records, archaeological resources, and culturally significant materials. Eligible recipients include States, territories, local governments, Indian Tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, public or nonprofit organizations with preservation experience, and accredited educational institutions with relevant training programs. Eligible projects must focus on historic properties or cultural resources needing specialized preservation skills because of age, materials, construction methods, or significance. Training may cover historic masonry, timber framing, structural systems, decorative finishes, plaster, tile, ornamental woodwork, metalwork, archival and photographic conservation, archaeological stabilization, documentation, and materials conservation. Skilled-trade projects must comply with Department of Labor apprenticeship standards and applicable collective bargaining agreements. The Secretary prioritizes projects serving high-unemployment areas and places with limited preservation expertise, including rural or underserved communities. Grantees report workforce outcomes such as participant counts and certifications or credentials.

Who Benefits and How

Historic preservation trainees, apprentices, skilled trades workers, rural communities, underserved communities, high-unemployment areas, State governments, local governments, Indian Tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, preservation nonprofits, and accredited educational institutions benefit from grant funding for specialized preservation skills and career pathways. Historic properties, archaeological resources, archives, and culturally significant objects benefit if more workers are trained to conserve, stabilize, document, and maintain them. Labor apprenticeship systems benefit when skilled-trade projects coordinate with the Office of Apprenticeship.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Interior historic preservation staff must administer a new competitive grant program, set application procedures, track measurable outcomes, and update the title 54 table of contents. Grant recipients must design eligible training projects, comply with apprenticeship standards and collective bargaining agreements when applicable, report participant and credential outcomes, and focus on qualifying historic or cultural resources. Federal taxpayers bear the cost of the grants. Applicants outside priority high-unemployment or underserved areas may be less competitive.

Key Provisions

• Creates a Historic Preservation Workforce Development competitive grant program.
• Authorizes grants for training, apprenticeships, and skilled trade development tied to historic properties, cultural resources, archival materials, and archaeological resources.
• Allows grants to States, territories, local governments, Indian Tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, preservation nonprofits, and accredited educational institutions.
• Requires skilled-trade projects to comply with Department of Labor apprenticeship standards and applicable collective bargaining agreements.
• Prioritizes projects in high-unemployment areas and places with limited preservation expertise, including rural or underserved communities.
• Requires grantees to report workforce outcomes, including participant counts and preservation-related certifications or credentials.