Strengthening Apprenticeships for Justice-Impacted Communities Act
This bill supports pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships, specifically regarding the justice-impacted population (i.e., individuals who have been arrested or convicted of a crime, including individuals currently or formerly incarcerated in a prison, jail, or juvenile facility).
The Department of Labor may award grants to eligible applicants (i.e., local educational agencies, state registration agencies, and industries or businesses) to, among other things
The bill establishes the Interagency Task Force on Strengthening Employment Opportunities and Outcomes for Justice-Impacted Communities that shall identify, evaluate, and make recommendations regarding (1) best practices relating to apprenticeship training for incarcerated individuals, and (2) ways in which federal agencies can better coordinate to support justice-impacted individuals with success and completion of pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeship programs.
Labor shall establish an Office of Correctional Apprenticeships to
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8391 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8391
To support pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships within the National
Apprenticeship Act, specifically with regard to the justice-impacted
population.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 24, 2020
Mr. Trone introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To support pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships within the National
Apprenticeship Act, specifically with regard to the justice-impacted
population.
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 ``Strengthening Apprenticeships for
Justice-Impacted Communities Act''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to support pre-apprenticeships and
apprenticeships within the National Apprenticeship Act, specifically
with regard to the justice-impacted population.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Apprentice.--The term ``apprentice'' means a worker
who--
(A) is not younger than age 16, or (where a higher
minimum age standard is specified by law) not younger
than that age; and
(B) is employed through an apprenticeship program
that meets the required standards for an apprenticeship
program.
(2) Apprenticeable occupation.--The term ``apprenticeable
occupation'' means an occupation which is specified by industry
and which--
(A) involves skills that are customarily learned in
a practical way through a structured, systematic
program of on-the-job supervised learning;
(B) is clearly identified and commonly recognized
throughout an industry;
(C) involves the progressive attainment of manual,
mechanical, or technical skills and knowledge which, in
accordance with the industry standard for the
occupation, would require the completion of not less
than 2,000 hours of on-the-job learning to attain,
unless an alternative requirement is put forth by the
employer and sponsor that reflects industry standards
and is accepted by the Secretary; and
(D) requires related instruction to supplement the
on-the-job learning.
(3) Apprenticeship program.--The term ``apprenticeship
program'' includes a program that--
(A) is 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) culminates in a certificate of completion from
the registration agency and a recognized postsecondary
credential.
(4) Eligible applicant.--The term ``eligible applicant''
means a consortium of entities that shall include 1 or more
representatives from each of the following:
(A) A local educational agency, area career and
technical education school, educational service agency,
or postsecondary educational institution.
(B) In a State with a State registration agency,
that registration agency.
(C) An industry or business, consisting of an
employer, a group of employers, a trade association, a
professional association, or an entity that sponsors an
apprenticeship program.
(D) A State workforce development board or local
workforce development board.
(E) An Indian Tribe, Tribal organization, or Tribal
educational agency.
(F) Labor organization that has responsibility for
the administration of an apprenticeship program
associated with the industry or sector or occupation
related to the covered apprenticeship, including those
sponsored by a joint labor-management organization.
(G) A qualified intermediary.
(H) Community-based organizations with significant
expertise in supporting such programs.
(I) In-demand industry sector employers.
(5) Justice-impacted individual.--The term ``justice-
impacted individual'' means an individual who has been arrested
or convicted of a crime, including an individual who is
currently or formerly incarcerated in a Federal or State
prison, jail, or juvenile facility.
(6) New; existing.--The term ``new'' or ``existing'', used
with respect to a program, means a program that was new or
existing, respectively, as of the day the eligible applicant
involved submitted the application for the grant involved.
(7) Pre-apprentice.--The term ``pre-apprentice'' means a
participant in a pre-apprenticeship program.
(8) Pre-apprenticeship program.--
(A) In general.--The term ``pre-apprenticeship
program'' means a training model or program, or
training according to a set of strategies, that--
(i) is designed to assist individuals who
do not meet the minimum qualifications for
selection into an apprenticeship program,
established in a sponsor's apprenticeship
standards, to meet the qualifications;
(ii) is carried out by an entity that
maintains a documented partnership with at
least one sponsor of an apprenticeship program;
(iii) is a form of structured workplace
education and training in which at least 2 of
the entities described in subparagraph (B)
collaborate with an education provider to
provide formal instruction that will introduce
participants to the skills, competencies, and
materials used in one or more apprenticeable
occupations;
(iv) is designed to prepare individuals to
enter and succeed in an apprenticeship program;
(v) is carried out in a manner that
includes proper observation of supervision and
safety protocols, including paid, on-the-job
learning under the supervision of skilled
employee mentors;
(vi) is carried out in a manner that does
not displace a paid employee; and
(vii) includes--
(I) training and a curriculum
that--
(aa) are based on and
aligned with national, State,
or local industry standards,
with the quality of the
training leading to such a
standard reviewed by a
recipient of Federal funds;
(bb) are reviewed and
approved annually by the
sponsors of apprenticeships
within the documented
partnership;
(cc) will prepare
individuals, with the skills
and competencies needed to
enter one or more
apprenticeship programs;
(dd) are aligned with
career pathways;
(ee) include employability
skills training, such as
training through career and
industry awareness workshops,
training through job readiness
courses, training for English
Language Learners, adult basic
education, or financial
literacy, or math tutoring, as
appropriate;
(ff) culminate in a
recognized postsecondary
credential, with the quality of
the training leading to that
credential reviewed by a
recipient of Federal funds; and
(gg) accurately simulates
the industry and occupational
conditions of the
apprenticeship program;
(II) strong recruitment strategies
focused on outreach to populations
underrepresented at the State and local
levels in apprenticeship programs,
including individuals with barriers to
employment such as justice-connected
individuals;
(III) exposure of participants in
such underrepresented populations,
including justice-connected
individuals, to apprenticeship programs
and provision of direct assistance to
participants in such populations in
applying to those programs;
(IV) access to appropriate
supportive services, as defined in
section 3 of the Workforce Innovation
and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102),
financial planning, mentoring, and
provision of first-day-of-work
necessities;
(V) efforts to collaboratively
promote the use of apprenticeship
programs as a preferred means for
employers to develop a skilled
workforce and to create career
opportunities for individuals;
(VI) facilitated entry or
articulation agreements that enable
individuals who successfully complete
the program described in this
paragraph--
(aa) to enter directly into
an apprenticeship program; or
(bb) to earn advanced
placement or credit at a
postsecondary educational
institution for skills and
competencies acquired during
the program described in this
paragraph; and
(VII) a formal agreement with a
sponsor of the apprenticeship program
that would enable participants who
successfully complete the program
described in this paragraph to enter
directly into the apprenticeship
program (if a place in the program is
available and other necessary
requirements for acceptance are
satisfied), and an agreement enabling
participants to earn advanced placement
or credit at a postsecondary
educational institution for skills and
competencies acquired during the
program described in this paragraph,
including basic academic and technical
skills and competencies aligned with
the apprenticeable occupation.
(B) Entities.--The entities described in this
subparagraph are:
(i) An employer.
(ii) An industry or sector partnership.
(iii) An industry association.
(iv) A labor organization.
(v) A community-based organization.
(9) Registration agency.--The term ``registration agency''
means the State Office of Apprenticeship or State
apprenticeship agency in a State that is responsible for--
(A) approving or denying applications from sponsors
for registration of programs under the national
apprenticeship system in the State or area covered by
the registration agency; and
(B) carrying out the responsibilities of supporting
the youth apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, or
apprenticeship programs registered by the registration
agency.
(10) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Labor, acting through the Administrator.
(11) State apprenticeship agency.--The term ``State
apprenticeship agency'' means the State apprenticeship agency,
acting in coordination with the State agency with
responsibility for workforce investment activities under
chapters 2 and 3 of subtitle B of title I of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3121 et seq., 3131 et
seq.).
SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the
Attorney General, the Secretary of Education, and the Secretary of
Commerce may award grants to eligible applicants to--
(1) implement novel methods to improve pre-apprenticeship
programs or apprenticeship programs available to incarcerated
individuals in prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities;
(2) improve existing pre-apprenticeship programs and
apprenticeship programs available to incarcerated individuals
in prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities;
(3) pilot novel approaches to provide apprenticeship
training for justice-connected individuals that matches labor
force needs;
(4) encourage employer participation in programs under the
national apprenticeship system that target individuals
incarcerated or recently incarcerated, which may include--
(A) providing financial assistance to employers to
support costs related to the program, such as training
incumbent workers as mentors or employees supervising
the on-the-job learning; or
(B) supporting the cost of related instruction or
wages for program participants during related
instruction;
(5) provide technical assistance to pre-apprentices and
apprentices to help navigate and obtain supportive services,
including childcare, transportation, mental health and
substance use disorder treatment, assistance in obtaining
health insurance coverage, and assistance in accessing the
supplemental nutrition assistance program established under the
Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), the
special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and
children established by section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act
of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786), and housing; and
(6) build and strengthen partnerships among community-based
organizations, public entities, and registered apprenticeships
to smooth transition between pre-apprenticeship programs and
registered apprenticeship programs, and to smooth transition
during and post-release.
(b) Duration.--A grant awarded under this section--
(1) shall be for a period of not more than 3 years; and
(2) may be extended for not more than 1 additional 2-year
period, if the grant recipient demonstrates to the Secretary
that the recipient--
(A) has effectively implemented or improved
apprenticeship programs; and
(B) has improved outcomes for, as applicable,
apprentices and pre-apprentices, as demonstrated
through levels on indicators defined in performance
indicators under section 116(b)(2)(A) of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C.
3141(b)(2)(A)).
(c) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this
section for a project involving an apprenticeship program, an eligible
applicant shall submit an application to the Secretary, containing such
information as the Secretary may require, including, at a minimum--
(1) a designation of the member of the eligible applicant
that will be the lead applicant, and the member of such
consortium that will be the fiscal agent, for the eligible
applicant;
(2) a description of each member of the eligible applicant
and the role of each member in carrying out the project, which
shall, at a minimum, describe the eligible applicant's--
(A) plan to assist the program participants in
obtaining the documentation and work authorization
necessary to participate in such program;
(B) partnerships with organizations that will
assist program participants in accessing activities to
improve financial literacy and supportive services;
(C) plan for how the assessments used to support
the placement of potential program participants into a
program accurately reflect the participants' skills and
competencies;
(D) plan to provide information about resources to
program participants to address mental health or
substance abuse issues;
(E) partnerships with organizations that support--
(i) the transition from incarceration to
re-entry, such as assistance with housing,
transportation, and legal services; and
(ii) successful completion of an
apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship program;
(F) wages and benefits offered to program
participants that are commensurate with wages for
similar work in the State or local area, as allowable;
(G) alignment and necessary supports to comply with
and receive the benefits of the Federal Bonding Program
and the Prison Industry Enhancement Certification
Program for employers participating in apprenticeship
programs; and
(H) ability to support, including by providing
technical assistance, small- and medium-sized
businesses in the creation of and execution of covered
apprenticeship programs;
(3) a description of the budget for the project, the
source, amount, and use of the matching funds required under
subsection (d), and how the eligible applicant will continue
the project after the grant period ends, if applicable;
(4) a description of--
(A) how the eligible applicant will use the grant
funds, including a description of the activities that
the eligible applicant will carry out;
(B) how the project or the program involved in the
project will be aligned with the labor market needs of
in-demand industry sectors or occupations; and
(C) how such funds will directly benefit
apprentices or pre-apprentices, as applicable, served
by the eligible applicant;
(5) a description of how the project carried out under the
grant will be coordinated with the activities carried out as
required for the covered apprenticeship program involved;
(6) a description of how the eligible applicant for the
project will comply with requirements for an evaluation and
report;
(7) a description of how the activities assisted under the
grant will be coordinated with activities carried out under the
Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20
U.S.C. 2301 et seq.), the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001 et seq.), or the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.), as applicable;
(8) a description of how the eligible applicant will
equitably recruit and retain participants from nontraditional
apprenticeship populations, including populations that include
individuals with barriers to employment such as justice-
impacted communities for covered apprenticeship programs; and
(9) an assurance that the eligible applicant will--
(A) provide information to the Secretary, as
requested, for such evaluations as the Secretary may
carry out; and
(B) make program performance outcome data available
(in accordance with applicable data privacy laws,
including section 444 of the General Education
Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1232g)) to independent
evaluators for validation and to enable the evaluators
to prepare the evaluations and reports.
(d) Matching Requirement.--In order to receive a grant from the
Secretary under this section, each eligible entity shall provide a non-
Federal contribution, including cash and in-kind donations, in an
amount not less than 25 percent of the total funds awarded.
(e) Limitation for Eligible Entities.--An eligible entity may not
use more than 10 percent of the funds received under a grant for
administrative costs.
(f) Administrative Expenses.--The Secretary may use not more than
10 percent of the amount appropriated for this section for each fiscal
year for administrative expenses to carry out this Act, including the
expenses of providing the technical assistance and oversight activities
under subsection (g).
(g) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary shall provide technical
assistance and oversight to assist the eligible entities in applying
for and administering grants awarded under this Act.
(h) Evaluation and Report.--Each recipient of a grant under this
section shall--
(1) annually provide for an independent evaluation of the
project carried out under such grant;
(2) provide for the independent evaluator to prepare an
annual report, based on the evaluation, that includes--
(A) a description of how the funds received through
the grant were used and how the uses of funds aligned
with the description in the application; and
(B) information on--
(i) for a project involving an existing
covered apprenticeship program, the performance
of the grant recipient with respect to, at a
minimum, the indicators of performance under
section 116(b)(2)(A)(i) under the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act, with the
performance data disaggregated by--
(I) the program type
(apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship
program) assisted under the grant; and
(II) race, ethnicity, sex, age, and
membership in a population specified in
section 3(24) of that Act (29 U.S.C.
3102(24)); and
(ii) for a grant involving a new
apprenticeship program, the performance of the
grant recipient--
(I) for reports submitted during
the first 36 months after the project
involved begins--
(aa) that consists of a
quantitative and qualitative
analysis of program
development, including
participant engagement and
recruitment of partners,
employers, and potential
covered apprentices; and
(bb) on the indicators of
performance described in
subclause (I), as such
performance information becomes
available; and
(II) for reports submitted later
than that first 36 months, the
performance of the grant recipient with
respect to, at a minimum, the
indicators described in subclause (I),
with the performance data disaggregated
as described in subclause (I); and
(3) submit the report--
(A) for a grant that relates to an apprenticeship
program, to the registration agency through which the
program is registered; and
(B) for a grant that relates to a pre-
apprenticeship program, to the State apprenticeship
agency.
SEC. 5. USE OF FUNDS.
An eligible entity receiving a grant 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) Any of the activities under section 4(a).
(B) To carry out grant requirements, including
program evaluation and reporting requirements.
SEC. 6. RESEARCH AND INFORMATION SHARING.
(a) Establishment.--There is established a task force, to be known
as the Interagency Task Force on Strengthening Employment Opportunities
and Outcomes for Justice-Impacted Communities that shall identify,
evaluate, and make recommendations regarding--
(1) best practices relating to apprenticeship training for
incarcerated individuals in prisons, jails, and juvenile
facilities; and
(2) ways in which Federal agencies can better coordinate to
support justice-impacted individuals with success and
completion of pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeship programs.
(b) Membership.--The Task Force shall be composed of the heads of
the following Federal departments and agencies, or their designees:
(1) Justice-impacted individuals.
(2) The Department of Labor.
(3) The Department of Justice.
(4) The Department of Education.
(5) The Department of Housing and Urban Development.
(6) The Bureau of Prisons.
(7) The Small Business Administration.
(8) The Department of Education.
(9) The Department of Health and Human Services.
(10) The Department of Commerce.
(11) The Department of Transportation.
(12) The Department of Veterans Affairs.
(13) The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
(14) The White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood
Partnerships.
(15) The Office of Personnel Management.
(16) The Office of Management and Budget.
(17) A Governor.
(18) A representative of labor organizations who have
responsibility for the administration of an apprenticeship
program, including those sponsored by a joint labor-management
organization and from nontraditional apprenticeship industries
or occupations.
(19) The U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
(20) The Corporation for National and Community Services.
(c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Task Force shall produce a report that identifies--
(1) evidence-based research, policies, strategies, and
programming that support successful completion of
apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships by justice impacted
individuals; and
(2) barriers to successful completion of apprenticeships
and pre-apprenticeships by justice impacted individuals.
SEC. 7. OFFICE OF CORRECTIONAL APPRENTICESHIPS.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the Attorney General and
Director of Bureau of Prisons, shall establish an Office of
Correctional Apprenticeships to--
(1) ensure that all Federal correctional institutions
provide quality pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeship programs
for incarcerated individuals that pay fair and graduated wages;
(2) be a nationwide repository for research, policies, and
best practices in correctional education and training; and
(3) offer training and technical assistance for State
prison systems and employers seeking to operate or improve--
(A) corrections-based pre-apprenticeship or
apprenticeship programs; or
(B) pre-apprenticeship or apprenticeship programs
that support justice-connected individuals.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
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