,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #abac  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #ai1    
#bjbc,mr4 ,thune 7for himself1 ,mr4     
,braun1 ,mr4 ,scott of ,south ,carolina1
 and ,mr4 ,tuberville7 introduced the   
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,health1 
,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a   
,,bill  ,to require the ,secretary of   
,labor to implement the                 
industry-recognized apprenticeship      
program process1 and for other purposes4
  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be    
cited as the ,training ,america's       
,workforce ,act4  #b4                   
,industry-recognized 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-- 7#a7 by             
redesignating section #d as section #e2 
and  7#b7 by inserting after section #c 
the following3  #d4 ,industry-recognized

 apprenticeship programs  7a7           
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7     
,industry-recognized apprenticeship     
program ,the term industry-recognized   
apprenticeship program-- 7,a7 means a   
high-quality1 competency-based          
apprenticeship program that is-- 7i7    
recognized by a standards recognition   
entity2 and  7ii7 developed or delivered
 by an entity such as a trade or        
industry group1 corporation1 nonprofit  
organization1 institution of higher     
education1 labor organization1 or       
labor-management organization 7among    
other entities1 as determined           
appropriate by the ,secretary72 and     
7,b7 may include a program that meets   
the requirements of subparagraph 7,a7   
and trains apprentices to perform       
construction activities4  7#b7          
,secretary ,the term ,secretary means   
the ,secretary of ,labor4  7#c7         
,standards recognition entity ,the term 
standards recognition entity means a    
private sector or public sector entity  

that-- 7,a7 is recognized by the        
,secretary 7acting through the          
,administrator of the ,office of        
,apprenticeship of the ,department of   
,labor7 for purposes of recognizing     
apprenticeship programs as              
industry-recognized apprenticeship      
programs2  7,b7 has a demonstrated      
ability to ensure an industry-recognized
 apprenticeship program meets the       
standards described in subsection 7d72  
and  7,c7 has the capacity to perform   
the oversight necessary to ensure the   
ongoing compliance of an                
industry-recognized apprenticeship      
program with such standards4  7b7       
,recognition of industry-,recognized    
apprenticeship programs  7#a7 ,in       
general ,by not later than #a year after
 the date of enactment of the ,training 
,america's ,workforce ,act1 the         
,secretary1 after consultation with     
private sector industry associations1   
institutions of higher education1       
,state1 local1 and ,tribal governmental 

agencies1 and other stakeholders the    
,secretary determines appropriate1 shall
 establish a process to recognize       
entities as standards recognition       
entities for purposes of recognizing    
industry-recognized apprenticeship      
programs under this ,act4  7#b7 ,limited
 discretion ,the ,secretary shall not   
deny recognition as a standards         
recognition entity to a private sector  
or public sector entity that meets the  
requirements of subparagraphs 7,b7 and  
7,c7 of subsection 7a77#c7 and          
satisfactorily completes the process    
established under paragraph 7#a74  7#c7 
,administrative flexibility ,the        
,secretary shall ensure that the        
recognition process for standards       
recognition entities established under  
paragraph 7#a7 is a flexible process    
with low administrative and reporting   
burdens for the standards recognition   
entities and industry-recognized        
apprenticeship programs4  7c7           
,requirements ,the recognition process  

of standards recognition entities and   
the activities and procedures carried   
out by the standards recognition        
entities shall1 to the maximum extent   
practicable and except as otherwise     
explicitly provided in this section1 be 
consistent with the requirements1       
activities1 and procedures under subpart
 ,b of part #bi of title #bi1 ,code of  
,federal ,regulations1 as such subpart  
was in effect on ,may #aa1 #bjbj4  7d7  
,standards ,each standards recognition  
entity shall establish standards for the
 industry-recognized apprenticeship     
programs recognized by the entity that1 
at a minimum1 ensure that each          
industry-recognized apprenticeship      
program-- 7#a7 includes-- 7,a7 paid     
work2  7,b7 on-the-job learning2  7,c7 a
 mentorship component2  7,d7 education  
and classroom instruction2  7,e7 a      
written training plan and apprenticeship
 agreement2 and  7,f7 safety and        
supervision components2 and  7#b7       
provides1 during participation in or    

upon completion of the apprenticeship1  
an industry-recognized credential4  7e7 
,rule of construction ,nothing in this  
section shall be construed as affecting 
apprenticeship programs registered under
 this ,act and recognized by the        
,secretary4  4