I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5748 

To rebuild the Nation’s crumbling infrastructure, transportation systems, 

technology and computer networks, and energy distribution systems, by 

strongly and urgently encouraging the immediate recruitment, employment, and on-the-job ‘‘earn as you learn’’ training of young African 

Americans who throughout history experience higher unemployment rates 

than any other race, which is a national crisis. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 3, 2020 

Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia (for himself, Ms. FUDGE, and Mr. CLEAVER) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 

Education and Labor 

A BILL 

To rebuild the Nation’s crumbling infrastructure, transportation systems, technology and computer networks, and 

energy distribution systems, by strongly and urgently 

encouraging the immediate recruitment, employment, and 

on-the-job ‘‘earn as you learn’’ training of young African 

Americans who throughout history experience higher unemployment rates than any other race, which is a national crisis. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Jobs, On-the-Job 

3 ‘Earn-While-You-Learn’ Training, and Apprenticeships 

4 for Young African-Americans Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 

6 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

7 (1) Young African-American men and women 

8 are the hardest hit by economic instability. Declared 

9 and affirmed by the Federal Reserve, African Ameri10 cans face unemployment rates that are two to three 

11 times higher than their White counterparts for the 

12 last several decades. 

13 (2) During economic recessions in 1974–75, 

14 1981–82, 1990–91, and 2008, the African-American 

15 community faced significantly higher unemployment 

16 rates than their White counterparts. 

17 (3) Even during times of economic growth, Af18 rican-American communities experience prolonged fi19 nancial vulnerability and delayed recovery. Unem20 ployment rates decline at a slower rate for African21 American men, and even a slower rate for African22 American women as compared to their White coun23 terparts. 

24 (4) This extraordinarily high unemployment 

25 rate has a terrible rippling impact on the breakdown 


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1 of the family structure, as men and women in this 

2 age group are in the primary child-producing ages. 

3 (5) Affirmed by the Department of Labor, di4 versity and inclusion within the workforce benefits 

5 employees and businesses across all industries, in6 cluding apprenticeship programs, which provide eco7 nomic mobility to its participants. 

8 (6) Through the combined efforts of building 

9 trades unions and community partners at the State 

10 and local level, there have been established more 

11 than 150 apprenticeship readiness programs across 

12 the United States that focus on creating pathways 

13 to Registered Programs for people of color, women, 

14 and veterans. Overall, from 2009 to 2019, building 

15 trades unions and their signatory contractors have 

16 invested over $100,000,000 in outreach efforts tar17 geting under-represented communities to participate 

18 in apprenticeship readiness programs. Of the 4,800 

19 individuals who have successfully completed a build20 ing trades apprenticeship readiness program since 

21 2016, 70 percent were from communities of color 

22 and 22 percent were women. 

23 (7) The disproportionately high-unemployment 

24 rates, combined with low participation rates from 

25 African Americans in registered apprenticeship proVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:29 Feb 04, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5748.IH H5748

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1 grams not only constitute a national crisis but a na2 tional tragedy for the young African Americans, 

3 many of whom are fathers and mothers who, without 

4 jobs, are unable to provide for their families or 

5 home. 

6 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to secure 

7 jobs, on-the-job training, and apprenticeships for young 

8 African Americans ages 18 to 39 with the labor unions, 

9 general contractors, and businesses who will rebuild the 

10 Nation’s crumbling infrastructure in cities and commu11 nities throughout the Nation. 

12 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

13 It is the sense of Congress that— 

14 (1) this Act, while rebuilding the crumbling in15 frastructure of this great Nation, will simultaneously 

16 help create good paying jobs and job training that 

17 will provide young African Americans ages 18 to 39 

18 with the technical skills, computer capabilities, and 

19 other skills necessary in this high technology-driven 

20 job market, thus providing young African Americans 

21 with highly developed skills that will make them very 

22 competitive and attractive to many employers; 

23 (2) this Act greatly exemplifies and strengthens 

24 the high nobility of purpose that is the founding 

25 grace of this great Nation; and 


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1 (3) the African-American organizations de2 scribed in section 4(c) have a long and rich history 

3 of working to improve the lives of African Ameri4 cans, and can be very helpful in successfully reach5 ing, contacting, and recruiting unemployed young 

6 African Americans. 

7 SEC. 4. URGING EMPLOYMENT, ON-THE-JOB TRAINING, AND 

8 APPRENTICESHIPS FOR UNEMPLOYED 

9 YOUNG AFRICAN AMERICANS IN REBUILDING 

10 THE NATION’S CRUMBLING INFRASTRUC11 TURE. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Labor shall 

13 strongly and urgently encourage those labor unions, gen14 eral contractors, and businesses, who will rebuild the Na15 tion’s crumbling infrastructure, transportation systems, 

16 technology and computer networks, and energy distribu17 tion systems, to actively recruit, hire, train, and provide 

18 apprentice programs registered under the National Ap19 prenticeship Act (29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.) to African Ameri20 cans ages 18 to 39 through their existing jobs and through 

21 apprenticeships and earn-while-you-learn programs, reg22 istered under such Act. The Secretary shall provide assist23 ance to such labor unions, general contractors, and busi24 nesses through every means available under existing law 


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1 to help coordinate the recruitment of such individuals for 

2 such jobs, on-the-job training, and apprenticeships. 

3 (b) COORDINATION.—The jobs, on-the-job training, 

4 and apprenticeships made available by labor unions, gen5 eral contractors, and businesses described in subsection 

6 (a) shall be conducted in conjunction with the Secretary 

7 of Labor and the labor unions and other associations 

8 which the Secretary has identified as those primarily in9 volved in the infrastructure rebuilding described in such 

10 subsection. Such coordination shall also be done in con11 junction with the National Joint Apprenticeship and 

12 Training Committee. 

13 (c) RECRUITMENT.—The Secretary shall coordinate 

14 with labor unions, general contractors, and businesses de15 scribed in subsections (a) and (b) to recruit African Amer16 icans for the jobs, on-the-job training, and apprenticeships 

17 described in subsection (a) by reaching out and seeking 

18 assistance from within the African-American community, 

19 churches, and civil rights organizations that can offer val20 uable assistance to the Secretary of Labor, the labor 

21 unions, general contractors, and businesses with identi22 fying, locating, and contacting unemployed young African 

23 Americans who want jobs, on-the-job training, and ap24 prenticeships. 

Æ 


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