American Apprenticeship Act
Bill: S.1026 | Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy (D-MN)
Policy area: Labor and Employment

Summary:
American Apprenticeship Act
This bill authorizes the Department of Labor to make grants to assist states in carrying out projects that defray the cost of instruction associated with pre-apprenticeship and qualified apprenticeship programs.
Labor shall (1) establish performance measures and an evaluation system for such grant program; and (2) identify in-demand occupations that lack the use of qualified apprenticeship programs, analyze the use of such program model in those occupations, and report on such analysis to states and Congress.

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.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``American Apprenticeship Act''.

SEC. 2. PRE-APPRENTICESHIP AND QUALIFIED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (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 Apprenticeship 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 programs under the 
                national apprenticeship system.
            (2) Postsecondary educational institution.--The term 
        ``postsecondary educational institution'' 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-apprenticeship'', 
        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;
                    (B) is carried out by a sponsor described in 
                paragraph (6)(B) that has a documented partnership with 
                one or more sponsors of qualified 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 reviewed and 
                        approved annually by sponsors of such 
                        apprenticeships within the documented 
                        partnership, that will prepare individuals by 
                        teaching the skills and competencies 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 
                                supervision and safety protocols; and
                                    (II) is carried out in a manner 
                                that does not displace a paid employee.
                            (iii) A formal agreement with a sponsor of 
                        a qualified apprenticeship program that would 
                        enable participants who successfully 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 apprenticeship program), and 
                        includes agreements concerning earning credit 
                        recognized by a postsecondary educational 
                        institution for skills and competencies 
                        acquired during the pre-apprenticeship program.
            (4) Related instruction.--The term ``related instruction'' 
        means an organized and systematic form of classroom or web-
        based instruction designed 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 apprenticeship 
                program, an employer, joint labor-management 
                partnership, trade association, professional 
                association, labor organization, or other entity, that 
                administers the qualified apprenticeship program; and
                    (B) with respect to a pre-apprenticeship program, a 
                local educational agency, a secondary 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 organization, 
                with responsibility for the pre-apprenticeship program.
            (7) Workforce innovation and opportunity act definitions.--
        The terms ``area career and technical education school'', 
        ``community-based organization'', ``individual with a barrier 
        to employment'', ``local board'', ``local educational agency'', 
        ``secondary school'', and ``State board'' have the meanings 
        given the terms in section 3 of the Workforce 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 cost of related instruction, associated 
        with a qualified 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 strategic plan that contains such information as 
        the Secretary may require, including--
                    (A) information identifying the State agency 
                (referred to in this Act as the ``State entity'') that 
                will administer the grant as determined by the Governor 
                of the State;
                    (B) a description of strategies that the State 
                entity will use to collaborate with key industry 
                representatives, State agencies, postsecondary 
                educational institutions, labor-management entities, 
                and other relevant partners to launch or expand pre-
                apprenticeships for and apprenticeships in qualified 
                apprenticeship programs;
                    (C) a description of how the State entity will--
                            (i) coordinate activities carried out under 
                        this subsection with activities carried out 
                        under the Carl D. Perkins Career 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-
                        apprenticeships 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 programs as 
                a workforce solution in nontraditional industries, such 
                as information technology, health care, advanced 
                manufacturing, transportation, 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 members of minority 
                groups, youth, individuals with disabilities, veterans, 
                and individuals with barriers 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 qualified 
                        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 populations 
                        previously underserved through apprenticeships; 
                        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 Secretary 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 following costs of related instruction:
                    (A) Tuition and fees.
                    (B) Cost of textbooks, equipment, curriculum 
                development, and other required educational materials.
                    (C) Costs of any other item or service determined 
                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, including 
                plant, equipment, or services; and
                    (B) directly or through donations from public or 
                private entities.
    (d) Report.--The Secretary shall prepare and submit to Congress, 
not later than September 30, 2026, a report--
            (1) detailing the results of the evaluation described 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 policy of the United 
States that funds made available under this section should be used to 
supplement and not supplant other funds available under the Workforce 
Innovation 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 apprenticeship program 
        model in those identified in-demand occupations; and
            (3) prepare and submit to States and Congress a report that 
        contains the analysis described in paragraph (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 2022 through 2027.
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