II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 431 

To promote registered apprenticeships and on-the-job training for small and 

medium-sized businesses within in-demand industry sectors, through the 

establishment and support of eligible partnerships. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 11, 2019 

Ms. BALDWIN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To promote registered apprenticeships and on-the-job training for small and medium-sized businesses within indemand industry sectors, through the establishment and 

support of eligible partnerships. 

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Promoting Apprentice5 ships through Regional Training Networks for Employers’ 

6 Required Skills Act of 2019’’ or the ‘‘PARTNERS Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 

2 The purpose of this Act is to promote registered ap3 prenticeships and on-the-job training for small and me4 dium-sized businesses within in-demand industry sectors, 

5 through the establishment and support of eligible partner6 ships. 

7 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

8 In this Act: 

9 (1) ELIGIBLE PARTNERSHIP.—The term ‘‘eligi10 ble partnership’’ means an industry or sector part11 nership that submits and obtains approval of an ap12 plication consistent with section 6(b). 

13 (2) IN-DEMAND INDUSTRY SECTOR.—The term 

14 ‘‘in-demand industry sector’’ means a sector de15 scribed in subparagraphs (A)(i) and (B) of section 

16 3(23) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 

17 Act (29 U.S.C. 3102(23)). 

18 (3) LOCAL OR REGIONAL.—The term ‘‘local or 

19 regional’’, used with respect to an entity, means that 

20 the entity provides services in, respectively, a local 

21 area or region. 

22 (4) REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP.—The term 

23 ‘‘registered apprenticeship’’ means an apprenticeship 

24 registered under the Act of August 16, 1937 (com25 monly known as the ‘‘National Apprenticeship Act’’; 

26 50 Stat. 664, chapter 663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.). 


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1 (5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

2 the Secretary of Labor. 

3 (6) WORKFORCE TERMS.—The terms ‘‘Gov4 ernor’’, ‘‘individual with a barrier to employment’’, 

5 ‘‘industry or sector partnership’’, ‘‘local area’’, ‘‘local 

6 board’’, ‘‘on-the-job training’’, ‘‘outlying area’’, ‘‘rec7 ognized postsecondary credential’’, ‘‘region’’, 

8 ‘‘State’’, and ‘‘supportive services’’, used with re9 spect to activities supported under this Act, have the 

10 meanings given the terms in section 3 of the Work11 force Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 

12 3102). 

13 SEC. 4. AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS. 

14 From funds paid into the general fund of the Treas15 ury and available under section 286(s)(2) of the Immigra16 tion and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1356(s)(2)), the Sec17 retary shall carry out this Act. 

18 SEC. 5. ALLOTMENTS TO STATES. 

19 (a) RESERVATION.—Of the amounts available for this 

20 Act under section 4, the Secretary may reserve— 

21 (1) not more than 5 percent of those amounts 

22 for the costs of technical assistance and Federal ad23 ministration of this Act; 


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1 (2) not more than 2 percent of those amounts 

2 for the costs of evaluations conducted under section 

3 8(b); and 

(3) not more than 1 4 ⁄4 of 1 percent of such 

5 amounts to provide assistance to the outlying areas. 

6 (b) ALLOTMENTS.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Of the amounts available for 

8 this Act under section 4 that remain after the Sec9 retary makes the reservations under subsection (a), 

10 the Secretary shall, for the purpose of assisting 

11 (which may include assistance in establishing ex12 panded) local or regional eligible partnerships to 

13 support registered apprenticeship and on-the-job 

14 training programs under this Act, make allotments 

15 to eligible States in accordance with clauses (ii) 

16 through (v) of section 132(b)(1)(B) of the Work17 force Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 

18 3162(b)(1)(B)), subject to paragraph (2). 

19 (2) APPLICATION.—For purposes of applying 

20 the clauses described in paragraph (1), under para21 graph (1), the Secretary— 

22 (A) shall not apply subclauses (I) and (III) 

23 of clause (iv) with respect to the first fiscal year 

24 after the date of enactment of this Act; 


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1 (B) shall apply clause (iv)(II) by sub2 stituting ‘‘0.5 percent of the remaining amounts 

3 described in paragraph (1)’’ for the total de4 scribed in that clause; 

5 (C) shall not apply clause (iv)(IV); 

6 (D) shall apply clause (v)(II) by sub7 stituting ‘‘The term ‘allotment percentage’, 

8 used with respect to the second full fiscal year 

9 after the date of enactment of this Act, or a 

10 subsequent fiscal year, means a percentage of 

11 the remaining amounts described in paragraph 

12 (1) that is received through an allotment made 

13 under this subsection for the fiscal year.’’ for 

14 the two sentences in that clause; and 

15 (E) shall apply clause (v)(III) by sub16 stituting ‘‘a registered apprenticeship and on17 the-job training program carried out under this 

18 Act’’ for ‘‘a program of workforce investment 

19 activities carried out under this subtitle’’. 

20 (3) USE OF UNALLOTTED FUNDS.—If a State 

21 fails to meet the requirements for an allotment 

22 under this subsection, the Secretary may allot funds 

23 that are not allotted under paragraphs (1) and (2) 

24 to eligible States under a formula based on the forVerDate Sep 11 2014 19:19 Feb 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S431.IS S431

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1 mula specified in section 132(c) of the Workforce In2 novation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3173(c)). 

3 (4) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, the term 

4 ‘‘eligible State’’ means a State that meets the re5 quirements of section 102 or 103 of the Workforce 

6 Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3112, 

7 3113) and subsection (c). 

8 (c) STATE ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive an 

9 allotment under subsection (b), a State shall submit an 

10 application to the Secretary, at such time, in such manner, 

11 and containing a description of the activities to be carried 

12 out with the grant funds. At a minimum, the application 

13 shall include information on— 

14 (1) the industry or sector of the local or re15 gional industry or sector partnerships that will be 

16 supported, the lead partners for the partnerships, 

17 and how the partnerships will work to engage small 

18 and medium-sized businesses, as applicable, in the 

19 activities of the partnerships; 

20 (2) the in-demand industry sectors that will be 

21 served, including how such industry sectors were 

22 identified, and how the activities of the partnerships 

23 will align with State, regional, and local plans as re24 quired under title I of the Workforce Innovation and 

25 Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3111 et seq.); 


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1 (3) the registered apprenticeship and on-the-job 

2 training programs to be supported though the part3 nerships; 

4 (4) the populations that will receive services, in5 cluding individuals with barriers to employment and 

6 populations that were historically underrepresented 

7 in the industry sectors to be served through the 

8 partnerships; 

9 (5) the services, including business engagement, 

10 classroom instruction, and supportive services (in11 cluding at least 6 months of post-employment sup12 portive services), that will be supported through the 

13 grant funds; 

14 (6) the recognized postsecondary credentials 

15 (beyond a certificate of completion) that workers will 

16 obtain through participation in the registered ap17 prenticeship and on-the-job training program, and 

18 the quality of the program that leads to the creden19 tials; 

20 (7) levels of performance to be achieved on the 

21 performance indicators described in section 8, to 

22 measure progress towards expanding registered ap23 prenticeships and on-the-job training; and 

24 (8) how the partnerships will leverage addi25 tional resources, including funding provided under 


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1 title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 

2 Act (29 U.S.C. 3111 et seq.) and non-Federal re3 sources, to support the activities carried out under 

4 this Act. 

5 (d) REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS.—The Secretary shall 

6 review applications submitted under subsection (c) in con7 sultation with the Secretary of Education and the Sec8 retary of Health and Human Services. 

9 SEC. 6. GRANTS TO PARTNERSHIPS. 

10 (a) GRANTS.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Governor of a State 

12 that receives an allotment under section 5 shall use 

13 the funds made available through the allotment and 

14 not reserved under subsection (d) to award grants to 

15 industry or sector partnerships that seek to become 

16 eligible partnerships. The Governor shall award the 

17 grants for the purpose of assisting (which may in18 clude establishing expanded) local or regional indus19 try or sector partnerships that are identified in the 

20 application submitted under section 5(c), to carry 

21 out activities described in section 7. 

22 (2) PERIOD AND AMOUNT OF GRANT.—A State 

23 may make a grant under this section for a period of 

24 3 years, and in an amount of not more than 

25 $500,000. 


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1 (3) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—The Governor of 

2 a State that receives an allotment under section 5 

3 for a fiscal year may use the funds made available 

4 through the allotment during that year or the 2 sub5 sequent fiscal years. 

6 (b) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive a grant 

7 under this section, an industry or sector partnership de8 scribed in subsection (a)(1) shall— 

9 (1) submit an application to the State at such 

10 time, in such manner, and containing such informa11 tion as the State may require; and 

12 (2) designate a partner in the industry or sector 

13 partnership, to serve as the fiscal agent for purposes 

14 of the grant. 

15 (c) AWARDS OF GRANTS.— 

16 (1) PARTICIPATION IN MULTIPLE ELIGIBLE

17 PARTNERSHIPS.—Subject to paragraph (2), a State 

18 may award grants under this section in a way that 

19 results in an entity being represented in more than 

20 one partnership that receives such a grant. 

21 (2) GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY.—In making the 

22 grants, a State shall ensure that there is geographic 

23 diversity in the areas in which activities will be car24 ried out under the grants. 


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1 (d) ADMINISTRATION.—The State may reserve not 

2 more than 5 percent of the amount of an allotment under 

3 section 5 for the administration of the grants awarded 

4 under this section. 

5 SEC. 7. USE OF FUNDS. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—An eligible partnership that re7 ceives a grant under section 6 shall use the grant funds 

8 to support a registered apprenticeship and on-the-job 

9 training program. The eligible partnership shall use the 

10 grant funds to support the activities described in sub11 sections (b) and (c) and such other strategies as may be 

12 necessary to support the development and implementation 

13 of registered apprenticeship and on-the-job training pro14 grams, and participant retention in and completion of 

15 those programs. The partnership may use the grant funds 

16 to establish an expanded eligible partnership. 

17 (b) BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT.—The eligible partner18 ship shall use grant funds to provide services to engage 

19 businesses in a registered apprenticeship or on-the-job 

20 training program, which may include assisting a small or 

21 medium-sized business with— 

22 (1) the navigation of the registration process 

23 for a sponsor of a registered apprenticeship pro24 gram; 


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1 (2) the connection of the business with an edu2 cation provider to develop classroom instruction to 

3 complement on-the-job learning; 

4 (3) the development of a curriculum for a reg5 istered apprenticeship or on-the-job training pro6 gram; 

7 (4) the employment of workers in a registered 

8 apprenticeship or on-the-job training program for a 

9 transitional period before the business hires an indi10 vidual for continuing employment; 

11 (5) the provision of training to managers and 

12 front-line workers to serve as trainers or mentors to 

13 workers in a registered apprenticeship or on-the-job 

14 training program; 

15 (6) the provision of career awareness activities; 

16 and 

17 (7) the recruitment of individuals to participate 

18 in a registered apprenticeship or on-the-job training 

19 program from individuals receiving additional work20 force and human services, including— 

21 (A) workers in programs under the Work22 force Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 

23 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.); 

24 (B) recipients of assistance through the 

25 supplemental nutrition assistance program esVerDate Sep 11 2014 19:19 Feb 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S431.IS S431

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1 tablished under the Food and Nutrition Act of 

2 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.); and 

3 (C) recipients of assistance through the 

4 program of block grants to States for tem5 porary assistance for needy families established 

6 under part A of title IV of the Social Security 

7 Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.). 

8 (c) SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR WORKERS.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—The eligible partnership 

10 shall use grant funds to provide supportive services 

11 for workers to assure their success in registered ap12 prenticeship or on-the-job training programs, which 

13 may include— 

14 (A) connection of individuals with adult 

15 basic education; 

16 (B) connection of individuals with a pre17 apprenticeship program or other preparation for 

18 a registered apprenticeship or on-the-job train19 ing program; 

20 (C) provision of additional mentorship and 

21 retention supports for individuals during pre22 apprenticeship or other preparation for reg23 istered apprenticeship or on-the-job training 

24 programs, and during periods of employment 

25 for such programs; 


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1 (D) provision of tools, work attire, and 

2 other required items necessary to start employ3 ment; and 

4 (E) provision of transportation, child care 

5 services, or other supportive services. 

6 (2) LENGTH OF SERVICES.—Each eligible part7 nership shall provide supportive services for workers 

8 for not less than 12 months after the date of place9 ment of an individual in a registered apprenticeship 

10 or on-the-job training program. That 12-month pe11 riod shall include a period of pre-apprenticeship or 

12 other preparation for the program, a transitional pe13 riod of employment as described in subsection 

14 (b)(4), and a period of continuing employment. 

15 SEC. 8. PERFORMANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY. 

16 (a) LOCAL REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year after 

17 receiving a grant under section 6, and annually thereafter, 

18 each eligible partnership in a State shall conduct an eval19 uation and submit to the State a local report containing 

20 information on— 

21 (1) levels of performance achieved by the eligi22 ble partnership with respect to the performance indi23 cators under section 116(b)(2)(A) of the Workforce 

24 Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 

25 3141(b)(2)(A))— 


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1 (A) for all workers (including apprentices) 

2 in the program involved; and 

3 (B) for all such workers, disaggregated by 

4 each population specified in section 3(24) of the 

5 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 

6 U.S.C. 3102(24)) and by race, ethnicity, sex, 

7 and age; and 

8 (2) levels of performance achieved by the eligi9 ble partnership with respect to the performance indi10 cators under that section 116(b)(2)(A)— 

11 (A) for individuals with barriers to employ12 ment in the program involved; and 

13 (B) for all such individuals, disaggregated 

14 by each population specified in section 3(24) of 

15 the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 

16 and by race, ethnicity, sex, and age. 

17 (b) STATE REPORTS.—Not later than 24 months 

18 after receiving initial local reports under subsection (a) 

19 (but in no case less than 18 months after the cor20 responding grants are awarded) and annually thereafter, 

21 the State shall conduct an evaluation and submit a report 

22 to the Secretary containing— 

23 (1) the information provided by the eligible 

24 partnerships through the local reports; and 


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1 (2) the State level of performance, aggregated 

2 across all eligible partnerships, with respect to the 

3 performance indicators described in subsection (a). 

4 SEC. 9. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 

5 (a) AMERICAN COMPETITIVENESS AND WORKFORCE

6 IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 1998.—Section 414(c) of the 

7 American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement 

8 Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2916a) is repealed. 

9 (b) IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT.—Section 

10 286(s)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 

11 U.S.C. 1356(s)(2)) is amended to read as follows: 

12 ‘‘(2) USE OF FEES FOR REGISTERED APPREN13 TICESHIP AND ON-THE-JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS.— 

14 50 percent of amounts deposited into the H–1B 

15 Nonimmigrant Petitioner Account shall remain 

16 available to the Secretary of Labor until expended to 

17 carry out the PARTNERS Act.’’. 

Æ 


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