PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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.
Congressional Research Service
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People & committees
Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20] · D–NY
Legislative record
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Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Sep 29, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2026-09-15 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed Good Energy Jobs Act of 2026 would attach wage, apprenticeship, union-organizing neutrality, and community-planning requirements to Department of Energy financial assistance. It would also require project-specific labor agreements for certain Department facilities, favor some domestic manufacturing plans with stronger labor commitments, and restrict moving assisted manufacturing abroad. Workers, assistance applicants and recipients, contractors, and affected communities would be covered in different ways. The bill would direct the Department to seek a funding target for entities promising benefits to small or disadvantaged communities; those benefits are goals and commitments, not established outcomes.
This Act may be cited as the Good Energy Jobs Act of 2026.
The Secretary shall require that all laborers and mechanics employed by contractors or subcontractors in the performance of construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair work assisted, in whole or in part, by financial assistance, including a grant, loan, loan guarantee, cooperative agreement, or prize competitions, for covered projects provided by the Department shall be paid wages at rates not less than those prevailing on similar construction in the locality as determined by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, United States Code.
The Secretary shall require, as a term or condition of receiving financial assistance, including a grant, loan, loan guarantee, cooperative agreement, or prize competitions, for a covered project provided by the Department, that— (1) not less than 15 percent of the total labor hours of such project are performed by individuals participating in a registered apprenticeship program, as defined in section 3131(e)(3)(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986;
The Secretary shall require any entity receiving financial assistance, including a grant, loan, loan guarantee, cooperative agreement, or prize competitions, provided by the Department to make a good-faith certification to the Secretary that such entity shall remain neutral, by taking no position for or against, with respect to the exercise of employees and labor organizations of the right to organize and bargain in accordance with section 7 the National Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 157) for the term of such assistance, including any construction, operations, or maintenance assisted, in whole or in part, by such assistance.
The Secretary shall require each contractor and subcontractor engaged in the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of a Department facility costing more than $1,000,000, including contractor-operated National Laboratory and National Nuclear Security Administration facilities, commencing such construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair after the date of enactment of this section, to negotiate or become a party to a project labor agreement.
The Secretary shall require any entity applying for financial assistance, including a grant, loan, loan guarantee, cooperative agreement, or prize competitions, for a covered project provided by the Department to include a community benefits plan in the application for such financial assistance to ensure broadly shared prosperity resulting from such assistance.
The Secretary shall give preference to applications for financial assistance described in subsection (b) that include domestic manufacturing plans that include a commitment to manufacture covered products only using workers covered by collective bargaining agreements, commitments to utilize registered apprenticeship programs (as defined in section 3131(e)(3)(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) or joint labor-management training programs with a demonstrated capacity to successfully train workers in manufacturing, and other commitments to meet or exceed industry-leading labor standards.
No entity receiving financial assistance provided by the Department shall relocate, transfer, or outsource the manufacture of products developed or commercialized using such assistance to a foreign country during the term of the assistance or within a period of five years after the completion of the term of such assistance without prior approval by the Secretary.
The Secretary shall seek to ensure that not less than 40 percent of the financial assistance, including a grant, loan, loan guarantee, cooperative agreement, or prize competitions, provided by the Department through programs listed pursuant to subsection (b) is provided to entities that have committed, through community benefits plans, and enforceable associated agreements, to provide specific, measurable, and meaningful benefits to small or disadvantaged communities, as determined by the Secretary.
Proposed section 664 would require contractors and subcontractors to pay laborers and mechanics at least the locally prevailing wage—the rate determined by the Labor Secretary for similar construction. This would cover construction, alteration, maintenance, and repair assisted in whole or part by Department financial assistance, including grants, loans, loan guarantees, cooperative agreements, and prize competitions.
The Secretary shall require that all laborers and mechanics employed by contractors or subcontractors in the performance of construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair work assisted, in whole or in part, by financial assistance, including a grant, loan, loan guarantee, cooperative agreement, or prize competitions, for covered projects provided by the Department shall be paid wages at rates not less than those prevailing on similar construction in the locality as determined by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, United States Code.
The Energy and Labor Secretaries could adjust payroll-certification requirements for assistance recipients whose collective bargaining agreements require a different payroll schedule. This flexibility would concern the timing of reporting and payroll, rather than an express exemption from the wage requirement.
The Secretary of Labor and the Secretary may modify the payroll certification requirements of part 3 of title 29, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations), for an entity that receives financial assistance described in paragraph (1) if such entity is a party to a collective bargaining agreement that requires a payroll schedule different than a schedule otherwise required under part 3 of title 29, Code of Federal Regulations, to better align the timing of payroll certification reporting and payroll schedules.
As a condition of assistance for covered projects, at least 15 percent of total project labor hours would have to be performed by registered apprentices. Recipients would also have to follow apprentice-to-journey-worker ratios as determined by the Secretary and consistent with federal and state law. The bill incorporates a definition of registered apprenticeship program from a law not reproduced in the supplied evidence.
The Secretary shall require, as a term or condition of receiving financial assistance, including a grant, loan, loan guarantee, cooperative agreement, or prize competitions, for a covered project provided by the Department, that— (1) not less than 15 percent of the total labor hours of such project are performed by individuals participating in a registered apprenticeship program, as defined in section 3131(e)(3)(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and (2) the entity receiving the financial assistance adheres to apprentice-to-journey worker ratio requirements as determined by the Secretary and in compliance with Federal and State laws.
The Secretary would regularly check wage and apprenticeship compliance and would have to take corrective action after finding a violation. Available actions would include withholding, recovering, or ending project assistance. Violations would also have to be considered in future applications, including through heightened review. The bill assigns the Labor Secretary authority and functions through cited existing provisions; their full scope cannot be determined from the supplied text.
With respect to the labor standards in this section, the Secretary of Labor shall have the authority and functions set forth in Reorganization Plan Numbered 14 of 1950 (64 Stat. 1267; 5 U.S.C. App.) and section 3145 of title 40, United States Code.
The Secretary shall regularly review whether entities that receive financial assistance for covered projects provided by the Department comply with the requirements established pursuant to subsections (a) and (b). In the case of an entity determined by the Secretary to have failed to comply with any of such requirements, the Secretary shall implement a corrective action, which may include withholding, recapturing, or terminating the financial assistance provided by the Department to such entity for the covered project. The Secretary shall consider an entity’s failure to comply with such requirements when evaluating future applications by such entity for financial assistance, including by flagging such entity for heightened compliance review.
The Secretary would publish annual aggregate information on wage compliance, apprenticeship use, and enforcement, including the names of noncompliant entities, on a public website.
The Secretary shall annually publish aggregate data on wage compliance, apprenticeship utilization, and enforcement actions, including the names of noncompliant entities, on a publicly accessible website.
Proposed section 665 would require every Department assistance recipient to certify in good faith that it would take no position for or against employees and labor organizations exercising organizing and bargaining rights under the cited federal labor law. This neutrality commitment would last for the assistance term and cover assisted construction, operations, and maintenance.
The Secretary shall require any entity receiving financial assistance, including a grant, loan, loan guarantee, cooperative agreement, or prize competitions, provided by the Department to make a good-faith certification to the Secretary that such entity shall remain neutral, by taking no position for or against, with respect to the exercise of employees and labor organizations of the right to organize and bargain in accordance with section 7 the National Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 157) for the term of such assistance, including any construction, operations, or maintenance assisted, in whole or in part, by such assistance.
Contractors and subcontractors performing activities supported wholly or partly by Department assistance would also have to certify neutrality. The recipient would be responsible for compliance throughout the contracting chain. The Secretary would publish recipient certifications made under subsection (a).
The labor neutrality requirements established under subsection (a) shall apply to all contractors and subcontractors engaged in activities assisted, in whole or in part, by financial assistance provided by the Department. Each such contractor and subcontractor shall make a good-faith certification of neutrality to the Secretary, and each entity receiving such financial assistance shall be responsible for ensuring compliance throughout the contracting chain.
The Secretary shall publish each certification made to the Secretary by an entity under subsection (a) on a publicly accessible website.
The Secretary would regularly review recipients' neutrality compliance and would have to take corrective action for violations. Withholding, recovering, or ending assistance would be possible responses; violations would also have to be considered when reviewing future applications.
The Secretary shall regularly review whether entities that receive financial assistance provided by the Department comply with the requirement established pursuant to subsection (a). In the case of an entity determined by the Secretary to have failed to comply with such requirements, the Secretary shall implement a corrective action, which may include withholding, recapturing, or terminating the financial assistance provided by the Department to such entity. The Secretary shall consider an entity’s failure to comply with such requirements when evaluating future applications by such entity for financial assistance, including by flagging such entity for heightened compliance review.
Proposed section 666 would require contractors and subcontractors doing construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of a Department facility costing more than $1 million, with the work beginning after enactment, to negotiate or join a project labor agreement. This includes contractor-operated National Laboratory and National Nuclear Security Administration facilities. The bill defines a project labor agreement as a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement with one or more labor organizations whose members include building and construction employees, setting employment terms for a specific project and meeting the cited labor-law provision.
The Secretary shall require each contractor and subcontractor engaged in the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of a Department facility costing more than $1,000,000, including contractor-operated National Laboratory and National Nuclear Security Administration facilities, commencing such construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair after the date of enactment of this section, to negotiate or become a party to a project labor agreement.
the term project labor agreement means a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement with one or more labor organizations, as defined in section 2 of the National Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 152), of which building and construction employees are members, that establishes the terms and conditions of employment for a specific project and is an agreement described in section 8(f) of the National Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 158(f)).
The Secretary would seek to include lawful local-hiring and participation goals for women, people of color, veterans, people involved with the justice system, and other underrepresented workers in project labor agreements. The Secretary would also seek provisions for registered apprentices and compliance with federal- or state-approved apprentice-to-journey-worker ratios. These are duties to seek agreement terms, not fixed hiring quotas.
The Secretary shall seek to ensure that project labor agreements entered into pursuant to this section include goals, to the extent permitted by law, for local hire and the participation of women, people of color, veterans, justice-involved individuals, and other underrepresented workers.
The Secretary shall seek to ensure that project labor agreements entered into pursuant to this section include provisions to employ individuals participating in registered apprenticeship programs, as defined in section 3131(e)(3)(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and maintain compliance with Federal- or State-approved apprentice-to-journey worker ratios.
The Secretary would regularly review compliance with the project labor agreement requirement and would have to take corrective action for violations. Possible responses would include withholding, recovering, or ending assistance to a contractor or subcontractor. Violations would also have to be considered in future assistance applications.
The Secretary shall regularly review whether contractors and subcontractors engaged in the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of a Department facility costing more than $1,000,000 comply with the requirement established pursuant to subsection (a). In the case of a contractor or subcontractor determined by the Secretary to have failed to comply with such requirement, the Secretary shall implement a corrective action, which may include withholding, recapturing, or terminating the financial assistance provided by the Department to the contractor or subcontractor. The Secretary shall consider a contractor’s or subcontractor’s failure to comply with such requirement when evaluating future applications by such contractor or subcontractor for financial assistance, including by flagging such contractor or subcontractor for heightened compliance review.
Proposed section 667 would require applicants seeking assistance for construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair to submit a community benefits plan informed by a community needs assessment. The Secretary would consider the plan's quality and specific, measurable commitments when selecting applications. Shared prosperity is the stated purpose, not a demonstrated result.
The Secretary shall require any entity applying for financial assistance, including a grant, loan, loan guarantee, cooperative agreement, or prize competitions, for a covered project provided by the Department to include a community benefits plan in the application for such financial assistance to ensure broadly shared prosperity resulting from such assistance. The Secretary shall consider the quality of, and specific and measurable commitments contained in, such plan in the evaluation and selection of applications to receive such financial assistance. Such plan shall be informed by a community needs assessment, as described in subsection (b).
(g) Definition of covered project In this section, the term covered project means any construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair project.
The community needs assessment would identify affected populations, examine workforce, environmental, public-health, and infrastructure conditions, and identify community priorities. It would use public data where possible, describe community engagement, and identify measurable benefits sought by stakeholders and potential project impacts.
(1) identify the communities and populations likely to be affected by the proposed use of the financial assistance for which the entity is applying, including disadvantaged, low-income, and underrepresented workers and residents; (2) assess existing workforce, environmental, public health, and other infrastructure conditions in the affected area, using publicly available data (to the extent possible), including job quality conditions, wage levels, worker demographics, barriers to employment, and the availability of support services, which may include child care and transportation services; (3) identify community priorities, which may include job quality, local hiring, worker training and advancement opportunities, environmental health, pollution reduction, and energy burden reduction; (4) describe the community engagement process used to develop the assessment; and (5) identify the measurable benefits sought by community stakeholders and the potential impacts of the proposed use of the financial assistance for which the entity is applying, including impacts on job quality, worker training, and worker retention.
Community benefits plans would have to describe documented engagement and participation by a representative local coalition, including negotiations toward workforce or community benefits agreements. Plans would also have to demonstrate accessible, transparent development and implementation, address community concerns and harms, and identify disadvantaged populations and measurable benefits for them where applicable.
(1) demonstrate how the entity applying for the financial assistance will conduct meaningful documented engagement with and ensure the participation of, including by negotiating to enter into a workforce or community benefits agreement described in subsection (d), an inclusive and representative coalition of local stakeholders that would be affected by the proposed use of the financial assistance, such as labor organizations, community-based organizations, public interest groups, academic institutions, local governments, and, as applicable, Tribal governments; (2) demonstrate how the entity applying for the financial assistance has developed and will implement such plan in an accessible and transparent manner;
(3) demonstrate how the entity applying for the financial assistance will address, as applicable, how the entity’s proposed use of the financial assistance will address concerns identified by the community, mitigate harms, and ensure meaningful benefits accrue to disadvantaged communities to advance the goals of the small and disadvantaged communities initiative carried out under section 670, including identification of the specific populations within the affected community that qualify as disadvantaged and a description of the measurable benefits the project will provide to such populations; (4) demonstrate how the entity applying for the financial assistance will address other community concerns, such as infrastructure access and adequacy, pollution mitigation, and other concerns that may be related to the proposed use of the financial assistance;
Plans would have to explain how assistance would support quality jobs, including wages above prevailing rates where feasible, wages sufficient for regional living standards, health coverage, retirement benefits, paid leave, and safe workplaces. They would also address access for disadvantaged and underrepresented workers, avoiding displacement and retaining workers through feasible retraining, and positive labor-management relations. Listed labor agreements and voluntary union recognition are possible approaches, not individually mandated choices.
(5) contain a plan to promote job quality and access, which shall— (A) demonstrate how the entity applying for financial assistance will use such financial assistance to support, create, or retain high-quality jobs, including jobs that provide wages above prevailing wage rates where feasible, are sufficient to meet regionally adjusted living standards, and provide employer-provided healthcare, retirement benefits, and paid leave, while supporting workforce development, reduced barriers to employment, and safe and healthy workplaces; (B) demonstrate how the entity applying for financial assistance will ensure disadvantaged and underrepresented workers have access to high-quality jobs and economic opportunities generated by the entity’s proposed use of such financial assistance; (C) describe how the proposed use of the financial assistance will avoid worker displacement and ensure retention of existing workers through retraining and upskilling where feasible and consistent with the proposed use of the financial assistance; and (D) describe how the entity applying for financial assistance will promote positive labor-management relations, which may include adoption, as appropriate, of project labor agreements, community benefits agreements, collective bargaining agreements, agreements intended to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of services, agreements designed to facilitate first collective bargaining agreements, and voluntary union recognition.
The bill says community benefits plans should seek legally enforceable agreements negotiated with representative labor and community stakeholders to cover project construction, operations, and maintenance. This wording encourages achieving agreements without unconditionally requiring that an agreement be concluded.
A community benefits plan required under subsection (a) should seek to result in one or more legally enforceable workforce or community agreements consistent with the needs of the relevant workforce and community (which may include a community benefits agreement, a community workforce agreement, a project labor agreement, a collective bargaining agreement, or any other similar contractual agreement) negotiated between the entity and an inclusive and representative coalition of relevant labor organizations, community-based organizations, public interest groups, local governments, and, as applicable, Tribal governments to cover any construction, operations, and maintenance activities associated with a covered project that is subject to an application for financial assistance.
The Secretary would require detailed public summaries of community benefits plans and associated agreements, excluding project labor agreements from this disclosure requirement. Summaries would identify agreement parties and consulted organizations, while allowing protection of confidential business information. A regularly updated public dashboard would summarize commitments and progress, and recipients would submit periodic progress reports.
The Secretary shall require the public disclosure of detailed summaries of community benefits plans and associated agreements, excluding project labor agreements, developed pursuant to this section. Such disclosure shall include a summary of the details of any such plan and associated agreement, a list of the parties to any such associated agreement, and a description of organizations consulted in the development of such plan and associated agreement, while allowing for the protection of confidential business information, as determined appropriate by the Secretary. The Secretary shall maintain and regularly update a public dashboard summarizing— (A) the commitments made by entities in community benefits plans and associated agreements developed pursuant to this section; and (B) the progress of achieving such commitments.
The Secretary shall require entities that receive financial assistance described in subsection (a) to periodically report on progress made towards fulfilling the commitments included in any community benefits plans and associated agreements developed pursuant to this section.
The Secretary would regularly check compliance with community benefits requirements and fulfillment of plan and agreement commitments. A failure would require corrective action, potentially including withholding, recovering, or ending assistance, and would have to be considered in future applications.
The Secretary shall regularly review whether entities that receive financial assistance for covered projects provided by the Department comply with the requirements of this section and fulfill the commitments included in community benefits plans and associated agreements developed pursuant to this section. In the case of an entity determined by the Secretary to have failed to comply with any such requirements or to fulfill any such commitments, the Secretary shall implement a corrective action, which may include withholding, recapturing, or terminating the financial assistance provided by the Department to such entity. The Secretary shall consider an entity’s failure to comply with any such requirements or to fulfill any such commitments when evaluating future applications by such entity for financial assistance, including by flagging such entity for heightened compliance review.
Proposed section 668 would require an advisory group within one year after enactment. It would include labor, community, public-interest, local and Tribal government, academic, and other representatives, including at least one construction-union and one manufacturing-union representative. Its recommendations would cover community plans, needs assessments, and associated agreements other than project labor agreements, including evaluation measures and transparency.
Not later than one year after the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall establish an advisory group consisting of representatives of labor organizations, community-based organizations (including at least one representative from a union working in construction and at least one representative from a union working in manufacturing), public interest groups, local governments, Tribal governments, academia, and other experts as determined appropriate by the Secretary, to develop recommendations and best practices on the development, implementation, and evaluation of community benefit plans and associated agreements (excluding project labor agreements), and community needs assessments. Such recommendations and best practices shall support the development of metrics to assess the successfulness of such plans, assessments, and agreements, and methods to support transparency and reporting on key metrics.
Proposed section 669 would direct the Secretary to promote bringing inventions made in the United States by U.S. industry and labor to market and making them publicly available. Applicants for research, development, or demonstration assistance would have to commit, to their best ability, to manufacture resulting products substantially in the United States. Applicants intending to manufacture those products would also submit a domestic manufacturing plan.
The Secretary shall promote the commercialization and public availability of inventions made in the United States by United States industry and labor.
The Secretary shall require that an entity applying for financial assistance, including a grant, loan, loan guarantee, cooperative agreement, or prize competitions, provided by the Department to carry out research, development, or demonstration shall— (1) commit that any products embodying the subject of, or produced through, such research, development, or demonstration will, to the best ability of such entity, be manufactured substantially in the United States; and (2) if the entity intends to manufacture any such products, submit to the Secretary a domestic manufacturing plan regarding such products.
The Secretary would favor research, development, or demonstration applications whose domestic manufacturing plans commit to using only workers covered by collective bargaining agreements, using registered apprenticeships or qualifying joint labor-management training, and meeting or exceeding leading industry labor standards. This is an application preference rather than a guarantee of funding.
The Secretary shall give preference to applications for financial assistance described in subsection (b) that include domestic manufacturing plans that include a commitment to manufacture covered products only using workers covered by collective bargaining agreements, commitments to utilize registered apprenticeship programs (as defined in section 3131(e)(3)(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) or joint labor-management training programs with a demonstrated capacity to successfully train workers in manufacturing, and other commitments to meet or exceed industry-leading labor standards.
For joint labor-management training programs, the Secretary would require evidence of at least two years of successful industry training before receipt of assistance, a recognized transferable credential for graduates, and standards at least as strong as those of the relevant State Apprenticeship Agency or, where none exists, the Department of Labor.
The Secretary shall require evidence that any joint labor-management training program has— (1) successfully trained workers in one or more of these industries for at least two years prior to receiving the financial assistance; (2) provided workers with a recognized and transferrable credential at the completion of training; and (3) meet or exceeded the standards set by the corresponding State Apprenticeship Agency or, in the case that there is no corresponding State Apprenticeship Agency, the Department of Labor.
The Secretary would regularly review recipients that submitted domestic manufacturing plans. If a recipient failed to make reasonable progress toward its plan, the Secretary could take corrective action, including withholding, recovering, or ending assistance. Corrective action here would be discretionary, but consideration of that failure in future applications would be required.
The Secretary shall regularly review whether entities that receive financial assistance described in subsection (b), and submitted a domestic manufacturing plan under paragraph (2) of such subsection, comply with the requirement of that subsection. If the Secretary determines that such an entity has failed to make reasonable progress toward adhering to the domestic manufacturing plan submitted under subsection (b)(2), the Secretary may implement a corrective action, including withholding, recapturing, or terminating the financial assistance. The Secretary shall consider an entity’s failure to make reasonable progress toward adhering to its domestic manufacturing plan when evaluating future applications by such entity for financial assistance, including by flagging such entity for heightened compliance review.
Recipients could not move, transfer, or outsource to another country the manufacture of products developed or commercialized with Department assistance during the assistance term or for five years afterward without advance approval. The Secretary could approve this only if the recipient demonstrated that no feasible domestic manufacturing option existed. Violations would have to be considered in future assistance applications.
No entity receiving financial assistance provided by the Department shall relocate, transfer, or outsource the manufacture of products developed or commercialized using such assistance to a foreign country during the term of the assistance or within a period of five years after the completion of the term of such assistance without prior approval by the Secretary. The Secretary may only grant such approval if the entity demonstrates that no feasible domestic manufacturing option exists. The Secretary shall consider an entity’s failure to comply with the requirements of this subsection when evaluating future applications by such entity for financial assistance, including by flagging such entity for heightened compliance review.
Proposed section 670 would direct the Secretary to seek to ensure that at least 40 percent of assistance through listed programs goes to entities committing, through community benefits plans and enforceable agreements, to specific, measurable, meaningful benefits for small or disadvantaged communities. This is a funding target tied to recipient commitments, not a requirement that 40 percent be paid directly to residents.
The Secretary shall seek to ensure that not less than 40 percent of the financial assistance, including a grant, loan, loan guarantee, cooperative agreement, or prize competitions, provided by the Department through programs listed pursuant to subsection (b) is provided to entities that have committed, through community benefits plans, and enforceable associated agreements, to provide specific, measurable, and meaningful benefits to small or disadvantaged communities, as determined by the Secretary.
Within one year after enactment, the Secretary would issue a rule listing covered programs and regularly update it in consultation with geographically diverse labor and community stakeholders. The list would cover programs addressing climate change, energy systems, energy manufacturing and supply chains, transportation, housing, workforce training, legacy pollution, and drinking-water and wastewater infrastructure.
Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall, in consultation with stakeholders representing geographically diverse labor and community-based organizations, by rule, issue and regularly update a list of programs that address— (1) climate change; (2) energy production, transmission, distribution, storage, and efficiency; (3) energy technology manufacturing and related supply chains; (4) transportation; (5) housing; (6) training and workforce development; (7) remediation and reduction of legacy pollution; and (8) drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.
For any Department-assisted project in a small or disadvantaged community, including projects outside the listed programs, the Secretary would have to ensure meaningful community benefits and no significant or permanent increase in negative impacts. These are proposed requirements, not evidence that projects would achieve those results.
The Secretary shall ensure that financial assistance, including a grant, loan, loan guarantee, cooperative agreement, or prize competitions, provided by the Department, regardless of whether such assistance is provided through a program listed pursuant to subsection (b), to entities that will use such assistance to carry out a project in a small or disadvantaged community— (1) provides meaningful benefits to such community; and (2) does not result in significant or permanent increased negative impacts to such community.
The community definition would include communities burdened by harmful public-health effects, pollution, or climate impacts; communities meeting specified socioeconomic criteria; or communities with fewer than 10,000 people that the Secretary determines sufficiently meet the socioeconomic criteria. Small population alone would not qualify a community under the third route.
the term small or disadvantaged community means a community that— (1) bears burdens of negative public health effects, environmental pollution, or impacts of climate change; (2) possesses certain socioeconomic criteria, including historical or structural disinvestment that has resulted in disproportionate environmental or health burdens, or comprises high-concentrations of low- and moderate- income households; or (3) has a population of less than 10,000 individuals that the Secretary determines meets sufficient of the criteria described in paragraph (2).
The Secretary would report to Congress on the small and disadvantaged communities initiative within one year after enactment and annually afterward.
Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this section, and each year thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the Department’s efforts on carrying out this section.
Proposed section 671 would require every Department financial-assistance recipient to report in the manner the Secretary specifies. Reports would support compliance checks, assessment of jobs and community benefits, and tracking of outcomes over time.
The Secretary shall require any entity that receives financial assistance, including a grant, loan, loan guarantee, cooperative agreement, or prize competitions, provided by the Department to submit to the Secretary a report, in a manner prescribed by the Secretary, to— (1) determine such entity’s compliance with the requirements of sections 664 through 670 of this part; (2) enable the assessment by the Secretary of the Department’s efforts to support job creation, job quality, apprenticeship utilization, and community benefits; and (3) enable the collection and reporting of metrics developed by the Department to track outcomes associated with the requirements of sections 664 through 671 of this part over time.
Within one year after enactment and annually afterward, the Secretary would report to Congress on implementation of sections 664–670 and other Department efforts concerning job quality, job access, and shared prosperity. Aggregate apprenticeship, wage-compliance, and community-benefit commitment data would also be publicly available online.
Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this section, and each year thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the Department’s efforts on carrying out sections 664 through 670 of this part and other efforts by the Department to promote job quality, job access, and broadly shared prosperity among workers and communities resulting from financial assistance provided by the Department. The Secretary shall make aggregate data related to apprenticeship utilization, wage compliance, and community benefit commitments resulting from financial assistance provided by the Department publicly accessible through a website.
The supplied actions snapshot, updated September 29, 2026, records introduction in the House on September 15, 2026, and referral that day to the Energy and Commerce Committee and additionally to the Science, Space, and Technology Committee. This dated snapshot does not establish subsequent legislative action or enactment.
Source snapshot updated 2026-09-29T17:13:32Z.
2026-09-15: Introduced in House
2026-09-15: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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.
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2026-09-15. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy rider attached to appropriations was identified after reviewing the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials, or establish an amendment's attachment history.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places outside competitive or formula allocation was identified after reviewing the complete supplied introduced text. General program targets and application preferences do not by themselves establish earmarks. This conclusion is limited to this version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials; formal earmark status cannot be conclusively assessed without disclosure and committee materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
The cited findings identify a narrow disclosure exception and an express application preference within the bill's main policy. Routine administration and ordinary coverage of intended beneficiaries are not treated as targeted benefits. These classifications do not establish improper motive or demonstrated economic benefit.
Proposed section 667(e)(1) would exclude project labor agreements from the requirement to disclose detailed public summaries of community benefits plans and associated agreements. The exception benefits those whose project labor agreements would otherwise be subject to that disclosure requirement. It applies to summaries of those agreements; it does not exempt their parties from disclosure obligations for other plans or agreements or from every reporting requirement in the bill.
The Secretary shall require the public disclosure of detailed summaries of community benefits plans and associated agreements, excluding project labor agreements, developed pursuant to this section. Such disclosure shall include a summary of the details of any such plan and associated agreement, a list of the parties to any such associated agreement, and a description of organizations consulted in the development of such plan and associated agreement, while allowing for the protection of confidential business information, as determined appropriate by the Secretary.
The Secretary shall require entities that receive financial assistance described in subsection (a) to periodically report on progress made towards fulfilling the commitments included in any community benefits plans and associated agreements developed pursuant to this section.
Research, development, or demonstration applicants making specified domestic manufacturing labor commitments would receive preference in assistance selection. The favored plans would commit to manufacturing only with workers covered by collective bargaining agreements, using registered apprenticeships or qualifying joint labor-management training, and meeting or exceeding leading industry labor standards. This directly advances the bill's labor policy while providing preferential treatment to a subset of applicants.
The Secretary shall require that an entity applying for financial assistance, including a grant, loan, loan guarantee, cooperative agreement, or prize competitions, provided by the Department to carry out research, development, or demonstration shall
The Secretary shall give preference to applications for financial assistance described in subsection (b) that include domestic manufacturing plans that include a commitment to manufacture covered products only using workers covered by collective bargaining agreements, commitments to utilize registered apprenticeship programs (as defined in section 3131(e)(3)(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) or joint labor-management training programs with a demonstrated capacity to successfully train workers in manufacturing, and other commitments to meet or exceed industry-leading labor standards.
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