Apprenticeship Opportunity Act
Sponsored By: Representative DelBene
Introduced
Summary
Excludes first-year registered apprenticeship earnings from TANF income checks. This bill would change how Temporary Assistance for Needy Families counts money by not treating wages from the first year of a National Apprenticeship Act registered apprenticeship as income when states determine TANF eligibility.
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- Families: Low-income households with a member in a first-year registered apprenticeship could keep TANF benefits that might otherwise end because of new apprenticeship wages. This could make work-based training less likely to push families off assistance.
- Apprentices: People in the first year of a registered apprenticeship would see their apprenticeship pay ignored for TANF eligibility. That lowers a barrier to combining training and benefits.
- States and funding: States are expected to apply the rule to their TANF programs. If a state violates the rule, the Secretary can cut its next years family assistance grant by 1 percent.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Cash aid would ignore first-year apprenticeship pay
If enacted, your state would not count your pay from the first year of a registered apprenticeship when deciding if you qualify for TANF cash aid. The apprenticeship would need to be registered under the National Apprenticeship Act. If a state does not follow this rule, its federal TANF grant would be cut by 1% the next year. The change would start on the first day of the first federal fiscal year after enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
DelBene
WA • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Sánchez, Linda T. [D-CA-38]
CA • D
Sponsored 3/5/2025
Sewell
AL • D
Sponsored 3/5/2025
Rep. Strickland, Marilyn [D-WA-10]
WA • D
Sponsored 3/5/2025
Rep. Larsen, Rick [D-WA-2]
WA • D
Sponsored 3/11/2025
Smith (WA)
WA • D
Sponsored 3/21/2025
Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-37]
TX • D
Sponsored 4/1/2025
Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7]
WA • D
Sponsored 4/27/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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