Workforce of the Future Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 6621
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Education
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-12-11: Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-04T08:08:40Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
The Workforce of the Future Act of 2025 aims to prepare the U.S. workforce for advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies. It focuses on understanding AI's effects on jobs, expanding access to technology education from early grades through higher education, and providing training for workers at risk of job displacement due to AI. The goal is to foster a skilled, equitable 21st-century workforce by supporting education, training, and collaboration among stakeholders.
Key Provisions
The bill is divided into two titles, emphasizing research, education, and workforce support.
Title I: Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Jobs
- Sense of Congress (Sec. 101): Declares that AI offers opportunities for workforce growth but requires preparation to avoid job losses. It stresses the need to identify data gaps, affected industries, worker opportunities, vulnerable groups, required skills, and accessible training methods.
- Definitions (Sec. 102): Defines key terms like "artificial intelligence" (referencing the 2020 National AI Initiative Act), community college, institution of higher education, labor organization (unions for private and public workers), and minority-serving institutions (schools supporting underrepresented students).
- Report on Artificial Intelligence (Sec. 103): Requires the Secretaries of Labor, Commerce, and Education to jointly produce:
- An interim report (6 months after enactment) and final report (1 year after) on AI's workforce impact.
- An updated report 3 years after the final one.
- Content includes data availability (public vs. private), industries/occupations most affected by AI (growth, enhancement, or displacement), job quality analysis, stakeholder opportunities, demographic vulnerabilities (e.g., by race, gender, age, disability, region), needed skills/education, delivery methods, leading organizations, and recommendations (e.g., data access, upskilling vulnerable groups, employer best practices, open-source credentials).
- Preparation involves public collaboration with educators, industries, labor groups, National Labs, National Academies, and federal offices like the National Science Foundation.
- Allows a memorandum of understanding among secretaries for coordination.
Title II: Emerging and Advanced Technology Education and Workforce Development
- Findings (Sec. 201): Highlights rapid growth in tech jobs (377,500 annually through 2032), unfilled positions (over 400,000 in 2024), education gaps (e.g., only 44% of middle schools offer quality tech instruction), and inequities affecting low-income, minority, and rural communities.
- Definitions (Sec. 202): Defines terms like "computational thinking" (problem-solving processes for computer solutions), "eligible entity" (e.g., schools, colleges, labor organizations, workforce agencies), "emerging and advanced technology education" (covering AI, programming, quantum computing, cybersecurity, etc.), and "STEAM" (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics).
- Department of Education Grants (Sec. 203): Authorizes $160 million for FY2026 to award competitive grants (3-5 years) to eligible entities (50% for K-12 expansion, 50% for teacher development/recruitment).
- K-12 Focus Grants: Required uses include teacher training, access to materials/equipment/broadband, STEAM class expansion (reducing gaps for minorities, girls, low-income youth), student mentoring, and industry feedback on curricula. Permissible uses: collaborations, hiring, sustainability planning. Limit: 15% for equipment.
- Teacher Grants: Funds professional development, loan repayment, or tuition aid for tech educators.
- Applications must detail access plans (e.g., all high schoolers in 5 years), equity, evaluation, sustainability, and industry ties. Consortia allowed; multiple awards possible if not leading more than one. Considers AI impact reports and demographic barriers. Reserves 2.5% for national activities (e.g., technical assistance). Requires third-party evaluations for scalability.
- Department of Labor Grants (Sec. 204): Authorizes $90 million for FY2026 to award grants (3-5 years) to eligible entities for training workers with high school diplomas in AI-impacted industries (current employees or recent unemployed eligible for unemployment insurance).
- Focus: Skill certifications, upskilling for high-wage tech jobs, or maintaining current roles amid AI changes.
- Priority to labor organizations or consortia including them.
- Applications require details on activities, worker input, job quality/wage focus, evaluation, sustainability, and performance data (aligned with Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act metrics).
- Reserves 2.5% for national activities. Requires third-party evaluations on scalability and worker engagement's effect on outcomes.
- Reporting Requirements (Sec. 205): Grantees report semiannually on fund use and participants (disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, poverty status for education grants). Secretaries of Education and Labor report to Congress after 5 years with expansion recommendations.
- Amendments to the Education Sciences Reform Act (Sec. 206): Adds research priority on emerging tech education availability and student competency in K-12 schools.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- New Grant Programs: Introduces first-time federal grants specifically for AI-impacted workforce training (Labor) and emerging tech education (Education), building on but distinct from existing laws like the Higher Education Act and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
- Reporting Mandate: Creates interagency reports on AI's workforce effects, filling gaps in current data laws.
- Education Sciences Reform Act Amendment: Expands the Institute of Education Sciences' research priorities to include tech education in K-12, requiring studies on access and skills—previously focused on broader education topics without this emphasis.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Increases workload for Departments of Education, Labor, and Commerce (e.g., report preparation, grant administration, evaluations). Promotes interagency collaboration via memoranda and joint submissions to Congress. Reserves small funds for technical assistance to aid implementation.
- Citizens: Enhances access to tech education and training for students (especially underserved groups like minorities, girls, rural/low-income youth) and workers (e.g., upskilling to avoid AI displacement), potentially leading to better job opportunities, higher wages, and reduced inequities. Targets 660,000 new tech jobs by 2032 and addresses 400,000+ unfilled roles.
- International Relations: No direct impacts; focuses domestically on U.S. workforce competitiveness in global tech sectors like AI.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Workers and Labor Organizations: AI-impacted employees (e.g., in manufacturing, services) gain training; unions prioritized for grants and involved in design/feedback.
- Students and Educators: K-12/middle school students (especially underrepresented) and teachers benefit from expanded STEAM/tech programs, professional development, and resources.
- Educational Institutions: Local/state agencies, community/technical colleges, minority-serving/Tribal schools, and rural higher education institutions receive grants for curricula, equipment, and collaborations.
- Industry and Nonprofits: Tech/manufacturing firms, workforce organizations, and think tanks provide input and partner on programs, influencing skills aligned with job needs.
- Vulnerable Demographics: Low-income, minority, rural, disabled, and older workers/communities targeted for equitable access to mitigate AI risks.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens federal role in workforce/education equity under existing frameworks (e.g., Higher Education Act definitions), with assurances for data privacy in reports. Grant conditions ensure accountability via evaluations and reporting, aligning with civil rights laws on disaggregated data to track disparities.
- Constitutional: Supports equal protection by addressing education gaps for underserved groups, without infringing on states' education roles (grants to state/local entities). Promotes free speech through public collaborations.
- Political: Encourages bipartisan tech policy by linking AI innovation to job security; introduced by Democrats but references nonpartisan sources (e.g., National Academies). Could influence future AI regulations by highlighting data access and worker protections, potentially sparking debates on private data sharing vs. industry privacy.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5]
Cosponsors (9)
Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10], Rep. Larson, John B. [D-CT-1], Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2], Rep. Green, Al [D-TX-9], Rep. Walkinshaw, James R. [D-VA-11], Rep. Bera, Ami [D-CA-6], Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13]
Recent Actions
- 2025-12-11: Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-12-11: Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-12-11: Introduced in House
- 2025-12-11: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Workforce of the Future Act of 2025 — issued 2025-12-11 — PDF (33 pages)