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<bill bill-stage="Introduced-in-Senate" dms-id="A1" public-private="public" slc-id="S1-BAG26196-8V4-CW-8CW"><metadata xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
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<dc:title>119 S3993 IS: Reducing Arbitrary Barriers to Apprenticeship Act of 2026</dc:title>
<dc:publisher>U.S. Senate</dc:publisher>
<dc:date>2026-03-04</dc:date>
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<dc:language>EN</dc:language>
<dc:rights>Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.</dc:rights>
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<distribution-code display="yes">II</distribution-code><congress>119th CONGRESS</congress><session>2d Session</session><legis-num>S. 3993</legis-num><current-chamber>IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES</current-chamber><action><action-date date="20260304">March 4, 2026</action-date><action-desc><sponsor name-id="S435">Mr. Sheehy</sponsor> (for himself, <cosponsor name-id="S436">Ms. Slotkin</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S398">Mr. Cramer</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S386">Ms. Duckworth</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S383">Mr. Sullivan</cosponsor>, and <cosponsor name-id="S432">Mr. Gallego</cosponsor>) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the <committee-name committee-id="SSVA00">Committee on Veterans' Affairs</committee-name></action-desc></action><legis-type>A BILL</legis-type><official-title>To amend title 38, United States Code, and title 10, United States Code, to eliminate those provisions relating to veterans educational assistance that disadvantage eligible individuals who choose to pursue programs of apprenticeship or other on-job training instead of a four-year college degree, and for other purposes.</official-title></form><legis-body><section id="S1" section-type="section-one"><enum>1.</enum><header>Short title</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">This Act may be cited as the <quote><short-title>Reducing Arbitrary Barriers to Apprenticeship Act of 2026</short-title></quote>.</text></section><section id="idda3bad191b50431f9dcb3790f39db688"><enum>2.</enum><header>Eliminating provisions relating to veterans educational assistance that disadvantage eligible individuals who choose to pursue programs of apprenticeship or other on-job training</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5be2a4047422494cbe4fbfbcc8ff1a33"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Post-9/11 Educational Assistance</header><paragraph id="id0020e76861c7454393d48190bccf6855"> <enum>(1)</enum> <header>Ensuring the amount of assistance for full-time program of apprenticeship or other on-job training does not deter individuals interested in such programs and training</header> <text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clause (i) of section 3313(g)(3)(B) of title 38, Unites States Code, is amended by striking <quote>a monthly housing stipend equal to—</quote> and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting the following: <quote>a monthly housing stipend equal to the monthly amount of the basic allowance for housing payable under section 403 of title 37 for a member with dependents in pay grade E–5 residing in the military housing area that encompasses all or the majority portion of the ZIP Code area in which is located the employer at which the individual pursues such program.</quote>.</text>
 </paragraph><paragraph id="id2134f13788fb4cb89b4160511f2261aa"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Waiver of minimum attendance requirement for receipt of assistance for programs of apprenticeship and other on-job training in construction industry</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clause (iv) of such section is amended—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idadb3bf6ab7ee472f81dd24639e564dc2"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by striking <quote>In any month</quote> and inserting <quote>(I) Except as provided in subclause (II), in any month</quote>; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd984887c9a0643859a0a59c0518de76a"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following new subclause:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idfb44c5047ad543a8bdd068669e4c28df"><subclause id="id8e0ea8ceb1e84ec08e04aaab87b24035" indent="up1"><enum>(II)</enum><text>Subclause (I) shall not apply to an individual pursuing a program of apprenticeship or other on-job training for an occupation that performs work classified in Sector 23 of the most recent publication of the North American Industry Classification System.</text></subclause><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7732ada862ee48fb9c2bb80ffbe1e772"><enum>(b)</enum><header>All-Volunteer Force Educational Assistance Program</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf9a02395a010408d84ba384631ec217c"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Ensuring the amount of assistance for full-time program of apprenticeship or other on-job training does not deter individuals interested in such programs and training</header><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc5669ad5b57b4a84935f81a7ef1a9438"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Paragraph (1) of section 3032(c) of such title is amended by striking <quote>this chapter is—</quote> and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting the following: <quote>this chapter is 100 percent of the monthly educational assistance allowance otherwise payable to such individual under this chapter.</quote>.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb4a21c3ce2c3469ba925bb5235072821"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Conforming amendment</header><text>Paragraph (3) of such section is amended by striking <quote>at the rate of—</quote> and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting the following: <quote>at the rate of 100 percent of a month.</quote>.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id4006e075ee934a119c18974f8955ae5f"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Waiver of minimum attendance requirement for receipt of assistance for programs of apprenticeship and other on-job training in construction industry</header><text>Paragraph (2) of such section is amended—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id122b4e1c42c0480eb5f1ad9f2ef13d24"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by striking <quote>In any month</quote> and inserting <quote>(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), in any month</quote>; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide71a2817925f4000afb0d4f7c51cd8a4"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following new subclause:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id69f523b8e03e43a89af0a29082d8df06"><subparagraph id="id5838f6a0450540eebb6c80a59bc84f59" indent="up2"><enum>(B)</enum><text>Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to an individual pursuing a program of apprenticeship or other on-job training for an occupation that performs work classified in Sector 23 of the most recent publication of the North American Industry Classification System.</text></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id87a29b11edbd4a8b99cdfe26e0758a67"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Educational Assistance for members of the selected reserve</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idbbd34f6bdc5e43c78bc4c153c466013b"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Ensuring the amount of assistance for full-time program of apprenticeship or other on-job training does not deter individuals interested in such programs and training</header><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id808c0f11adf746f69aadecf2873cc832"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Paragraph (1) of section 16131(d) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking <quote>this chapter is—</quote> and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting the following: <quote>this chapter is 100 percent of the monthly educational assistance allowance otherwise payable to such person under this chapter.</quote>.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id1480d98a22fc4d8581f8fffeedbc9083"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Conforming amendment</header><text>Paragraph (3) of such section is amended by striking <quote>at the rate of—</quote> and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting the following: <quote>at the rate of 100 percent of a month.</quote>.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idcad11f7d47fa4b40b59aa1edd988ad21"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Waiver of minimum attendance requirement for receipt of assistance for programs of apprenticeship and other on-job training in construction industry</header><text>Paragraph (2) of such section is amended—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide31059586d824848828c8f45dd808a32"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by striking <quote>In any month</quote> and inserting <quote>(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), in any month</quote>; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id09ff904431304cb58b4d6555429956f0"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following new subclause:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id376b910f9a24419caa692e6cc7d88fc3"><subparagraph id="idfcf77599251f49fdbaf695e3838e62c0" indent="up2"><enum>(B)</enum><text>Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to an individual pursuing a program of apprenticeship or other on-job training for an occupation that performs work classified in Sector 23 of the most recent publication of the North American Industry Classification System.</text></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection></section></legis-body></bill>

