Sponsors (3)
The bill directs modest but multi-year federal funding to expand and improve immersive workforce training—broadening access and quality—while imposing taxpayer cost, time-limited grants, and rules that may favor established providers and add compliance burdens.
Students, low-income individuals, and unemployed jobseekers gain funded immersive-technology workforce training that leads to employment and recognized postsecondary credentials, backed by stable federal funding of $50M/year (2026–2035) to scale programs.
Servicemembers and veterans receive targeted retraining opportunities to enter in-demand industries, improving civilian employment prospects after service.
Programs are required to be accessible to individuals with disabilities, expanding training access for people who face barriers to employment.
Taxpayers fund $50M per year for ten years to support the program, increasing federal spending and creating opportunity costs compared with other budget priorities.
Grants are limited to a maximum of five years and recipients are barred from receiving repeat awards, which may undermine long-term program continuity and hinder scaling successful providers.
Competitive, prioritized selection criteria (e.g., employer commitments, preference for community colleges) may advantage established institutions and limit access for smaller, rural, or novel providers and nonprofits.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Introduced January 7, 2026 by John W. Mannion · Last progress January 7, 2026
Creates a competitive Department of Labor grant program to fund development and delivery of workforce education and training that uses immersive technologies (AR, MR, VR). Grants support multi-year career pathways run by partnerships of employers, training providers, and community colleges or career/technical schools, with $50 million authorized per year for FY2026–2035. Grants run up to five years, target students (including servicemembers and veterans), people with barriers to employment, instructors, and rural communities, require reporting and evaluation, and direct the Labor Department to publish best practices and regular reports to Congress.