# 119-s-3993: Reducing Arbitrary Barriers to Apprenticeship Act of 2026

119-s-3993, Reducing Arbitrary Barriers to Apprenticeship Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Sheehy, Tim [R-MT] (R-MT); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3993
- As of: 2026-10-01
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-3993
- Congress: 119
- Title: Reducing Arbitrary Barriers to Apprenticeship Act of 2026
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2026-03-04
- Sponsor: Sen. Sheehy, Tim [R-MT] (R-MT)
- Cosponsors: 6
- Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-01

## Summary

**Treats apprenticeships and on-the-job training as fully eligible for veterans' education benefits.** This bill would align apprenticeship and on-the-job training with standard monthly educational allowances, revise the housing stipend formula, and relax monthly attendance triggers for most apprentices. - Active-duty All-Volunteer Force members and Selected Reserve participants would get 100 percent of their normal monthly educational assistance while in full-time apprenticeship or other on-the-job training. - Post-9/11 Educational Assistance recipients in apprenticeships would have their monthly housing stipend tied to the basic allowance for housing for an E-5 with dependents in the military housing area covering the employer's ZIP code. - The bill replaces the current monthly attendance trigger with a waiver for apprenticeship and on-the-job training, but that waiver would not apply to occupations in NAICS Sector 23, Construction.

## Cosponsors (6)

- Sen. Justice, James C. [R-WV] (R-WV), 2026-09-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Slotkin, Elissa [D-MI] (D-MI), 2026-03-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Cramer, Kevin [R-ND] (R-ND), 2026-03-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (D-IL), 2026-03-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK] (R-AK), 2026-03-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ] (D-AZ), 2026-03-04T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Full apprenticeship pay for veterans: benefit, medium. If enacted, veterans and eligible service members in full‑time apprenticeships or on‑the‑job training would receive the full monthly education allowance. The bill would set apprenticeship payments equal to 100% of the monthly educational allowance otherwise payable under the applicable program. Thi…
- Higher housing stipend for apprentices: benefit, medium. If enacted, Post‑9/11 beneficiaries in apprenticeships or on‑the‑job training would get a monthly housing stipend equal to the E‑5 with dependents BAH. The BAH rate used would be the military housing area that covers the employer's ZIP Code where the individual trains. This change would start upon…
- No attendance waiver for construction: cost, low. If enacted, the bill would remove the monthly attendance waiver for apprenticeships and on‑the‑job training in NAICS Sector 23 (Construction). This means people in construction apprenticeships would not be exempt from the normal monthly attendance rule and could lose or have reduced education payme…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
- 119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025
- 119-s-1261: CONNECT for Health Act of 2025
- 119-s-1677: Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act
- 119-s-1032: Major Richard Star Act

## Sources
- [119-s-3993 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3993)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4744)
- [119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1241)
- [119-s-1261: CONNECT for Health Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1261)
- [119-s-1677: Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1677)
- [119-s-1032: Major Richard Star Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1032)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3993 (as of 2026-10-01).