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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10122 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                               H. R. 10122

To require the Secretary of Labor to implement the industry-recognized 
        apprenticeship program process, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 14, 2024

    Mr. Good of Virginia (for himself and Mrs. Miller of Illinois) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                      Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To require the Secretary of Labor to implement the industry-recognized 
        apprenticeship program process, 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 ``Developing America's Workforce 
Act''.

SEC. 2. INDUSTRY-RECOGNIZED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS.

    The Act of August 16, 1937 (commonly known as the ``National 
Apprenticeship Act''; 50 Stat. 664, chapter 63; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.), 
is amended--
            (1) by redesignating section 4 as section 5; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 4. INDUSTRY-RECOGNIZED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Industry-recognized apprenticeship program.--The term 
        `industry-recognized apprenticeship program'--
                    ``(A) means a high-quality, competency-based 
                apprenticeship program that is--
                            ``(i) recognized by a standards recognition 
                        entity; and
                            ``(ii) developed or delivered by an entity 
                        such as a trade or industry group, corporation, 
                        nonprofit organization, institution of higher 
                        education, labor organization, or labor-
                        management organization (among other entities, 
                        as determined appropriate by the Secretary); 
                        and
                    ``(B) may include a program that meets the 
                requirements of subparagraph (A) and trains apprentices 
                to perform construction activities.
            ``(2) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
        of Labor.
            ``(3) Standards recognition entity.--The term `standards 
        recognition entity' means a private sector or public sector 
        entity that--
                    ``(A) is recognized by the Secretary (acting 
                through the Administrator of the Office of 
                Apprenticeship of the Department of Labor) for purposes 
                of recognizing apprenticeship programs as industry-
                recognized apprenticeship programs;
                    ``(B) has a demonstrated ability to ensure an 
                industry-recognized apprenticeship program meets the 
                standards described in subsection (c); and
                    ``(C) has the capacity to perform the oversight 
                necessary to ensure the ongoing compliance of an 
                industry-recognized apprenticeship program with such 
                standards.
    ``(b) Recognition of Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of the Developing America's Workforce Act, the 
        Secretary, after consultation with private sector industry 
        associations, institutions of higher education, State, local, 
        and Tribal governmental agencies, and other stakeholders the 
        Secretary determines appropriate, shall establish a process to 
        recognize entities as standards recognition entities for 
        purposes of recognizing industry-recognized apprenticeship 
        programs under this Act.
            ``(2) Limited discretion.--The Secretary shall not deny 
        recognition as a standards recognition entity to a private 
        sector or public sector entity that meets the requirements of 
        subparagraphs (B) and (C) of subsection (a)(3) and 
        satisfactorily completes the process established under 
        paragraph (1).
            ``(3) Administrative flexibility.--The Secretary shall 
        ensure that the recognition process for standards recognition 
        entities established under paragraph (1) is a flexible process 
        with low administrative and reporting burdens for the standards 
        recognition entities and industry-recognized apprenticeship 
        programs.
    ``(c) Standards.--Each standards recognition entity shall establish 
standards for the industry-recognized apprenticeship programs 
recognized by the entity that, at a minimum, ensure that each industry-
recognized apprenticeship program--
            ``(1) includes--
                    ``(A) paid work;
                    ``(B) on-the-job learning;
                    ``(C) a mentorship component;
                    ``(D) education and classroom instruction;
                    ``(E) a written development plan and apprenticeship 
                agreement; and
                    ``(F) safety and supervision components; and
            ``(2) provides, during participation in or upon completion 
        of the apprenticeship, an industry-recognized credential.
    ``(d) Program Performance.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall make publicly 
        available, in a manner that does not reveal personally 
        identifiable information, the program outcomes for each 
        industry-recognized apprenticeship program recognized by the 
        entity on the following performance measures--
                    ``(A) the percentage of program participants who 
                are in unsubsidized employment during the second 
                quarter after exit from the program;
                    ``(B) the median earnings of program participants 
                who are in unsubsidized employment during the second 
                quarter after exit from the program;
                    ``(C) the median earnings increase of program 
                participants that exited the program, calculated as the 
                median participant earnings in unsubsidized employment 
                during the second quarter after exit from the program 
                minus median participant earnings in the second quarter 
                prior to entering the program; and
                    ``(D) the percentage of program participants who 
                obtain an industry recognized credential during 
                participation in or within 1 year after exit from the 
                program.
            ``(2) Participant information.--A standards recognition 
        entity shall report, on an annual basis, to the Secretary any 
        participant data determined appropriate by the Secretary for 
        the purposes of paragraph (1).
    ``(e) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed as affecting apprenticeship programs registered under this 
Act and recognized by the Secretary of Labor.''.
                                 <all>
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