H.R. 6968

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6968 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6968

To direct the Secretary of Labor to carry out a competitive grant 
program to support community colleges and area career and technical 
education centers in developing immersive technology education and 
training services programs for workforce development, and for other 
purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 7, 2026

Mr. Mannion (for himself and Mr. Evans of Colorado) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Labor to carry out a competitive grant 
program to support community colleges and area career and technical 
education centers in developing immersive technology education and 
training services programs for workforce development, 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 ``Immersive Technology for the 
American Workforce Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION AND TRAINING SERVICES 
PROGRAMS (SUCH AS CAREER PATHWAYS).

(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this section, from the amounts appropriated to carry out this 
section, the Secretary of Labor shall award grants, on a competitive 
basis, to eligible entities to carry out immersive technology education 
and training services programs through activities described in 
subsection (b).
(b) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity receiving a grant under this 
section shall use such grant for the creation or alignment, and 
implementation, of a career pathway that provides, through immersive 
technology, a sequence of education and training services that provides 
the necessary skills for employment leading to economic self-
sufficiency, and that includes integrated education and training 
services that use immersive technology, including a program that--
(1) is designed to increase the provision of training 
services for students (including individuals who are members of 
the Armed Forces or are veterans) in order to facilitate the 
entry of such students into in-demand industry sectors or 
occupations;
(2) is accessible to individuals with barriers to 
employment, which shall be in accordance with the requirements 
under title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 
(42 U.S.C. 12131 et seq.) and in accordance with paragraphs (1) 
and (2) of section 188(a) of the Workforce Innovation and 
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3248(a)); or
(3) enables the training of instructors in the use of 
immersive technology for immersive technology education and 
training services programs.
(c) Duration of Grants.--A grant awarded to an eligible entity 
under this section shall be awarded for a period of not more than 5 
years. An eligible entity awarded a grant under this section may not 
receive a subsequent grant for the same purpose.
(d) Application.--An eligible entity seeking a grant under this 
section shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may 
require, including, in the case of a program that leads to a recognized 
postsecondary credential, a description of the quality of the program 
leading to the credential.
(e) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary 
shall give priority to any eligible entity that--
(1) is working with, or in carrying out a program to be 
funded with such a grant plans to work with, an employer that 
has demonstrated an interest in, or commitment to, the hiring 
of individuals who have obtained the necessary skills for 
employment as a result of the program;
(2) includes a covered community college or an area career 
and technical education school; or
(3) submits an application under subsection (d) that 
demonstrates 1 of the following (with additional priority given 
to an eligible entity that demonstrates more than 1 of the 
following):
(A) Alignment with--
(i) the State plan under section 102 or 103 
of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 
(29 U.S.C. 3112, 3113) of the State in which 
the eligible entity will be carrying out a 
program to be funded with such a grant;
(ii) the local plan under section 108 of 
the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 
(29 U.S.C. 3123) of the local area in which the 
eligible entity will be carrying out such a 
program; or
(iii) the State plan under section 122 of 
the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical 
Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2342) of the 
State in which the eligible entity will be 
carrying out such a program.
(B) Using quantitative data and evidence, the 
extent to which the program to be funded by such a 
grant will meet the needs of employers.
(C) How such a program will target a specific in-
demand industry sector or occupation.
(D) How such a program will retrain workers from an 
industry sector that is experiencing decreasing 
employment at the national or State level.
(E) How such a program will target and service 
individuals with barriers to employment.
(F) How such a program will serve a rural 
community.
(f) Reports.--
(1) Report to the secretary.--Each eligible entity 
receiving a grant under this section shall submit to the 
Secretary a report, not later than the date that is 2 years 
after the beginning of the initial grant period for such grant, 
and annually thereafter (so the report is last submitted during 
the year following the final grant period for the grant) that 
includes a description of each program funded under the grant, 
including the levels of performance achieved for each indicator 
of performance under section 116(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Workforce 
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3141(b)(2)(A)(i)), 
disaggregated, with respect to the participants of such 
program, as described in section 116(d)(2)(B).
(2) Report to congress.--Not later than 2 years after the 
first grant is awarded under this section and biennially 
thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report 
that includes a summary of the information submitted under 
paragraph (1) for the most recent 2-year period.
(g) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall reserve not less than 1 
percent and not more than 5 percent of any amounts made available for 
each fiscal year to conduct a rigorous, independent evaluation of, and 
provide technical assistance for, the programs carried out under this 
section.
(h) Best Practices.--The Secretary, in coordination with each 
eligible entity that receives funds under a grant awarded under this 
section, not later than 30 days after the third year of the grant 
period, as described in subsection (c), shall--
(1) establish a description of best practices for using 
immersive technology for immersive technology education and 
training services programs; and
(2) publish such description of best practices on a 
publicly available website of the Department of Labor.
(i) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Covered community college.--The term ``covered 
community college'' means--
(A) a public institution of higher education (as 
defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a))), at which--
(i) the highest degree awarded is an 
associate degree; or
(ii) an associate degree is the most 
frequently awarded degree;
(B) a branch campus of a 4-year public institution 
of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)), if, at 
such branch campus--
(i) the highest degree awarded is an 
associate degree; or
(ii) an associate degree is the most 
frequently awarded degree;
(C) a 2-year Tribal College or University (as 
defined in section 316(b)(3) of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)(3))); or
(D) a degree-granting Tribal College or University 
(as defined in section 316(b)(3) of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)(3))) at 
which--
(i) the highest degree awarded is an 
associate degree; or
(ii) an associate degree is the most 
frequently awarded degree.
(2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means an 
industry or sector partnership, which shall include 
representatives of 1 or more of the following:
(A) An institution of higher education.
(B) A covered community college.
(C) An area career and technical education school.
(D) A postsecondary vocational institution (as 
defined in section 102(c) of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(c))).
(E) A consortium of such colleges, schools, or 
institutions.
(3) Immersive technology.--
(A) In general.--The term ``immersive technology'' 
means the technology of tools (including extended 
reality, virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed 
reality) that integrate the physical environment with 
digital content to support user engagement.
(B) Augmented reality.--The term ``augmented 
reality'' means an immersive technology tool that 
layers computer-generated imagery onto a user's view of 
the physical world, thus providing a composite view.
(C) Mixed reality.--The term ``mixed reality'' 
means an immersive technology tool that blends 
augmented reality and virtual reality, allowing users 
to experience simulated content within their physical 
worlds and to manipulate and interact with virtual 
elements in real time.
(D) Virtual reality.--The term ``virtual reality'' 
means an immersive technology tool that occludes a 
user's physical surroundings with a simulated 
environment.
(4) Immersive technology education and training services 
program.--The term ``immersive technology education and 
training services program''--
(A) means a program of education and training 
services provided, in part or in whole, through 
immersive technology; and
(B) includes a career pathway described in 
subsection (b) that is so provided.
(5) Rural.--
(A) In general.--The term ``rural community'' means 
a jurisdiction or population not located within an 
urban area.
(B) Urban area.--In this paragraph, the term 
``urban area'', means a gathered jurisdiction that--
(i) contains 50,000 or more people; or
(ii) is comprised of clusters consisting of 
at least 2,500 gathered jurisdictions but 
contains fewer than 50,000 people.
(6) Training services.--Notwithstanding paragraph (7), the 
term ``training services'' means training services as described 
in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 
(29 U.S.C. 3102), provided through classroom instruction.
(7) WIOA terms.--Except as otherwise provided in this 
section, any term used in this section that is defined in 
section 3 of that Act shall have the meaning given that term in 
that section 3.
(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of the 
fiscal years 2026 through 2035.
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