American Apprenticeship Act

Summary: American Apprenticeship Act This bill directs the Department of Labor to make competitive grants to assist states in, and to pay for the federal share of between 20% and 50% of the cost of, carrying out projects that defray the cost of instruction associated with pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs. The bill defines: (1) "apprenticeship" as one registered under the National Apprenticeship Act of 1937; and (2) "pre-apprenticeship" as an initiative or set of strategies that provides training, that is designed to prepare individuals to enter and succeed in an apprenticeship program, and that includes a formal agreement enabling participants who complete it to enter an apprenticeship program with an employer, joint labor-management partnership, trade association, professional association, labor organization, or other entity and agreements concerning earning credit recognized by a postsecondary educational institution. A joint team of employees from Labor and the Department of Education shall review, and make recommendations regarding approval of, grant applications.  A state that receives a grant shall use the funds to defray related costs of tuition and fees, textbooks, equipment, curriculum development, and other required educational materials. Labor shall: (1) establish performance measures and an evaluation system for such grant program; and (2) identify in-demand occupations that lack the use of apprenticeships, analyze the use of the apprenticeship model in those occupations, and report on such analysis to states and Congress.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

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

SEC. 2. PRE-APPRENTICESHIP AND APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Apprenticeship.--The term ``apprenticeship'' means an 
        apprenticeship 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.).
            (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 an 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 apprenticeship programs; and
                    (C) includes each of the following:
                            (i) Training (including a curriculum for 
                        the training), aligned with industry standards 
                        related to apprenticeships, and reviewed and 
                        approved annually by sponsors of the 
                        apprenticeships within the documented 
                        partnership, that will prepare individuals by 
                        teaching the skills and competencies needed to 
                        enter one or more 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 
                        an apprenticeship program that would enable 
                        participants who successfully complete the pre-
                        apprenticeship program to enter directly into 
                        the apprenticeship program (if a place in the 
                        program is available and if the participant 
                        meets the qualifications of the 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 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 apprenticeship program.
            (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Labor.
            (6) Sponsor.--The term ``sponsor'' means--
                    (A) with respect to an apprenticeship program, an 
                employer, joint labor-management partnership, trade 
                association, professional association, labor 
                organization, or other entity, that administers the 
                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, 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, carrying out projects that defray 
        the cost of related instruction associated with pre-
        apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs.
            (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 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 and apprenticeships;
                    (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 and apprenticeships; and
                            (ii) leverage funds provided under the Acts 
                        specified in clause (i) to support pre-
                        apprenticeships and apprenticeships; 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 as a workforce solution in both 
                traditional and nontraditional industries, such as 
                information technology, health care, advanced 
                manufacturing, construction trades, 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;
                    (F) a description that outlines how the State 
                entity will increase opportunities for pre-
                apprenticeships and apprenticeships among members of 
                minority groups, youth, individuals with disabilities, 
                veterans, and individuals with barriers to employment;
                    (G) information describing--
                            (i) how the State entity will meet 
                        performance measures, and comply with an 
                        evaluation system and reporting requirements, 
                        established by the Secretary under paragraph 
                        (6); and
                            (ii) at the election of the State, any 
                        State performance measures and goals that the 
                        State will use 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, 2021, 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. 3102 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;
            (2) analyze the use of the apprenticeship 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 2017 through 2022.