I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 511 
To assist States in, and pay for the Federal share of the cost of, defraying 
the cost of pre-apprenticeships or related instruction associated with 
qualified apprenticeship programs, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 25, 2023 
Ms. DELAURO introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To assist States in, and pay for the Federal share of the 
cost of, defraying the cost of pre-apprenticeships or re-
lated instruction associated with qualified apprenticeship 
programs, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘American Apprentice-
ship Act’’. 
SEC. 2. PRE-APPRENTICESHIP AND QUALIFIED APPREN-
TICESHIP PROGRAMS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 
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(1) QUALIFIED
APPRENTICESHIP.—The term 
‘‘qualified apprenticeship’’, used with respect to a 
program, means an apprenticeship program that 
is— 
(A) registered under the Act of August 16, 
1937 (commonly known as the ‘‘National Ap-
prenticeship Act’’; 50 Stat. 664, chapter 663; 
29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.); and 
(B) concentrated in an industry sector or 
occupation that represents less than 10 percent 
of apprenticeable occupations or of the pro-
grams under the national apprenticeship sys-
tem. 
(2) POSTSECONDARY
EDUCATIONAL
INSTITU-
TION.—The term ‘‘postsecondary educational institu-
tion’’ means an institution of higher education, as 
defined in section 102 of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002). 
(3) PRE-APPRENTICESHIP.—The term ‘‘pre-ap-
prenticeship’’, used with respect to a program, 
means an initiative or set of strategies that— 
(A) is designed to prepare individuals to 
enter and succeed in a qualified apprenticeship 
program; 
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(B) is carried out by a sponsor described 
in paragraph (6)(B) that has a documented 
partnership with one or more sponsors of quali-
fied apprenticeship programs; and 
(C) includes each of the following: 
(i) Training (including a curriculum 
for the training), aligned with industry 
standards related to apprenticeships in a 
qualified apprenticeship program, and re-
viewed and approved annually by sponsors 
of such apprenticeships within the docu-
mented partnership, that will prepare indi-
viduals by teaching the skills and com-
petencies needed to enter one or more 
qualified apprenticeship programs. 
(ii) Provision of hands-on training and 
theoretical education to individuals that— 
(I) is carried out in a manner 
that includes proper observation of su-
pervision and safety protocols; and 
(II) is carried out in a manner 
that does not displace a paid em-
ployee. 
(iii) A formal agreement with a spon-
sor of a qualified apprenticeship program 
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that would enable participants who suc-
cessfully complete the pre-apprenticeship 
program to enter directly into the qualified 
apprenticeship program (if a place in the 
program is available and if the participant 
meets the qualifications of the qualified ap-
prenticeship program), and includes agree-
ments concerning earning credit recognized 
by a postsecondary educational institution 
for skills and competencies acquired during 
the pre-apprenticeship program. 
(4) RELATED
INSTRUCTION.—The term ‘‘re-
lated instruction’’ means an organized and system-
atic form of classroom or web-based instruction de-
signed to provide an apprentice with the knowledge 
of the theoretical and technical subjects related to 
the occupation of the apprentice or the instruction 
needed to prepare an individual to enter and succeed 
in an qualified apprenticeship program. 
(5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Labor. 
(6) SPONSOR.—The term ‘‘sponsor’’ means— 
(A) with respect to a qualified apprentice-
ship program, an employer, joint labor-manage-
ment partnership, trade association, profes-
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sional association, labor organization, or other 
entity, that administers the qualified appren-
ticeship program; and 
(B) with respect to a pre-apprenticeship 
program, a local educational agency, a sec-
ondary school, an area career and technical 
education school, a State board, a local board, 
a joint labor-management committee, a labor 
organization, or a community-based organiza-
tion, with responsibility for the pre-apprentice-
ship program. 
(7) WORKFORCE
INNOVATION
AND
OPPOR-
TUNITY ACT DEFINITIONS.—The terms ‘‘area career 
and technical education school’’, ‘‘community-based 
organization’’, ‘‘individual with a barrier to employ-
ment’’, ‘‘local board’’, ‘‘local educational agency’’, 
‘‘secondary school’’, and ‘‘State board’’ have the 
meanings given the terms in section 3 of the Work-
force Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 
3102). 
(b) GRANTS FOR TUITION ASSISTANCE.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may make 
grants to States on a competitive basis to assist the 
States in, and pay for the Federal share of the cost 
of, defraying the cost of a pre-apprenticeship, or the 
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cost of related instruction, associated with a quali-
fied apprenticeship program. 
(2) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a 
grant under this subsection, a State shall submit an 
application to the Secretary for such a project at 
such time, in such manner, and containing a stra-
tegic plan that contains such information as the Sec-
retary may require, including— 
(A) information identifying the State agen-
cy (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘State enti-
ty’’) that will administer the grant as deter-
mined by the Governor of the State; 
(B) a description of strategies that the 
State entity will use to collaborate with key in-
dustry representatives, State agencies, postsec-
ondary educational institutions, labor-manage-
ment entities, and other relevant partners to 
launch or expand pre-apprenticeships for and 
apprenticeships in qualified apprenticeship pro-
grams; 
(C) a description of how the State entity 
will— 
(i) coordinate activities carried out 
under this subsection with activities car-
ried out under the Carl D. Perkins Career 
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and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 
U.S.C. 2301 et seq.) and the Workforce 
Innovation 
and 
Opportunity 
Act 
(29 
U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) to support pre-ap-
prenticeships for and apprenticeships in 
qualified apprenticeship programs; 
(ii) leverage funds provided under the 
Acts specified in clause (i) to support pre- 
apprenticeships for and apprenticeships in 
qualified apprenticeship programs; and 
(iii) utilize, and encourage individual 
participants in programs supported under 
this subsection to utilize, available Federal 
and State financial assistance, including 
assistance available under the Workforce 
Innovation 
and 
Opportunity 
Act 
(29 
U.S.C. 3101 et seq.), education assistance 
benefits available to veterans, and Federal 
Pell Grants available under section 401 of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1070a), prior to using assistance 
made available under this Act; 
(D) a description of strategies to elevate 
apprenticeships in qualified apprenticeship pro-
grams as a workforce solution in nontraditional 
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industries, such as information technology, 
health care, advanced manufacturing, transpor-
tation, and other industries determined to be 
high-demand by the State board for the State; 
(E) a description of activities that the 
State entity will carry out to build awareness 
about the economic potential of apprenticeships 
in qualified apprenticeship programs; 
(F) a description that outlines how the 
State entity will increase opportunities for pre- 
apprenticeships for and apprenticeships in 
qualified apprenticeship programs, among mem-
bers of minority groups, youth, individuals with 
disabilities, veterans, and individuals with bar-
riers to employment; 
(G) a description of— 
(i) how the State entity will ensure 
that the qualified apprenticeship program 
meets certain performance measures and 
quality standards, including that the quali-
fied apprenticeship program has been in 
existence for not fewer than 6 months 
prior to the application date; 
(ii) the targeted outreach strategies 
that the State entity will use for popu-
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lations previously underserved through ap-
prenticeships; and 
(iii) any State performance measures 
that the State will use, at the election of 
the State, to measure the effectiveness of 
the project; and 
(H) in the case of a State that has already 
received a grant under this subsection for a 
project, information indicating that the State 
met the performance measures with respect to 
the project. 
(3) APPLICATION
REVIEW
PROCESS.—A joint 
team of employees from the Department of Labor 
and the Department of Education shall— 
(A) review such an application; and 
(B) make recommendations to the Sec-
retary regarding approval of the application. 
(4) USE OF FUNDS.—A State that receives a 
grant under this subsection shall use the funds made 
available through the grant to defray any of the fol-
lowing costs of related instruction: 
(A) Tuition and fees. 
(B) Cost of textbooks, equipment, cur-
riculum development, and other required edu-
cational materials. 
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(C) Costs of any other item or service de-
termined by the State to be necessary. 
(5) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—The State may 
use not more than 10 percent of the grant funds for 
administrative costs relating to carrying out the 
project described in paragraph (1). 
(6) PERFORMANCE
AND
EVALUATION.—The 
Secretary, after consultation with the Secretary of 
Education, shall— 
(A) establish performance measures based 
on indicators set by the Administrator of the 
Office of Apprenticeship of the Department of 
Labor; and 
(B) establish an evaluation system aligned 
with the performance measures, and reporting 
requirements for the program carried out under 
this subsection. 
(c) FEDERAL SHARE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Federal share of the 
cost described in subsection (b)(1) shall be not less 
than 20 percent and not more than 50 percent. 
(2) NON-FEDERAL
SHARE.—The State may 
make the non-Federal share available— 
(A) in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, in-
cluding plant, equipment, or services; and 
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(B) directly or through donations from 
public or private entities. 
(d) REPORT.—The Secretary shall prepare and sub-
mit to Congress, not later than September 30, 2028, a 
report— 
(1) detailing the results of the evaluation de-
scribed in subsection (b)(6)(B); and 
(2) analyzing the extent to which States have 
used grant funds effectively under this section. 
(e) POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES.—It is the pol-
icy of the United States that funds made available under 
this section should be used to supplement and not sup-
plant other funds available under the Workforce Innova-
tion and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) and 
other Federal and State funds available to the State to 
support workforce development programs. 
SEC. 3. IDENTIFYING IN-DEMAND OCCUPATIONS. 
The Secretary shall— 
(1) identify in-demand occupations nationally 
and regionally that lack the use of apprenticeships 
in qualified apprenticeship programs; 
(2) analyze the use of the qualified apprentice-
ship program model in those identified in-demand 
occupations; and 
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(3) prepare and submit to States and Congress 
a report that contains the analysis described in para-
graph (2). 
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this Act $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 
2029. 
Æ 
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