A Democratic bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The PATH Act directs the Secretary of Labor to provide grants for the development of pre-apprenticeship programs in the building and construction trades. These programs are intended to serve underrepresented populations, including racial minorities, women, veterans, and individuals from low-income or rural areas. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis to nonprofit partnerships that include industry and labor organizations. The goal is to prepare individuals to enter and succeed in registered apprenticeship programs. The Secretary will provide the federal share of costs, which is set at 75 percent. The act authorizes $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2027 and subsequent years.
Yes· 3 of 15
- Scored +5
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
The bill specifically targets individuals from low-income census tracts for economic self-sufficiency training.
- Scored +5
Would women be better off under this?
The bill explicitly includes women as a priority group for the pre-apprenticeship training programs.
- Scored +5
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
The bill designates military veterans as an underrepresented population eligible for the funded programs.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Targeted Support for Underrepresented Groups: The bill focuses on helping specific groups, including racial minorities, women, military veterans, members of Federally recognized Indian Tribes, the long-term unemployed, and people from low-income census tracts (Section 2(13)).
-
Career Preparation: Pre-apprenticeship programs are designed to teach the specific skills and competencies needed to enter a registered apprenticeship program (Section 2(8)(C)).
-
Path to Economic Independence: Eligible entities must demonstrate the ability to help individuals achieve economic self-sufficiency (Section 2(c)(2)(B)).
-
Financial Support for Students: Grant funds can be used to pay for the cost of training or education, and may also be used for participant stipends during work-based training (Section 2(f)(2)(A) and Section 2(f)(3)(A)).
-
Educational Advancement: If a program is carried out by a high school, the model can lead to participants earning a high school diploma (Section 2(e)(4)(C)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Limited Program Duration: Initial grants are awarded for periods of no more than 3 years, with a possible 1-year extension based on performance, which may impact the long-term stability of a program (Section 2(b)).
-
Requirement for Successful Placement: For a program to be eligible, there must be evidence that there are or will be sufficient openings in registered apprenticeship programs to ensure participants can actually be placed after completion (Section 2(e)(2)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill specifically targets individuals from low-income census tracts for economic self-sufficiency training. Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The bill designates military veterans as an underrepresented population eligible for the funded programs. Would women be better off under this? — The bill explicitly includes women as a priority group for the pre-apprenticeship training programs. Would Black Americans be better off under this? — The bill provides resources for racial minority populations to enter skilled trades. Would Native Americans be better off under this? — The bill includes members of Federally recognized Indian Tribes as an underrepresented population for the programs. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The bill targets people from rural census tracts to assist in their entry into the construction trades. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — The bill provides career pathways and educational opportunities through pre-apprenticeship programs.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this narrow the gap between how men and women are treated? — The bill includes women as a specific underrepresented population to be served by the training programs. Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — The bill specifically targets racial minorities as an underrepresented population for pre-apprenticeship training. Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — The bill aims to help individuals from low-income census tracts achieve economic self-sufficiency through trade training.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill funds pre-apprenticeship programs to prepare individuals for careers in the building and construction trades. Does this strengthen the rights of workers to organise? — The bill encourages partnerships between industry and labor organizations to develop training programs. Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill includes small businesses as potential members of the nonprofit partnerships that carry out the programs.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this invest in rural communities? — The bill directs grants toward individuals from rural census tracts to help them enter the construction trades.
- Education And Technology
- Does this reduce what student borrowers owe or repay? — The bill provides funds that can be used for the cost of training or education and participant stipends.
- 7/14/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Introduced in Senate
3 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.