119-hr1783

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1783 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 1783

 To assist States in, and pay for the Federal share of the cost of, 
 defraying the cost of pre-apprenticeships or related instruction 
 associated with qualified apprenticeship programs, and for other 
 purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 March 3, 2025

 Ms. DeLauro introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To assist States in, and pay for the Federal share of the cost of, 
 defraying the cost of pre-apprenticeships or related instruction 
 associated with qualified apprenticeship programs, and for other 
 purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``American Apprenticeship Act''.

SEC. 2. PRE-APPRENTICESHIP AND QUALIFIED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS.

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this Act:

    (1) Qualified apprenticeship.--The term ``qualified 
 apprenticeship'', used with respect to a program, means an 
 apprenticeship program that is--
        (A) registered under the Act of August 16, 1937 
 (commonly known as the ``National Apprenticeship Act''; 
 50 Stat. 664, chapter 663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.); and
        (B) concentrated in an industry sector or 
 occupation that represents less than 10 percent of 
 apprenticeable occupations or of the programs under the 
 national apprenticeship system.

    (2) Postsecondary educational institution.--The term 
 ``postsecondary educational institution'' means an institution 
 of higher education, as defined in 

section 102 of the Higher 
 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002).

    (3) Pre-apprenticeship.--The term ``pre-apprenticeship'', 
 used with respect to a program, means an initiative or set of 
 strategies that--
        (A) is designed to prepare individuals to enter and 
 succeed in a qualified apprenticeship program;
        (B) is carried out by a sponsor described in 
 paragraph

    (6)
        (B) that has a documented partnership with 
 one or more sponsors of qualified apprenticeship 
 programs; and
            (C) includes each of the following:
            (i) Training (including a curriculum for 
 the training), aligned with industry standards 
 related to apprenticeships in a qualified 
 apprenticeship program, and reviewed and 
 approved annually by sponsors of such 
 apprenticeships within the documented 
 partnership, that will prepare individuals by 
 teaching the skills and competencies needed to 
 enter one or more qualified apprenticeship 
 programs.
            (ii) Provision of hands-on training and 
 theoretical education to individuals that--
            (I) is carried out in a manner that 
 includes proper observation of 
 supervision and safety protocols; and
            (II) is carried out in a manner 
 that does not displace a paid employee.
            (iii) A formal agreement with a sponsor of 
 a qualified apprenticeship program that would 
 enable participants who successfully complete 
 the pre-apprenticeship program to enter 
 directly into the qualified apprenticeship 
 program (if a place in the program is available 
 and if the participant meets the qualifications 
 of the qualified apprenticeship program), and 
 includes agreements concerning earning credit 
 recognized by a postsecondary educational 
 institution for skills and competencies 
 acquired during the pre-apprenticeship program.

    (4) Related instruction.--The term ``related instruction'' 
 means an organized and systematic form of classroom or web-
 based instruction designed to provide an apprentice with the 
 knowledge of the theoretical and technical subjects related to 
 the occupation of the apprentice or the instruction needed to 
 prepare an individual to enter and succeed in an qualified 
 apprenticeship program.

    (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of Labor.

    (6) Sponsor.--The term ``sponsor'' means--
        (A) with respect to a qualified apprenticeship 
 program, an employer, joint labor-management 
 partnership, trade association, professional 
 association, labor organization, or other entity, that 
 administers the qualified apprenticeship program; and
        (B) with respect to a pre-apprenticeship program, a 
 local educational agency, a secondary school, an area 
 career and technical education school, a State board, a 
 local board, a joint labor-management committee, a 
 labor organization, or a community-based organization, 
 with responsibility for the pre-apprenticeship program.

    (7) Workforce innovation and opportunity act 

=== definitions. ===
-
 The terms ``area career and technical education school'', 
 ``community-based organization'', ``individual with a barrier 
 to employment'', ``local board'', ``local educational agency'', 
 ``secondary school'', and ``State board'' have the meanings 
 given the terms in 

section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and 
 Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).

    (b) Grants for Tuition Assistance.--

    (1) In general.--The Secretary may make grants to States on 
 a competitive basis to assist the States in, and pay for the 
 Federal share of the cost of, defraying the cost of a pre-
 apprenticeship, or the cost of related instruction, associated 
 with a qualified apprenticeship program.

    (2) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
 this subsection, a State shall submit an application to the 
 Secretary for such a project at such time, in such manner, and 
 containing a strategic plan that contains such information as 
 the Secretary may require, including--
        (A) information identifying the State agency 
 (referred to in this Act as the ``State entity'') that 
 will administer the grant as determined by the Governor 
 of the State;
        (B) a description of strategies that the State 
 entity will use to collaborate with key industry 
 representatives, State agencies, postsecondary 
 educational institutions, labor-management entities, 
 and other relevant partners to launch or expand pre-
 apprenticeships for and apprenticeships in qualified 
 apprenticeship programs;
            (C) a description of how the State entity will--
            (i) coordinate activities carried out under 
 this subsection with activities carried out 
 under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical 
 Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.) 
 and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 
 Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) to support pre-
 apprenticeships for and apprenticeships in 
 qualified apprenticeship programs;
            (ii) leverage funds provided under the Acts 
 specified in clause
            (i) to support pre-
 apprenticeships for and apprenticeships in 
 qualified apprenticeship programs; and
            (iii) utilize, and encourage individual 
 participants in programs supported under this 
 subsection to utilize, available Federal and 
 State financial assistance, including 
 assistance available under the Workforce 
 Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 
 et seq.), education assistance benefits 
 available to veterans, and Federal Pell Grants 
 available under 

section 401 of the Higher 
 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a), prior 
 to using assistance made available under this 
 Act;
            (D) a description of strategies to elevate 
 apprenticeships in qualified apprenticeship programs as 
 a workforce solution in nontraditional industries, such 
 as information technology, health care, advanced 
 manufacturing, transportation, and other industries 
 determined to be high-demand by the State board for the 
 State;
        (E) a description of activities that the State 
 entity will carry out to build awareness about the 
 economic potential of apprenticeships in qualified 
 apprenticeship programs;
        (F) a description that outlines how the State 
 entity will increase opportunities for pre-
 apprenticeships for and apprenticeships in qualified 
 apprenticeship programs, among members of minority 
 groups, youth, individuals with disabilities, veterans, 
 and individuals with barriers to employment;
        (G) a description of--
            (i) how the State entity will ensure that 
 the qualified apprenticeship program meets 
 certain performance measures and quality 
 standards, including that the qualified 
 apprenticeship program has been in existence 
 for not fewer than 6 months prior to the 
 application date;
            (ii) the targeted outreach strategies that 
 the State entity will use for populations 
 previously underserved through apprenticeships; 
 and
            (iii) any State performance measures that 
 the State will use, at the election of the 
 State, to measure the effectiveness of the 
 project; and
        (H) in the case of a State that has already 
 received a grant under this subsection for a project, 
 information indicating that the State met the 
 performance measures with respect to the project.

    (3) Application review process.--A joint team of employees 
 from the Department of Labor and the Department of Education 
 shall--
        (A) review such an application; and
        (B) make recommendations to the Secretary regarding 
 approval of the application.

    (4) Use of funds.--A State that receives a grant under this 
 subsection shall use the funds made available through the grant 
 to defray any of the following costs of related instruction:
        (A) Tuition and fees.
        (B) Cost of textbooks, equipment, curriculum 
 development, and other required educational materials.
            (C) Costs of any other item or service determined 
 by the State to be necessary.

    (5) Administrative costs.--The State may use not more than 
 10 percent of the grant funds for administrative costs relating 
 to carrying out the project described in paragraph

    (1) .

    (6) Performance and evaluation.--The Secretary, after 
 consultation with the Secretary of Education, shall--
        (A) establish performance measures based on 
 indicators set by the Administrator of the Office of 
 Apprenticeship of the Department of Labor; and
        (B) establish an evaluation system aligned with the 
 performance measures, and reporting requirements for 
 the program carried out under this subsection.
            (c) Federal Share.--

    (1) In general.--The Federal share of the cost described in 
 subsection

    (b)

    (1) shall be not less than 20 percent and not 
 more than 50 percent.

    (2) Non-federal share.--The State may make the non-Federal 
 share available--
        (A) in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including 
 plant, equipment, or services; and
        (B) directly or through donations from public or 
 private entities.
            (d) Report.--The Secretary shall prepare and submit to Congress, 
not later than September 30, 2030, a report--

    (1) detailing the results of the evaluation described in 
 subsection

    (b)

    (6)
        (B) ; and

    (2) analyzing the extent to which States have used grant 
 funds effectively under this section.

    (e) Policy of the United States.--It is the policy of the United 
States that funds made available under this section should be used to 
supplement and not supplant other funds available under the Workforce 
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) and other 
Federal and State funds available to the State to support workforce 
development programs.

SEC. 3. IDENTIFYING IN-DEMAND OCCUPATIONS.

 The Secretary shall--

    (1) identify in-demand occupations nationally and 
 regionally that lack the use of apprenticeships in qualified 
 apprenticeship programs;

    (2) analyze the use of the qualified apprenticeship program 
 model in those identified in-demand occupations; and

    (3) prepare and submit to States and Congress a report that 
 contains the analysis described in paragraph

    (2) .

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
$15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2031.
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