S. 2855

119th CONGRESS 1st Session

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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES · September 18 (legislative day, September 16), 2025 · Sponsor: Ms. Blunt Rochester · Committee: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Table of contents

• S. 2855
  • SEC. 1. Short title
  • SEC. 2. Grants for immersive technology education and training services programs (such as career pathways)

SEC. 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—
    • 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;
    • 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 () and in accordance with paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 188(a) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (); or 42 U.S.C. 12131 et seq.; 29 U.S.C. 3248(a)
    • 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—
    • 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;
    • includes a covered community college or an area career and technical education school; or
    • 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):
      • Alignment with—
        • (i) the State plan under section 102 or 103 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (, 3113) of the State in which the eligible entity will be carrying out a program to be funded with such a grant; 29 U.S.C. 3112
        • (ii) the local plan under section 108 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act () of the local area in which the eligible entity will be carrying out such a program; or 29 U.S.C. 3123
        • (iii) the State plan under section 122 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 () of the State in which the eligible entity will be carrying out such a program. 20 U.S.C. 2342
      • Using quantitative data and evidence, the extent to which the program to be funded by such a grant will meet the needs of employers.
      • How such a program will target a specific in-demand industry sector or occupation.
      • How such a program will retrain workers from an industry sector that is experiencing decreasing employment at the national or State level.
      • How such a program will target and service individuals with barriers to employment.
      • 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 (), disaggregated, with respect to the participants of such program, as described in section 116(d)(2)(B). 29 U.S.C. 3141(b)(2)(A)(i)
  • (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 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—
    • establish a description of best practices for using immersive technology for immersive technology education and training services programs; and
    • publish such description of best practices on a publicly available website of the Department of Labor.
• (i) Definitions
  • In this section:
    • The term covered community college means—
    • The term eligible entity means an industry or sector partnership, which shall include representatives of 1 or more of the following:
    • The term — immersive technology education and training services program
    • Notwithstanding paragraph (7), the term training services means training services as described in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (), provided through classroom instruction. 29 U.S.C. 3102
    • 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.