[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 703 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 703
To ensure access to apprenticeships for underrepresented groups,
eliminate barriers and ensure completion of apprenticeships, and invest
in successful apprenticeship intermediaries.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 2, 2021
Ms. Jayapal (for herself, Mr. Levin of Michigan, Mrs. Hayes, and Ms.
Norton) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To ensure access to apprenticeships for underrepresented groups,
eliminate barriers and ensure completion of apprenticeships, and invest
in successful apprenticeship intermediaries.
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 ``Apprenticeship Futures for All
Act''.
SEC. 2. GRANTS, CONTRACTS, OR COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.
(a) In General.--The Administrator of the Office of Apprenticeship
of the Department of Labor shall award grants, contracts, or
cooperative agreements to eligible entities on a competitive basis if
the eligible entity is a qualified intermediary--
(1) to support national industry and equity intermediaries
in establishing or expanding sector-based partnerships to
support the delivery or expansion of programs under the
national apprenticeship system to significant scale in the
United States--
(A) in key sectors, including manufacturing,
information technology, cyber security, health care,
insurance and finance, energy, hospitality, retail,
construction, and other sectors identified by the
Administrator as targeted for expansion under the
national apprenticeship system; or
(B) for nontraditional apprenticeship populations,
women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and
individuals impacted by the criminal or juvenile
justice system; or
(2) to serve programs under the national apprenticeship
system in a local or regional setting.
(b) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity applying for any grant
activity under this Act--
(1) shall use at least 5 percent of the grant funds to
provide direct financial assistance to apprentices, pre-
apprentices, or youth apprentices through emergency grants to
support their financial needs to enter, remain enrolled in, and
complete such program, such as support for the related costs of
supplies and equipment, courses, transportation, child care,
and housing; and
(2) may use funds for any of the following activities:
(A) To establish or expand partnerships with
organizations that provide program participants access
to financial planning, mentoring, and supportive
services that are necessary to enable an individual to
participate in and complete a program under the
national apprenticeship system.
(B) To conduct outreach and recruitment activities,
including assessments of potential participants for,
and enrollment of participants in, a program under the
national apprenticeship system.
(C) To conduct outreach, engagement, recruitment,
and coordination of activities with employers, industry
associations, labor and labor-management organizations,
qualified intermediaries, education and training
providers, State or local workforce agencies, potential
sponsors, community-based organizations, communities
with high numbers or percentages of nontraditional
apprenticeship populations, small- and medium-sized
businesses, or rural communities to establish or expand
industry or sector partnerships and opportunities under
the national apprenticeship system.
(D) To carry out grant requirements, including
program evaluation and reporting requirements.
(E) To conduct any activities as described in the
application that would advance the purposes of the
grant.
(c) Definitions.--In this Act:
(1) Eligible entity.--
(A) In general.--The term ``eligible entity''
means--
(i) a program sponsor;
(ii) a State workforce development board or
State workforce agency, or a local workforce
development board or local workforce
development agency;
(iii) an education and training provider,
or a consortium thereof;
(iv) if the applicant is in a State with a
State apprenticeship agency, such State
apprenticeship agency;
(v) an Indian Tribe or Tribal organization;
(vi) an industry or sector partnership, a
group of employers, a trade association, or a
professional association that sponsors or
participates in a program under the national
apprenticeship system;
(vii) a Governor;
(viii) a labor organization or joint-labor
management organization; or
(ix) a qualified intermediary.
(B) Sponsor requirement.--Not fewer than one entity
under subparagraph (A) shall be the sponsor of a
program under the national apprenticeship system.
(2) Qualified intermediary.--
(A) In general.--The term ``qualified
intermediary'' means an entity that demonstrates
expertise in building, connecting, sustaining, and
measuring the performance of partnerships described in
subparagraph (B) and serves program participants and
employers by--
(i) connecting employers to programs under
the national apprenticeship system;
(ii) assisting in the design and
implementation of such programs, including
curriculum development and delivery for related
instruction;
(iii) supporting entities, sponsors, or
program administrators in meeting the
registration and reporting requirements of this
Act;
(iv) providing professional development
activities such as training to mentors;
(v) connecting students or workers to
programs under the national apprenticeship
system;
(vi) developing and providing personalized
program participant supports, including by
partnering with organizations to provide access
to or referrals for supportive services and
financial advising;
(vii) providing services, resources, and
supports for development, delivery, expansion,
or improvement of programs under the national
apprenticeship system; or
(viii) serving as a program sponsor.
(B) Partnerships.--The partnerships described in
subparagraph (A) means partnerships among entities
involved in programs under the national apprenticeship
system, including--
(i) industry or sector partnerships;
(ii) partnerships among employers, joint
labor-management organizations, labor
organizations, community-based organizations,
industry associations, State or local workforce
development boards, education and training
providers, social service organizations,
economic development organizations, Indian
Tribes or Tribal organizations, one-stop
operators, or one-stop partners, in the State
workforce development system; or
(iii) partnerships among one or more of the
entities described in clauses (i) and (ii).
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