H.R. 8294 would authorize the Department of Labor (DOL) to award grants to eligible entities for apprenticeship programs. The bill would codify the structure and responsibilities of the Office of Apprenticeship and the National Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship within DOL and authorize appropriations for those activities. Standards for registered apprenticeship programs would be set in statute. The bill also would direct DOL to hire an independent research entity to evaluate apprenticeship programs. Assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 8294 would cost $3.1 billion over the 2021-2025 period.
