I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5748 
To rebuild the Nation’s crumbling infrastructure, transportation systems, 
technology and computer networks, and energy distribution systems, by 
strongly and urgently encouraging the immediate recruitment, employ-
ment, and on-the-job ‘‘earn as you learn’’ training of young African 
Americans who throughout history experience higher unemployment rates 
than any other race, which is a national crisis. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 3, 2020 
Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia (for himself, Ms. FUDGE, and Mr. CLEAVER) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To rebuild the Nation’s crumbling infrastructure, transpor-
tation systems, technology and computer networks, and 
energy distribution systems, by strongly and urgently 
encouraging the immediate recruitment, employment, and 
on-the-job ‘‘earn as you learn’’ training of young African 
Americans who throughout history experience higher un-
employment rates than any other race, which is a na-
tional crisis. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Jobs, On-the-Job 
‘Earn-While-You-Learn’ Training, and Apprenticeships 
for Young African-Americans Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Young African-American men and women 
are the hardest hit by economic instability. Declared 
and affirmed by the Federal Reserve, African Ameri-
cans face unemployment rates that are two to three 
times higher than their White counterparts for the 
last several decades. 
(2) During economic recessions in 1974–75, 
1981–82, 1990–91, and 2008, the African-American 
community faced significantly higher unemployment 
rates than their White counterparts. 
(3) Even during times of economic growth, Af-
rican-American communities experience prolonged fi-
nancial vulnerability and delayed recovery. Unem-
ployment rates decline at a slower rate for African- 
American men, and even a slower rate for African- 
American women as compared to their White coun-
terparts. 
(4) This extraordinarily high unemployment 
rate has a terrible rippling impact on the breakdown 
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of the family structure, as men and women in this 
age group are in the primary child-producing ages. 
(5) Affirmed by the Department of Labor, di-
versity and inclusion within the workforce benefits 
employees and businesses across all industries, in-
cluding apprenticeship programs, which provide eco-
nomic mobility to its participants. 
(6) Through the combined efforts of building 
trades unions and community partners at the State 
and local level, there have been established more 
than 150 apprenticeship readiness programs across 
the United States that focus on creating pathways 
to Registered Programs for people of color, women, 
and veterans. Overall, from 2009 to 2019, building 
trades unions and their signatory contractors have 
invested over $100,000,000 in outreach efforts tar-
geting under-represented communities to participate 
in apprenticeship readiness programs. Of the 4,800 
individuals who have successfully completed a build-
ing trades apprenticeship readiness program since 
2016, 70 percent were from communities of color 
and 22 percent were women. 
(7) The disproportionately high-unemployment 
rates, combined with low participation rates from 
African Americans in registered apprenticeship pro-
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grams not only constitute a national crisis but a na-
tional tragedy for the young African Americans, 
many of whom are fathers and mothers who, without 
jobs, are unable to provide for their families or 
home. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to secure 
jobs, on-the-job training, and apprenticeships for young 
African Americans ages 18 to 39 with the labor unions, 
general contractors, and businesses who will rebuild the 
Nation’s crumbling infrastructure in cities and commu-
nities throughout the Nation. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) this Act, while rebuilding the crumbling in-
frastructure of this great Nation, will simultaneously 
help create good paying jobs and job training that 
will provide young African Americans ages 18 to 39 
with the technical skills, computer capabilities, and 
other skills necessary in this high technology-driven 
job market, thus providing young African Americans 
with highly developed skills that will make them very 
competitive and attractive to many employers; 
(2) this Act greatly exemplifies and strengthens 
the high nobility of purpose that is the founding 
grace of this great Nation; and 
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