# Understanding the Resilient Manufacturing Task Force Act of 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed serious problems in how America makes and gets the products we need. Factories couldn't get parts, hospitals ran short on equipment, and companies couldn't find enough workers. This bill creates a temporary government task force to figure out what went wrong and how to prevent it from happening again during future crises.

The Secretary of Commerce will lead a team of experts from government agencies, businesses, universities, and labor organizations to identify weak spots in American manufacturing and supply chains. They'll focus on products and resources that are critical to our economy and national security. The task force has one year to complete its work and must report back to Congress with recommendations. The bill gives them $5 million to do this job.

To fix the problems they find, the task force will develop three main plans. First, they want to create a "National Manufacturing Guard"—essentially a reserve team of industry volunteers trained to step in during emergencies to manage factories, transportation, and workers. Second, they'll design a "Supply Chain Data Exchange" that would give real-time information about inventory, factory capacity, and bottlenecks across the country so decision-makers can respond quickly to problems. Third, they'll create a "Technology Corps" to train workers in manufacturing skills, with special focus on bringing in underrepresented minorities, women, and veterans.

For most Americans, this bill won't have an immediate impact since it's mainly about government planning and research. However, if it leads to the programs it proposes, it could eventually mean better job training opportunities in manufacturing and more resilient supply chains that keep essential products available during future emergencies. The task force will decide whether these programs should become permanent before it shuts down after one year.

Resilient Manufacturing Task Force Act of 2021

Rep. Stevens, Haley M. [D-MI-11]

Resilient Manufacturing Task Force Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Commerce to establish for one year the Resilient Manufacturing Task Force. Among other duties, the task force shall (1) identify critical vulnerabilities in the supply chains of products and resources that are essential to U.S. economic security, with a particular focus on vulnerabilities that have been made worse by COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019); and (2) develop specified plans to mitigate such vulnerabilities.