I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 52 

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

technology and computer networks, and energy distribution systems, by 

strongly and urgently requesting the immediate recruitment, employment, 

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

men ages 18 to 39, who are the hardest hit in terms of unemployment, 

with an unemployment rate of 41 percent nationally, and in some States 

and cities, especially inner cities, higher than 50 percent, which is a 

national crisis. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 3, 2017 

Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia (for himself, Mr. CRAMER, Ms. FUDGE, Mrs. 

LOVE, Ms. ADAMS, and Mr. CLEAVER) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 

A BILL 

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

energy distribution systems, by strongly and urgently 

requesting the immediate recruitment, employment, and 

on-the-job ‘‘earn as you learn’’ training of African-American young men ages 18 to 39, who are the hardest 

hit in terms of unemployment, with an unemployment 

rate of 41 percent nationally, and in some States and 

cities, especially inner cities, higher than 50 percent, 

which is a national crisis. 


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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 ‘‘Jobs, On-the-Job 

5 ‘Earn While You Learn’ Training, and Apprenticeships 

6 for African-American Young Men Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 

8 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 

9 (1) African-American young men ages 18 to 39 

10 are the hardest hit in unemployment, with an unem11 ployment rate of 41 percent nationally, and in some 

12 States and cities, especially inner cities, higher than 

13 50 percent; 

14 (2) this extraordinarily high unemployment rate 

15 has a terrible rippling impact on the breakdown of 

16 the family structure, as men in this age group are 

17 in the primary child-producing ages; and 

18 (3) an unemployment rate of 40 to 50 percent 

19 among African-American young men, many of who 

20 are fathers who, without jobs, and are unable to pro21 vide for their families, is not only a national crisis 

22 but a national tragedy. 

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

24 jobs, on-the-job training, and apprenticeships for African25 American young men ages 18 to 39 with the labor unions, 


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1 general contractors, and businesses who will rebuild the 

2 Nation’s crumbling infrastructure in cities and commu3 nities throughout the Nation. 

4 SEC. 3. URGING EMPLOYMENT, ON-THE-JOB TRAINING, AND 

5 APPRENTICESHIPS FOR UNEMPLOYED AFRI6 CAN-AMERICAN YOUNG MEN IN REBUILDING 

7 THE NATION’S CRUMBLING INFRASTRUC8 TURE. 

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

10 strongly and urgently request those labor unions, general 

11 contractors, and businesses, who will rebuild the Nation’s 

12 crumbling infrastructure, transportation systems, tech13 nology and computer networks, and energy distribution 

14 systems, to actively recruit, hire, and provide on-the-job 

15 training to African-American young men ages 18 to 39 

16 through their existing jobs, apprenticeships, and ‘‘earn 

17 while you learn’’ programs. The Secretary shall provide 

18 assistance to such labor unions, general contractors, and 

19 businesses through every means available to help coordi20 nate the recruitment of such individuals for such jobs, on21 the-job training, and apprenticeships. 

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

23 and apprenticeships made available by labor unions, gen24 eral contractors, and businesses described in subsection 

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


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1 of Labor and the labor unions and other associations 

2 which have been identified as those primarily involved in 

3 the infrastructure rebuilding described in such subsection, 

4 including the International Brotherhood of Electrical 

5 Workers (IBEW), the United Association of Journeymen 

6 and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Indus7 try of the United States and Canada, the International 

8 Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Rein9 forcing Iron Workers Union, the International Brother10 hood of Teamsters, the National Electrical Contractors 

11 Association, the International Association of Sheet Metal, 

12 Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART), the La13 borers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA), 

14 the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE), 

15 and the United Steelworkers (USW). Such coordination 

16 shall also be done in conjunction with the National Joint 

17 Apprenticeship and Training Committee, which allows ap18 prentices to earn while they learn. 

19 (c) RECRUITMENT.—The labor unions, general con20 tractors, and businesses described in subsections (a) and 

21 (b) shall recruit African-American young men for the jobs, 

22 on-the-job training, and apprenticeships described in sub23 section (a) by reaching out and seeking assistance from 

24 within the African-American community, churches, the 

25 National Urban League, the NAACP, 100 Black Men of 


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1 America, high school and college job placement offices, 

2 media outlets, and other African-American organizations 

3 that can offer valuable assistance to the Secretary of 

4 Labor, the labor unions, general contractors, and busi5 nesses with identifying, locating, and contacting unem6 ployed African-American young men who want jobs, on7 the-job training, and apprenticeships. These African8 American organizations have a long and rich history of 

9 working to improve the lives of African-Americans, and 

10 can be very helpful in successfully reaching, contacting, 

11 and recruiting unemployed African-American young men. 

12 SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

13 It is the sense of Congress that this Act— 

14 (1) while rebuilding the crumbling infrastruc15 ture of this great Nation, will simultaneously help 

16 create good paying jobs and job training that will 

17 provide African-American young men 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 African-American young 

21 men with highly developed skills that will make them 

22 very competitive and attractive to many employers; 

23 and 


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1 (2) greatly exemplifies and strengthens the high 

2 nobility of purpose that is the founding grace of this 

3 great Nation. 

Æ 


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