February 5, 2025
Mr. Peters (for himself and Mrs. Blackburn) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
To require the Secretary of Commerce to establish the National Manufacturing Advisory Council within the Department of Commerce, 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 National Manufacturing Advisory Council Act
.
Sec. 2. National Manufacturing Advisory Council
(a) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Advisory Council
The term Advisory Council means the National Manufacturing Advisory Council established under subsection (b).
(2) Appropriate committees of Congress
The term appropriate committees of Congress means—
(A)
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate;
(B)
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate;
(C)
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate;
(D)
the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;
(E)
the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
(F)
the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate;
(G)
the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives;
(H)
the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives;
(I)
the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives;
(J)
the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives;
(K)
the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
(L)
the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives.
(3) Economically distressed area
The term economically distressed area means an area that meets 1 or more of the requirements described in section 301(a) of the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3161(a)).
(4) Rural area
The term rural area means an area located outside a metropolitan statistical area, as designated by the Office of Management and Budget.
(5) Secretary
The term Secretary means the Secretary of Commerce.
(b) Establishment
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Energy, the United States Trade Representative, and the Secretary of Education, shall establish within the Department of Commerce the National Manufacturing Advisory Council.
(c) Mission
The mission of the Advisory Council shall be to—
(1)
provide a forum for—
(A)
regular communication between the Federal Government and the manufacturing sector, including manufacturing workers, in the United States; and
(B)
discussing and proposing solutions to problems relating to the manufacturing sector in the United States, including the manufacturing workforce, supply chain interruptions, and regulatory and other logistical challenges;
(2)
advise the Secretary regarding policies and programs of the Federal Government that affect manufacturing, including the manufacturing workforce, in the United States; and
(3)
annually produce a national strategic plan, as described in subsection (g), that provides recommendations to the Secretary and the appropriate committees of Congress regarding how to help the United States remain the preeminent destination throughout the world for investment in manufacturing, which shall be based on the execution of the duties of the Advisory Council.
(d) Duties
The duties of the Advisory Council shall include the following:
(1)
Meeting not less frequently than once every 180 days, in a manner to be determined by the Secretary and that is in compliance with chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code, in order to provide independent advice and recommendations to the Secretary regarding issues involving manufacturing in the United States.
(2)
Identifying and assessing the impact that technological developments, critical production capacity, skill availability, investment patterns, and emerging defense needs have on the manufacturing competitiveness of the United States and providing advice and recommendations to the Secretary regarding that impact.
(3)
Soliciting input from the public and private sectors and academia relating to emerging trends in manufacturing, and the responsiveness of Federal programming with respect to manufacturing, and providing advice and recommendations to the Secretary for areas of increased Federal attention with respect to manufacturing.
(4)
Identifying, and providing advice and recommendations to the Secretary regarding, global and domestic manufacturing trends, including on matters such as supply chain interruptions, logistical challenges, and demographic and technological changes affecting the manufacturing base in the United States.
(5)
Providing advice and recommendations to the Secretary on matters relating to investment in, and support of, the manufacturing workforce in the United States, including on matters such as—
(A)
worker participation in planning for the deployment of new technologies across the manufacturing sector in the United States and within workplaces in that sector;
(B)
training and education priorities for the Federal Government and employers to assist workers in adapting the skills and experiences of those workers to fit the demands of the manufacturing sector in the United States in the 21st century;
(C)
how the development of new technologies and processes have impacted, and will impact, the manufacturing workforce of the United States and the economy of the United States, which shall be based on input from manufacturing workers;
(D)
policies and procedures that expand access to jobs, career advancement opportunities, and management opportunities in the manufacturing sector in the United States for low-income individuals in the United States, or new entrants into that sector, in both urban and rural areas; and
(E)
how to improve access to demand-driven manufacturing-related education, training, and re-training for workers, including at community and technical colleges, through other institutions of higher education and through apprenticeships and work-based learning opportunities.
(6)
Providing recommendations to the Secretary on ways to—
(A)
provide—
(i)
manufacturing-related worker education, training, and development; and
(ii)
entrepreneurship training relating to manufacturing;
(B)
connect individuals and businesses with services described in subparagraph (A) that are offered in the communities of those individuals or businesses;
(C)
coordinate services relating to manufacturing employee engagement, including employee ownership and workforce training;
(D)
connect manufacturers with community and technical colleges, other institutions of higher education, State or local workforce development boards established under section 101 or 107 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3111, 3122), labor organizations, and nonprofit job training providers to develop and support training and job placement services, and apprenticeship and online learning platforms, for new and incumbent manufacturing workers;
(E)
integrate new technologies and processes into the manufacturing sector in the United States and address the workforce impacts of those new technologies and processes; and
(F)
develop best practices for manufacturers to incorporate, or transition to, employee ownership structures.
(7)
With respect to the matters described in paragraphs (1) through (6), soliciting input from—
(A)
economically distressed areas;
(B)
geographically diverse regions of the United States, including both urban and rural areas; and
(C)
areas of the United States that have suffered mass layoffs in the manufacturing sector.
(8)
Identifying Federal, State, or other regulations that may have caused, or will cause, unnecessary supply chain disruptions, impaired business operations, increased prices, or other costly burdens for consumers and the manufacturing sector in the United States and recommending to the Secretary steps to—
(A)
mitigate those consequences; and
(B)
foster an environment in the United States that is favorable to manufacturers, manufacturing workers, and consumers.
(9)
Completing other specific tasks requested by the Secretary.
(e) Membership
(1) In general
The Advisory Council shall—
(A)
consist of not more than 30 individuals appointed by the Secretary with a balance of backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints; and
(B)
include individuals with manufacturing experience who represent—
(i)
private industry, including small and medium-sized manufacturers and any relevant standards development organizations or relevant trade associations;
(ii)
academia; and
(iii)
labor.
(2) Public participation
The Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, accept recommendations from the public regarding the appointment of individuals under paragraph (1).
(3) Period of appointment; vacancies
(A) In general
Each member of the Advisory Council shall be appointed by the Secretary for a term of 3 years.
(B) Renewal
The Secretary may renew an appointment made under subparagraph (A) for not more than 2 additional terms.
(C) Stagger terms
The Secretary may stagger the terms of the members of the Advisory Council to ensure that the terms of those members expire during different years.
(D) Vacancies
(i) In general
Subject to clause (ii), a member appointed to fill a vacancy on the Advisory Council occurring before the expiration of the term for which the predecessor of the newly appointed member was appointed shall be appointed only for the remainder of that term of the predecessor.
(ii) Further service
A member of the Advisory Council who is appointed for the remainder of a term of a predecessor under clause (i) may serve after the expiration of that term of the predecessor and until the date on which the Secretary has appointed a successor.
(f) Transfer of functions
(1) In general
All functions of the United States Manufacturing Council of the International Trade Administration of the Department of Commerce, as in existence on the day before the date of enactment of this Act, shall be transferred to the Advisory Council.
(2) Deeming of name
Any reference in any law, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States to the United States Manufacturing Council of the International Trade Administration of the Department of Commerce shall be deemed a reference to the Advisory Council.
(3) Existing advisory committee
Any Federal advisory committee of the Department of Commerce that is operating on the day before the date of enactment of this Act under a charter filed in accordance with section 1008(c) of title 5, United States Code, for the purpose of addressing the purposes and duties described in this section shall satisfy the requirement under subsection (b) to establish the Advisory Council if, not later than 180 days after that date of enactment, the Federal advisory committee is modified, as necessary, to comply with the requirements of this section.
(g) National strategic plan
Not later than 180 days after the date on which the Advisory Council holds the initial meeting of the Advisory Council, and annually thereafter, the Advisory Council shall submit to the Secretary and the appropriate committees of Congress—
(1)
a national strategic plan for manufacturing in the United States that is based on the execution of the duties of the Advisory Council under subsection (d); and
(2)
a detailed statement of the activities that the Advisory Council conducted to carry out the duties of the Advisory Council under subsection (d).
(h) Departmental support
In accordance with prevailing laws and regulations, the Secretary, as the Secretary considers appropriate, shall furnish to the Advisory Council relevant information that—
(1)
is in the possession of the Department of Commerce; and
(2)
relates to the mission of the Advisory Council.
(i) No additional funds authorized
No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section.
(j) Sunset
The Advisory Council shall terminate on September 30 of the fifth year after the year in which the Advisory Council holds the first meeting of the Advisory Council.