# 119-s-4409: START Act

119-s-4409, START Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Banks, Jim [R-IN] (R-IN); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-05-23).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4409
- As of: 2026-05-23
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-4409
- Congress: 119
- Title: START Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-04-28
- Sponsor: Sen. Banks, Jim [R-IN] (R-IN)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Labor and Employment
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-05-23

## Summary

**Creates a national, standards-based apprenticeship registration system** that would set clear timelines, require competency and time-based options, and tie new federal grants to state performance and transparency. - States and agencies: Would access an Apprenticeship Grant Program with a minimum allocation of $1,000,000 per State and a population-based formula. Grants would require matching funds up to half the allotment and slow application review can cut a State's next award by up to 20%. - Apprentices and workers: Would see standardized registration rules and faster decisions with complete program standards subject to a 90-day approval timeline and incomplete filings getting feedback in 30 days. Competency-based programs must include on-the-job learning. - Employers and program sponsors: Would gain clearer rules and online reciprocity and standards postings, plus grant-eligible uses like wage-funded training and pay-for-performance incentives to encourage employer investment. *Would authorize $150 million annually beginning in fiscal year 2027, which would increase federal spending.*

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA] (R-LA), 2026-04-28T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- State grants to expand apprenticeships: benefit, medium. This bill would create a federal Apprenticeship Grant Program for States. It would authorize $150,000,000 each year starting in fiscal year 2027. Program years would run July 1 through June 30. States would get at least $1,000,000 each year if money is available. States would need to submit a match…
- National apprenticeship rules and reciprocity: mixed, medium. This bill would create a national apprenticeship system led by the Secretary of Labor and define competency-based, time-based, and hybrid programs. Time-based programs would require at least 2,000 hours of on-the-job learning. Competency-based programs would still need an on-the-job learning compon…
- State deadlines and funding penalties: mixed, medium. This bill would require State apprenticeship agencies to approve or deny complete program standards within 90 days and give corrective feedback on incomplete submissions within 30 days. The Secretary would start publishing monthly average response times no later than 120 days after enactment. If a…

## Related bills

- 119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act
- 119-s-1992: Veterans Appeals Efficiency Act of 2025
- 119-s-292: Educational Choice for Children Act of 2025
- 119-s-124: Restore VA Accountability Act of 2025
- 119-s-3752: SAVE America Act

## Sources
- [119-s-4409 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4409)

## Related
- [119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4744)
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [119-s-1992: Veterans Appeals Efficiency Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1992)
- [119-s-292: Educational Choice for Children Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-292)
- [119-s-124: Restore VA Accountability Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-124)
- [119-s-3752: SAVE America Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3752)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4409 (as of 2026-05-23).