I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6377 

To establish a grant program for States to support apprentices in 

apprenticeships programs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 13, 2023 

Mr. CUELLAR (for himself, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. NORCROSS, and Mrs. DINGELL) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on 

Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 

Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 

the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To establish a grant program for States to support apprentices in apprenticeships programs, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Apprentice-Related 

5 Child Care Act’’ or the ‘‘ARCC Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM. 

7 (a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—From the amount appro2 priated under subsection (i)(1) that is not reserved 

3 under subsection (i)(2), the Secretary of Labor shall 

4 award grants, on a competitive basis, to 10 States 

5 for each such State to provide monthly stipends to 

6 eligible child care providers on behalf of individuals 

7 who are participating in pre-apprenticeship pro8 grams or apprenticeship programs to assist such in9 dividuals in covering the costs of childcare during 

10 such participation. 

11 (2) GRANT AMOUNTS.—In awarding grants 

12 under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall award an 

13 equal amount to each State awarded such a grant. 

14 (3) GRANT PERIODS.—A grant awarded under 

15 this section shall be awarded— 

16 (A) for a period of two years; and 

17 (B) in equal amounts for each year of such 

18 period. 

19 (4) GRANT PRIORITY.—In awarding grants 

20 under this section, the Secretary shall ensure that 

21 States that are awarded the grants— 

22 (A) are geographically diverse; and 

23 (B) have pre-apprenticeship programs and 

24 apprenticeship programs in in-demand industry 


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1 sectors and occupations, including in emerging 

2 high-tech, high-growth industries. 

3 (b) APPLICATION.—To be eligible for a grant under 

4 this Act, a State shall submit to the Secretary an applica5 tion, in such form, at such time, and containing such in6 formation as the Secretary may require, which shall in7 clude the following: 

8 (1) Information regarding how the State in9 tends to distribute monthly stipends in accordance 

10 with subsection (c). 

11 (2) In the case of any individual who is selected 

12 to benefit from a stipend under subsection (c) and 

13 participating in a pre-apprenticeship program or an 

14 apprenticeship program that will end after the end 

15 of the grant period, any plan the State may have to 

16 provide child care support for such an individual for 

17 the period of such pre-apprenticeship or apprentice18 ship program during which the individual will not be 

19 benefitting from such stipends. 

20 (c) USES OF FUNDS.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—A State that receives a 

22 grant under this Act shall— 

23 (A) in accordance with the requirements of 

24 paragraph (3), select individuals to benefit from 

25 a monthly stipend who— 


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1 (i) have one or more dependent chil2 dren; and 

3 (ii) are participating in a pre-appren4 ticeship program or an apprenticeship pro5 gram in the State; and 

6 (B) distribute such stipends to eligible 

7 child care providers directly on behalf of the in8 dividuals described under subparagraph (A). 

9 (2) MONTHLY STIPEND AMOUNTS.—A monthly 

10 stipend described in paragraph (1) shall not be less 

11 than $500 per dependent child. 

12 (3) PRIORITY.—In selecting individuals to ben13 efit from a monthly stipend, a State shall prioritize 

14 individuals who are historically underrepresented in 

15 the industries of the pre-apprenticeship programs or 

16 apprenticeship programs of such individuals, based 

17 on race, ethnicity, or gender. 

18 (d) REPORTS BY STATES.— 

19 (1) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than 180 days 

20 after the end of the grant period of the grant award21 ed to a State under this Act, the State shall submit 

22 to the Secretary a report that includes information 

23 on— 


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1 (A) the individuals that benefitted from 

2 monthly stipends, including with respect to each 

3 such individual— 

4 (i) the total number of months such 

5 stipends were provided to a eligible child 

6 care provider on behalf of the individual; 

7 (ii) the total amount provided by such 

8 stipends; 

9 (iii) in the case of an individual en10 rolled in an apprenticeship program, the 

11 wage rate, benefits, stipends, or other com12 pensation provided to such individual— 

13 (I) while enrolled in such pro14 gram; and 

15 (II) after exiting the program 

16 and beginning work in the industry of 

17 such program; 

18 (iv) in the case of an individual en19 rolled in a pre-apprenticeship program, a 

20 description of any compensation provided 

21 to the individual while enrolled in such 

22 program, including the wage rate, benefits, 

23 stipends, or any other compensation; 


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1 (v) the industry of the pre-apprentice2 ship program or apprenticeship program in 

3 which the individual was a participant; 

4 (B) for each apprenticeship program and 

5 pre-apprenticeship program for which the State 

6 provided stipends to eligible child care providers 

7 on behalf of such individuals— 

8 (i) the retention and completion rates 

9 for the individuals described in subpara10 graph (A); and 

11 (ii) the retention and completion rates 

12 for the individuals not described in sub13 paragraph (A); and 

14 (C) the method the State used to dis15 tribute the stipends to eligible child care pro16 viders. 

17 (2) FOLLOW-UP REPORTS.—For each of the 3 

18 years after the date that a State submits the report 

19 under paragraph (1), the State shall submit to the 

20 Secretary a report on the retention and completion 

21 rates described in clauses (i) and (ii) of subpara22 graph (B) for the preceding year. 

23 (3) DISAGGREGATION.—The information sub24 mitted under paragraphs (1) and (2) shall be 

25 disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and gender, except 


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1 that such disaggregation shall not be required in the 

2 case in which the number of apprentices in a sub3 group is insufficient to yield statistically reliable in4 formation or the results would reveal personally 

5 identifiable information about an apprentice. 

6 (e) REPORT BY THE SECRETARY.— 

7 (1) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than 180 days 

8 after the Secretary receives the last report under 

9 subsection (d), the Secretary shall submit to Con10 gress a report that summarizes— 

11 (A) the effect the stipends had— 

12 (i) on the pre-apprenticeship program 

13 or apprenticeship program retention and 

14 completion rates of individuals who re15 ceived monthly stipends; and 

16 (ii) the wage rates and benefits re17 ceived by such individuals after exiting an 

18 apprenticeship program; 

19 (B) the methods the States used to dis20 tribute stipends to eligible child care providers; 

21 (C) any unanticipated effect or con22 sequence on— 

23 (i) individuals receiving the stipend; 


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1 (ii) the sponsors of the pre-apprentice2 ship programs or the apprenticeship pro3 grams; and 

4 (iii) the local areas in which the indi5 viduals who received a stipend participated 

6 in such programs. 

7 (2) FOLLOW-UP REPORTS.—For each of the 3 

8 years after the date that the Secretary submits the 

9 report under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall sub10 mit to Congress a report that summarizes the infor11 mation in the reports received from the States under 

12 subsection (d)(2) for the preceding year. 

13 (3) DISAGGREGATION.—The information sub14 mitted under paragraph (1)(A) shall be 

15 disaggregated in accordance with the disaggregation 

16 requirements of subsection (d)(2). 

17 (f) STIPEND AMOUNTS EXCLUDED FROM FEDERAL

18 TAXATION.—Stipend amounts awarded under this Act 

19 may not be included in the gross income of the individual 

20 who benefitted from such stipend for purposes of the In21 ternal Revenue Code of 1986. 

22 (g) DISREGARD STIPEND AMOUNTS IN OTHER FED23 ERAL PROGRAMS.—Notwithstanding any other provision 

24 of law, a stipend distributed to an eligible child care pro25 vider under this Act shall not be taken into account in 


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1 determining the need or eligibility of the individual who 

2 benefitted from such stipend for benefits or assistance, or 

3 the amount of such benefits or assistance, under any Fed4 eral, State, or local program financed in whole or in part 

5 with Federal funds. 

6 (h) SUPPLEMENT AND NOT SUPPLANT.—Any 

7 monthly stipend distributed to an eligible child care pro8 vider on behalf of an individual under this Act shall sup9 plement and not supplant the wages such individual earns 

10 while participating in a pre-apprenticeship program or ap11 prenticeship program. 

12 (i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 

14 appropriated to carry out this Act $100,000,000 for 

15 each of fiscal years 2024–2025. 

16 (2) RESERVATION.—The Secretary shall reserve 

17 1.5 percent of the funds appropriated under para18 graph (1) for each fiscal year to carry out the study 

19 and report required by subsection (e). 

20 (j) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 

21 (1) APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM.—The term 

22 ‘‘apprenticeship program’’ means an apprenticeship 

23 program registered under the Act of August 16, 

24 1937 (commonly known as the ‘‘National Appren25 ticeship Act’’; 50 Stat. 664, chapter 663; 29 U.S.C. 


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1 50 et seq.), including any requirement, standard, or 

2 rule promulgated under such Act. 

3 (2) ELIGIBLE CHILD CARE PROVIDER.—The 

4 term ‘‘eligible child care provider’’ has the meaning 

5 given the term in section 658P of the Child Care 

6 and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 

7 U.S.C. 9858n). 

8 (3) PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM.—The 

9 term ‘‘pre-apprenticeship program’’ means a pro10 gram, initiative, or set of strategies that— 

11 (A) is designed to prepare individuals to 

12 participate in an apprenticeship program, in13 cluding preparing individuals with the skills and 

14 competencies necessary to succeed in such pro15 gram; 

16 (B) is carried out by an entity that has en17 tered into a formal agreement with one or more 

18 sponsors of an apprenticeship program; and 

19 (C) includes— 

20 (i) theoretical education (including the 

21 use of curricula); and 

22 (ii) training (including hands-on train23 ing)— 


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1 (I) aligned with industry stand2 ards of an apprenticeship program; 

3 and 

4 (II) that does not displace an em5 ployee where such training takes 

6 place. 

7 (4) STATE BOARD.—The term ‘‘State board’’ 

8 means a State workforce development board estab9 lished under section 101 of the Worker Innovation 

10 and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101). 

11 (5) WIOA TERMS.—The terms ‘‘area career 

12 and technical education school’’, ‘‘community-based 

13 organization’’, ‘‘in-demand industry sector or occu14 pation’’, ‘‘local area’’, ‘‘local board’’, ‘‘local edu15 cational agency’’, ‘‘secondary school’’, and ‘‘State’’, 

16 have the meaning given such terms in section 3 of 

17 the Worker Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 

18 U.S.C. 3103). 

Æ 


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