DPA Workforce and Skilled Labor Needs Act of 2026

This bill amends the Defense Production Act to require federal agencies to identify workforce and skills gaps that could hinder the domestic industrial base from meeting national defense objectives. It allows agencies to direct recipients of financial assistance to use funds for recruiting, training, placing, and retaining workers in defense-critical occupations, provided the recipients maintain records of performance standards. Federal agencies must include discussions of these gaps and recommendations for reducing them in their annual reports to the Defense Production Act Committee, including suggestions for workforce training programs and apprenticeships. The legislation also corrects a minor title reference in the Defense Production Act.