S. 4810

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4810 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4810

To establish a grant program for education related to semiconductor 
manufacturing and related industries.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 17, 2026

Mr. Kelly (for himself and Mr. Budd) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To establish a grant program for education related to semiconductor 
manufacturing and related industries.

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 ``CHIPS Training in America Act of 
2026''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR THE CREATING HELPFUL INCENTIVES TO PRODUCE 
SEMICONDUCTORS (CHIPS) FOR AMERICA WORKFORCE AND 
EDUCATION FUND.

Section 102(d) of Public Law 117-167 (commonly known as the ``CHIPS 
and Science Act of 2022'') is amended in paragraph (1) by inserting ``, 
including establishment and maintenance of a single publicly accessible 
online clearinghouse of microelectronics education and workforce 
development information'' before the period at the end of the 
paragraph.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY CENTER 
ACTIVITIES.

Section 9906(c)(2) of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (15 U.S.C. 4656(c)(2)) 
is amended in subparagraph (C)--
(1) in clause (i), by striking ``and'' after the semicolon;
(2) in clause (ii), by striking the period at the end and 
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(iii) the development of competency-based 
degree, credentialing, and certificate 
frameworks to increase standardization within 
semiconductor and microelectronics workforce 
development programs.''.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL STRATEGY ON MICROELECTRONICS WORKFORCE.

Section 9906(a) of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (15 U.S.C. 4656(a)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2)--
(A) by redesignating subparagraph (I) as 
subparagraph (J); and
(B) by inserting after subparagraph (H) the 
following:
``(I) For purposes of the duties described in 
subparagraph (D) of paragraph (3) only, the Secretary 
of Labor, the Secretary of Education, and the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs.''.
(2) in paragraph (3), by inserting after subparagraph (C) 
the following:
``(D) National strategy on microelectronics 
workforce.--
``(i) In general.--
``(I) National strategy on 
microelectronics workforce 
development.--Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of the 
CHIPS Training in America Act of 2026, 
in consultation with appropriate 
stakeholders in the microelectronics 
industry, relevant researchers or 
experts at institutions of higher 
education, economic development 
organizations, and other apposite 
stakeholders, the Subcommittee shall 
develop a 5-year national strategy on 
microelectronics workforce development.
``(II) Additional subcommittee 
members.--For the purposes of this 
subparagraph only such Subcommittee 
shall also include the Secretary of 
Labor, the Secretary of Education, and 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
``(ii) Elements.--The strategy developed 
under this subparagraph shall--
``(I) specify and prioritize annual 
and long-term objectives, including the 
role of each agency in supporting 
programs and activities designed to 
meet the objectives, to ensure a 
robust, skilled domestic 
microelectronics workforce;
``(II) specify the common metrics 
that will be used to assess progress 
toward achieving the objectives;
``(III) describe the roles of and 
means of coordination with elementary 
and secondary, and postsecondary, 
education systems in achieving the 
objectives;
``(IV) describe how Federal funding 
will be used to support the strategy's 
microelectronics workforce initiatives;
``(V) describe the approaches to be 
taken by each participating agency to 
assess the effectiveness of the 
agency's microelectronics workforce 
programs and activities;
``(VI) describe how objectives 
outlined in the strategic plan will 
align with investments made using funds 
from divisions A and B of Public Law 
117-167 (commonly known as the `CHIPS 
and Science Act of 2022');
``(VII) describe how objectives 
outlined in the strategic plan will 
align with the objectives of the 5-year 
STEM education strategic plan required 
under section 101 of the America 
COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 
(42 U.S.C. 6621); and
``(VIII) describe how objectives 
outlined in the strategic plan will 
align with the objectives of the 
national strategy on microelectronics 
research, as required under 
subparagraph (A), as applicable.
``(iii) Fostering coordination of workforce 
programs.--The Subcommittee shall coordinate 
programs and activities of Federal agencies 
relating to microelectronics workforce 
development, and ensure such programs and 
activities are consistent with the strategy 
required under this subparagraph.
``(iv) Reporting and updates.--Not less 
frequently than once every 5 years, the 
Subcommittee shall--
``(I) update the strategy under 
this subparagraph;
``(II) submit the revised strategy 
to the appropriate committees of 
Congress; and
``(III) make such strategy publicly 
available through the online 
clearinghouse authorized in section 
102(d) of Public Law 117-167.''.

SEC. 5. GRANT PROGRAM FOR EDUCATION RELATED TO SEMICONDUCTOR 
MANUFACTURING AND RELATED INDUSTRIES.

Division H of title XCIX of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (15 U.S.C. 4651 
et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 9906 the following:

``SEC. 9906A. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES.

``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Eligible institution.--The term `eligible 
institution' means--
``(A) an institution of higher education, as 
defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001), at which the highest degree 
predominantly awarded to students is not a 
baccalaureate degree or higher degree;
``(B) a postsecondary vocational institution, as 
defined in section 102(c) of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(c)); and
``(C) an area career and technical education 
school, as defined in subparagraphs (A) or (B) of 
section 3(3) of the Carl D. Perkins Career and 
Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302(3)).
``(2) Eligible partnership.--The term `eligible 
partnership' means a partnership that--
``(A) includes--
``(i) an eligible institution;
``(ii) a covered entity; and
``(iii) a State, Indian Tribe, or political 
subdivision thereof; and
``(B) may include other entities.
``(3) National semiconductor technology center.--The term 
`National Semiconductor Technology Center' means the entity 
established under section 9906(c).
``(b) Grants Authorized.--The National Semiconductor Technology 
Center shall make awards, on a competitive basis, to eligible 
partnerships to establish or expand workforce development and academic 
programs offered by an eligible institution (which may include short-
term programs or non-credit programs offered by that eligible 
institution), related to semiconductor manufacturing and related 
equipment, materials, advanced packaging, microelectronics, computer 
science, engineering, and related industries.
``(c) Application.--An eligible partnership desiring a grant under 
this section shall submit an application to the National Semiconductor 
Technology Center at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the National Semiconductor Technology Center may 
require. The application shall require--
``(1) a description of the eligible partnership;
``(2) a description of the workforce needs that will be 
addressed through the activities funded by the grant;
``(3) a description of the eligible partnership's strategy 
to sustain such activities after the grant period;
``(4) a description of how the eligible partnership will 
recruit and retain individuals with barriers to employment (as 
defined in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and 
Opportunity Act definition (29 U.S.C. 3102)) in programs that 
receive grant funding; and
``(5) a description of how programs supported by grants 
under this subsection align with the workforce pathways and 
credential frameworks established by the National Semiconductor 
Technology Center or the National Science Foundation.
``(d) Selection.--In selecting eligible partnerships to receive a 
grant under this section, the National Semiconductor Technology Center 
shall give priority to eligible partnerships located in areas with 
growing microelectronics ecosystems, as determined by the National 
Semiconductor Technology Center, that serve or intend to serve as 
members of broader sectoral partnerships and coordinate with State and 
local workforce development boards (as established under sections 101 
and 107 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 
3111; 29 U.S.C. 3122)), respectively.
``(e) Amount; Duration.--
``(1) Amount.--A grant awarded under this section shall be 
for an amount equal to or less than $7,000,000.
``(2) Duration.--A grant awarded under this section shall 
be for a period not to exceed 5 years.
``(f) Federal Cost Share.--
``(1) Maximum federal share.--The Federal share of the 
costs of a grant under this section shall not exceed 50 percent 
of such costs.
``(2) Required worker and community investments.--Non-
Federal costs contributed by a covered entity under this 
section shall be considered as part of an eligible entity's 
commitments to worker and community investments as required 
under section 9902(a)(2)(B)(ii)(II).
``(g) Report.--
``(1) Report to the national semiconductor technology 
center.--Each eligible partnership receiving a grant under this 
section shall prepare and submit an annual report to the 
National Semiconductor Technology Center that contains 
information about each of the following with respect to 
individuals participating in a program funded by a grant under 
this section:
``(A) The total number of participants, 
disaggregated by sex, race, and ethnicity.
``(B) The total number of participants who 
completed the program.
``(C) The indicators required by section 
116(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Workforce Innovation and 
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3141(b)(2)(A)(i)).
``(2) Report to congress.--Not later than 180 days of 
receiving the annual report under paragraph (1), the National 
Semiconductor Technology Center shall--
``(A) prepare and submit a report containing a 
summary of the information described in paragraph (1) 
to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation and the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee on 
Education and Workforce of the House of 
Representatives; and
``(B) make such report publicly available.
``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--Notwithstanding subsection 
(d) of section 102 of Public Law 117-167 (commonly known as the `CHIPS 
and Science Act of 2022'), amounts made available under subparagraphs 
(D) and (E) of subsection (d)(2) of such section shall be used to carry 
out this section for the applicable fiscal year, and paragraph (3) of 
section 102(d) of Public Law 117-167 shall not apply.''.

SEC. 6. PROHIBITION ON ADDITIONAL MICROELECTRONICS EDUCATION AND 
WORKFORCE CLEARINGHOUSE.

A Federal agency shall not establish a microelectronics education 
and workforce clearinghouse that is duplicative or alternative to the 
online clearinghouse authorized in section 102(d) of Public Law 117-167 
(commonly known as the ``CHIPS and Science Act of 2022'').
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