I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4115 
To promote registered apprenticeships and other work-based learning pro-
grams for small and medium-sized businesses within in-demand industry 
sectors, through the establishment and support of industry or sector 
partnerships. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 25, 2017 
Ms. BONAMICI (for herself and Mr. FERGUSON) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, 
and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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 con-
cerned 
A BILL 
To promote registered apprenticeships and other work-based 
learning programs for small and medium-sized businesses 
within in-demand industry sectors, through the establish-
ment and support of industry or sector partnerships. 
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 ‘‘Promoting Apprentice-
ships through Regional Training Networks for Employers’ 
Required Skills Act of 2017’’ or the ‘‘PARTNERS Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to promote registered ap-
prenticeships and other work-based learning programs for 
small and medium-sized businesses within in-demand in-
dustry sectors, through the establishment and support of 
industry or sector partnerships. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ELIGIBLE INTERMEDIARY.—The term ‘‘eli-
gible intermediary’’ means an industry or sector 
partnership as defined in section 3 of the Workforce 
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102) 
that submits and obtains approval of an application 
consistent with section 5(c). 
(2) IN-DEMAND INDUSTRY SECTOR.—The term 
‘‘in-demand industry sector’’ means a sector de-
scribed in subparagraphs (A)(i) and (B) of section 
3(23) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 
Act (29 U.S.C. 3102(23)). 
(3) REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP.—The term 
‘‘registered apprenticeship’’ means an apprenticeship 
registered under the Act of August 16, 1937 (com-
monly known as the ‘‘National Apprenticeship Act’’; 
50 Stat. 664, chapter 663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.). 
(4) WORK-BASED
LEARNING
PROGRAM.—The 
term ‘‘work-based learning program’’ means a pro-
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gram that provides workers with paid work experi-
ence and corresponding classroom instruction, deliv-
ered in an employment relationship that both the 
business and worker intend to be permanent. 
(5) WORKFORCE
TERMS.—The terms ‘‘Gov-
ernor’’, ‘‘industry or sector partnership’’, ‘‘local 
board’’, ‘‘State board’’, ‘‘outlying area’’, ‘‘recognized 
postsecondary credential’’, and ‘‘State’’ have the 
meanings given the terms in section 3 of the Work-
force Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 
3102). 
(6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Labor. 
SEC. 4. AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS. 
From funds paid into the general fund of the Treas-
ury and available under section 286(s)(2) of the Immigra-
tion and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1356(s)(2)), the Sec-
retary shall carry out this Act. 
SEC. 5. ALLOTMENTS TO STATES. 
(a) RESERVATION.—Of the amounts available for this 
Act under section 4(a), the Secretary may reserve— 
(1) not more than 5 percent of those amounts 
for the costs of technical assistance and Federal ad-
ministration of this Act; 
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(2) not more than 2 percent of those amounts 
for the costs of evaluations conducted under section 
8(b); and 
(3) not more than 1⁄4 of 1 percent of such 
amounts to provide assistance to the outlying areas. 
(b) ALLOTMENTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Of the amounts available for 
this Act under section 4(a) that remain after the 
Secretary makes the reservations under subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall, for the purpose of sup-
porting (which may include establishing) local or re-
gional industry or sector partnerships to carry out 
work-based learning programs under this Act, make 
allotments to eligible States in accordance with 
clauses (ii) through (v) of section 132(b)(1)(B) of 
the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
U.S.C. 3162(b)(1)(C)), subject to paragraph (2). 
(2) APPLICATION.—For purposes of applying 
the clauses described in paragraph (1), under para-
graph (1), the Secretary— 
(A) shall not apply subclauses (I) and (III) 
of clause (iv) with respect to the first fiscal year 
after the date of enactment of this Act; 
(B) shall apply clause (iv)(II) by sub-
stituting ‘‘0.5 percent of the remaining amounts 
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described in paragraph (1)’’ for the total de-
scribed in that clause; 
(C) shall not apply clause (iv)(IV); 
(D) shall apply clause (v)(II) by sub-
stituting ‘‘The term ‘allotment percentage’, 
used with respect to the second full fiscal year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, or a 
subsequent fiscal year, means a percentage of 
the remaining amounts described in paragraph 
(1) that is received through an allotment made 
under this subsection for the fiscal year.’’ for 
the two sentences in that clause; and 
(E) shall apply clause (v)(III) by sub-
stituting ‘‘a work-based learning program car-
ried out under this Act’’ for ‘‘a program of 
workforce investment activities carried out 
under this subtitle’’. 
(3) USE OF UNALLOTTED FUNDS.—If a State 
fails to meet the requirements for an allotment 
under this subsection, the Secretary may allot funds 
that are not allotted under paragraphs (1) and (2) 
to eligible States under a formula based on the for-
mula specified in section 132(c) of the Workforce In-
novation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3173(c)). 
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(4) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, the term 
‘‘eligible State’’ means a State that meets the re-
quirements of section 102 or 103 of the Workforce 
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3112, 
3113) and subsection (c). 
(c) STATE ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive an 
allotment under subsection (b), a State, in consultation 
with State boards and local boards, shall submit an appli-
cation to the Secretary, at such time, in such manner, and 
containing a description of the activities to be carried out 
with the grant funds. At a minimum, the application shall 
include information on— 
(1) the local or regional industry or sector part-
nerships that will be supported, including the lead 
partners for the partnerships and how the partner-
ships will work to engage small and medium-sized 
businesses, as applicable, in the activities of the 
partnerships; 
(2) the in-demand industry sectors that will be 
served, including how such industry sectors were 
identified, and how the activities of the partnerships 
will align with State, regional, and local plans as re-
quired under title I of the Workforce Innovation and 
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3111 et seq.); 
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(3) the registered apprenticeship programs or 
other work-based learning programs to be supported 
though the partnerships; 
(4) the populations that will receive services, in-
cluding individuals with barriers to employment and 
populations that were historically underrepresented 
in the industry sectors to be served through the 
partnerships; 
(5) the services, including business engagement, 
classroom instruction, and support services (includ-
ing at least 6 months of post-employment support 
services), that will be supported through the grant 
funds; 
(6) the recognized postsecondary credentials 
that workers will obtain through participation in the 
program and the quality of the program that lead to 
the credentials; 
(7) levels of performance to be achieved on the 
performance indicators described in section 8, to 
measure progress towards expanding work-based 
learning programs; 
(8) how local or regional partnerships will lever-
age additional resources, including funding provided 
under title I of the Workforce Innovation and Op-
portunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3111 et seq.) and non- 
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Federal resources, to support the activities carried 
out under this Act; and 
(9) such other subjects as the Secretary may 
require. 
(d) REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS.—The Secretary shall 
review applications submitted under subsection (c) in con-
sultation with the Secretary of Education and the Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services. 
SEC. 6. GRANTS TO ELIGIBLE INTERMEDIARIES. 
(a) GRANTS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Governor of a State 
that receives an allotment under section 5 shall use 
the funds made available through the allotment and 
not reserved under subsection (d) to award grants to 
eligible intermediaries. The Governor shall award the 
grants for the purpose of supporting (which may in-
clude establishing) local or regional industry or sec-
tor partnerships that will carry out activities de-
scribed in section 7 and are identified in the applica-
tion submitted under section 5(c). 
(2) PERIOD AND AMOUNT OF GRANT.—A State 
may make a grant under this section for a period of 
3 years, and in an amount of not more than 
$500,000. 
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(3) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—The Governor of 
a State that receives an allotment under section 5 
for a fiscal year may use the funds made available 
through the allotment during that year or the 2 sub-
sequent fiscal years. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive a grant 
under this section, an eligible intermediary shall designate 
an entity represented in the partnership that comprises 
the eligible intermediary, to serve as the fiscal agent for 
purposes of the grant. 
(c) AWARDS OF GRANTS.— 
(1) PARTICIPATION
IN
MULTIPLE
PARTNER-
SHIPS.—Subject to paragraph (2), an entity may be 
represented in more than one partnership that is an 
eligible intermediary receiving a grant under this 
section. 
(2) GEOGRAPHIC
DIVERSITY.—In making the 
grants, a State shall ensure that there is geographic 
diversity in the areas in which activities will be car-
ried out under the grants. 
(d) ADMINISTRATION.—The State may reserve not 
more than 5 percent of the amount of an allotment under 
section 5 for the administration of the grants awarded 
under this section. 
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SEC. 7. USE OF FUNDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—An eligible intermediary that re-
ceives a grant under section 6 shall use the grant funds 
to support a registered apprenticeship or other work-based 
learning program, including supporting the activities de-
scribed in subsections (b) and (c) and such other strate-
gies as may be necessary to support the development and 
implementation of work-based learning programs, and 
participant retention in and completion of those programs. 
(b) BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT.—The eligible inter-
mediary shall use grant funds to provide services to en-
gage businesses in work-based learning programs, which 
may include assisting a small or medium-sized business 
with— 
(1) the navigation of the registration process 
for a sponsor of a registered apprenticeship pro-
gram; 
(2) the connection of the business with an edu-
cation provider to develop classroom instruction to 
complement on-the-job learning; 
(3) the development of a curriculum for a work- 
based learning program; 
(4) the employment of workers in a work-based 
learning program for a transitional period before the 
business hires an individual for permanent employ-
ment in a work-based learning program; 
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