Sponsors
Introduced February 13, 2026 by Brad Schneider · Last progress February 13, 2026
The bill expands federal retraining, supports, and coordination to help Americans displaced by automation gain technology and in-demand skills, but does so at added federal cost and with risks of administrative burdens, uneven geographic and sectoral access, and potential misalignment or inefficiencies in program delivery.
Unemployed and dislocated workers (including middle- and low-income Americans) gain substantially expanded access to federally funded retraining and upskilling for technology and in-demand sector skills, improving job prospects and earnings potential.
Women and people of color disproportionately affected by automation would receive targeted outreach and training opportunities, helping reduce employment disparities.
The bill provides new and dedicated federal funding mechanisms (including FY2027–FY2031 grant authority and a $40M/year appropriation for dislocated worker grants) to support state programs addressing automation-related job losses.
Taxpayers will face increased federal spending to fund the initiatives — both open-ended authorizations ('such sums as necessary' for FY2027–FY2031) and a specified $40M/year dislocated worker fund (about $200M total over five years).
States, local governments, and grant recipients will face substantial administrative and compliance burdens (detailed applications, reporting, WIOA labor standards, nondiscrimination requirements), which could raise program costs and slow implementation.
Without clear, enforceable outcome measures or tight program design, expanded federal spending risks inefficient use of funds with limited job-placement gains.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Creates competitive DOL grants for automation-related retraining, expands WIOA to authorize automation-focused training, and adds $40M/year for dislocated worker grants (FY2027–FY2031).
Creates a new federal grant program to help workers who are or may become dislocated by automation, and expands existing workforce training rules to explicitly authorize automation-related retraining and technology-focused skills. The Department of Labor would award competitive multi-year demonstration and pilot grants to industry/sector partnerships that include workforce boards and economic development organizations, with priorities for areas and populations most affected by automation and supports such as stipends and child care. The bill also amends the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to add automation-related training to allowable activities under adult and dislocated worker programs and authorizes an extra $40 million per year for national dislocated worker grants for FY2027–FY2031; overall grant funding for the new program is authorized “as necessary” for FY2027–FY2031.