Department of Energy Experienced Worker Program Act

The Secretary of Energy shall establish an experienced worker program, to be known as the Department of Energy Experienced Worker Program, for the purpose of awarding grants and entering into multiyear cooperative agreements to use the talents of individuals in the United States who are age 55 or older and are not employees of the Department of Energy to provide technical, professional, and administrative services to support the mission of the Department of Energy.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law relating to Federal grants and cooperative agreements, in carrying out the Department of Energy Experienced Worker Program established under subsection (a), the Secretary of Energy may make grants to, or enter into multiyear cooperative agreements with, private national nonprofit organizations eligible to receive grants under title V of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3056 et seq.) to use the talents of individuals in the United States who are age 55 or older and are not employees of the Department of Energy to provide technical, professional, and administrative services to support the mission of the Department of Energy.

Prior to awarding a grant or entering into a cooperative agreement under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Energy shall ensure that the grant or cooperative agreement would not—

(A) result in the displacement of individuals currently employed by the Department of Energy, including partial displacement through reduction of non-overtime hours, wages, or employment benefits;

(B) result in the use of an individual under the Department of Energy Experienced Worker Program for a job or function in a case in which a Federal employee is in a layoff status from the same or substantially equivalent job within the Department;

(C) affect existing contracts for services; or

(D) result in the conversion of enrollees in the Department of Energy Experienced Worker Program into employees of the Department.