,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ahda  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #ai1
 #bjag ,mr4 ,wicker introduced the      
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,health1 
,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a   
,,bill  ,to amend the ,national         
,apprenticeship ,act to provide that    
applications relating to apprenticeship 
programs shall be processed in a fair   
and timely manner1 and for other        
purposes4  #a4 ,short title  ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,apprenticeship     
,enhancement ,act of #bjag4  #b4        
,purpose ,the purposes of this ,act     
are-- 7#a7 to promote accountability and
 fairness in the registration of        
apprenticeship programs and             
certification of apprentices2 and  7#b7 
to provide for the registration of all  
apprenticeship programs and             
certification of all apprentices in a   
timely and efficient manner4  #c4       
,accountability in the registration of  

apprenticeship programs ,the ,act of    
,august #af1 #aicg 7commonly known as   
the ,national ,apprenticeship ,act2 #ej 
,stat4 #ffd1 chapter #ffc2 #bi ,u4,s4,c4
 #ej et seq471 is amended by striking   
section #d and inserting the following3 
#d4 ,administrative procedures and      
judicial review  7a7 ,procedures        
required ,the ,secretary of ,labor shall
 ensure each of the following3 7#a7 ,for
 each application submitted under this  
,act1 regarding an apprenticeship       
program or an apprentice1 to an entity  
responsible for rendering decisions with
 respect to that application 7such as a 
,state ,apprenticeship ,agency7--  7,a7 
that entity shall render a decision on  
that application before the expiration  
of the period of #ij calendar days      
beginning on the date on which that     
application was submitted2  7,b7 if that
 entity cannot comply with subparagraph 
7,a71 that entity shall provide written 
notice to the applicant of the status of
 the application1 and render a decision 

on that application before the          
expiration of the period of #abj        
calendar days beginning on the date on  
which that application was submitted2 or
  7,c7 if that entity cannot comply with
 subparagraph 7,b71 the application     
shall be deemed to be a petition for    
review filed under paragraph 7#d7 by the
 applicant on the date after the        
expiration of the period referred to in 
subparagraph 7,b74  7#b7 ,each decision 
described in subparagraph 7,a7 or 7,b7  
of paragraph 7#a7 shall not be          
completely based on whether persons not 
directly participating in submitting1 or
 sponsoring1 the application object to  
the application4  7#c7 ,each decision   
described in subparagraph 7,a7 or 7,b7  
of paragraph 7#a7 shall be promptly     
provided to all concerned parties in a  
writing that sets forth clearly the     
factual and legal basis for the         
decision4  7#d7 7,a7 ,any applicant     
aggrieved by a decision rendered under  
subparagraph 7,a7 or 7,b7 of paragraph  

7#a7 shall be entitled to file a        
petition for review of that decision by 
an individual who--  7i7 is the         
,secretary or the ,secretary's designee 
within the ,department of ,labor2 and   
7ii7 is independent of the entity       
rendering that decision4  7,b7 ,in the  
event of any factual dispute concerning 
a petition for review1 the applicant may
 request an adjudicatory hearing1 which 
shall be conducted on the record        
pursuant to sections #eed1 #eef1 and    
#eeg of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code4
  7,c7 ,the ,secretary 7or designee1 if 
applicable7 shall1 before the expiration
 of the period of #cj days beginning on 
the date that the applicant filed the   
petition for review 7or1 if the         
applicant requested an adjudicatory     
hearing1 the date of the end of that    
hearing71 make a final determination and
 deliver a copy of that determination to
 all concerned parties4 ,such final     
determination shall be binding on the   
entity responsible for rendering the    

decision under paragraph 7#a74  7,d7 ,if
 the ,secretary 7or designee1 if        
applicable7 fails to make and deliver   
such final determination before the     
expiration of such period 7or the date  
of the end of that hearing71 such final 
determination shall be deemed to be to  
approve the application4  7#e7 7,a7     
,notwithstanding paragraph 7#a71 for an 
application submitted under this ,act by
 an employer seeking to update standards
 for a registered apprenticeship        
program1 the ,secretary of ,labor shall 
render a decision on that application   
before the expiration of the period of  
#fj calendar days beginning on the date 
on which that application was submitted4
  7,b7 ,the decision shall be promptly  
provided to all concerned parties in a  
writing that sets forth clearly the     
factual and legal basis for the         
decision4  7,c7 ,if the ,secretary of   
,labor fails to provide the written     
decision before the expiration of such  
period1 the updated standards shall be  

deemed to be approved4  7b7 ,judicial   
review ,a final determination under     
paragraph 7#d77;,c7 or 7#e7 of          
subsection 7a7 shall be binding on the  
applicant unless the applicant files a  
petition for judicial review of that    
final determination4 ,judicial review of
 that determination shall be on the     
record on which the final determination 
is based4  7c7 ,application ,for        
purposes of this section1 the term      
application includes any application for
 certification of an apprentice or      
registration of an apprenticeship       
program4  4  #d4 ,applicability ,the    
amendment made by section #c of this    
,act shall apply to all applications    
filed after the date of enactment of    
this ,act4