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HB186 • 2026

APPRENTICE LABOR IN PUBLIC PROJECTS

An Act relating to the use of apprentice labor in public construction projects; and relating to a report on the use of apprentice labor in public construction projects.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK
Last action
2025-05-14
Official status
(H) L&C
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on the effectiveness of using apprentices in major public works, leaving this as an open question.

Using Apprentice Labor in Public Construction Projects

This act requires large public construction projects to use apprentice labor and mandates reporting on the use of apprentices.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires that at least 15% of labor hours for major public construction projects be performed by apprentices.
  • Lists specific occupations where apprentices must work, such as electricians or carpenters.
  • Requires state departments to provide information about each project using apprentice labor to the commissioner of labor and workforce development.
  • Collects data on total apprentice hours worked in these projects.
  • Exempts projects that would lose federal funding if they follow this requirement.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Construction companies bidding for large public construction contracts.
  • State departments like Transportation and Public Facilities, and Administration.
  • The commissioner of labor and workforce development.

Terms To Know

apprentice
An apprentice enrolled in a registered apprenticeship program under federal law.
construction
Building, altering, repairing, maintaining, improving, or demolishing public structures and buildings.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act does not apply to projects that would lose federal funding if they follow the apprentice labor requirement.
  • It is unclear how this will affect smaller construction contracts under $5 million.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-14 Min

    (H) Minutes (HL&C)

  2. 2025-05-14 Text

    (H) <Bill Hearing Canceled> -- Delayed to 15 min Following Session --

  3. 2025-05-14 Text

    (H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124

  4. 2025-05-12 Text

    (H) -- Testimony <Invitation Only> -- -- MEETING CANCELED --

  5. 2025-05-12 Text

    (H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124

  6. 2025-05-05 1012

    (H) REFERRED TO LABOR & COMMERCE

  7. 2025-05-05 1012

    (H) FN2: ZERO(DOT)

  8. 2025-05-05 1012

    (H) FN1: (LWF)

  9. 2025-05-05 1012

    (H) NR: STUTES

  10. 2025-05-05 1012

    (H) DNP: MCCABE, MOORE, TILTON

  11. 2025-05-05 1012

    (H) DP: MINA, CARRICK, EISCHEID

  12. 2025-05-05 1012

    (H) TRA RPT CS(TRA) 3DP 3DNP 1NR

  13. 2025-05-01 Min

    (H) Minutes (HTRA)

  14. 2025-05-01 Text

    (H) Moved CSHB 186(TRA) Out of Committee

  15. 2025-05-01 Text

    (H) TRANSPORTATION at 01:00 PM BARNES 124

  16. 2025-04-29 Min

    (H) Minutes (HTRA)

  17. 2025-04-29 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  18. 2025-04-29 Text

    (H) TRANSPORTATION at 01:00 PM BARNES 124

  19. 2025-04-24 Min

    (H) Minutes (HTRA)

  20. 2025-04-24 Text

    (H) Heard & Held

  21. 2025-04-24 Text

    (H) TRANSPORTATION at 01:00 PM BARNES 124

  22. 2025-04-11 671

    (H) TRA, L&C

  23. 2025-04-11 671

    (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Official Summary Text

APPRENTICE LABOR IN PUBLIC PROJECTS
An Act relating to the use of apprentice labor in public construction projects; and relating to a report on the use of apprentice labor in public construction projects.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB0186b -1- CSHB 186(TRA)
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS0816\N

CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 186(TRA)

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION

BY THE HOUSE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

Offered: 5/5/25
Referred: Labor and Commerce

Sponsor(s): REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK
A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

" A n A c t r e l a t i n g t o t h e u s e o f a p p r e n t i c e l a b o r i n p u b l i c c o n s truction projects; and 1
relating to a report on the use of apprentice labor in public construction projects." 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3
* Section 1. AS 36.05 is amended by adding a new section to article 1 to read: 4
Sec. 36.05.125. Use of apprentice labor in construction. ( a ) T o t h e e x t e n t 5
practicable, each construction contract that the Department of Transportation and 6
Public Facilities or the Department of Administration advertise s for bids that has a 7
contract award amount of $5,000,000 or more must require that n ot less than 15 8
percent of the labor hours on a project be performed by apprent ices in the following 9
occupations: 10
(1) boilermakers; 11
(2) bricklayers; 12
(3) carpenters; 13
(4) cement masons; 14
34-LS0816\N
CSHB 186(TRA) -2- HB0186b
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

(5) culinary workers; 1
(6) electricians; 2
(7) elevator constructors and mechanics; 3
(8) equipment operators; 4
(9) insulation workers; 5
(10) ironworkers; 6
(11) laborers; 7
(12) mechanics; 8
(13) millwrights; 9
(14) painters; 10
(15) pile driving occupations; 11
(16) plumbers and pipefitters; 12
(17) roofers; 13
(18) sheet metal workers; 14
(19) sprinkler fitters; 15
(20) surveyors; 16
(21) truck drivers; 17
(22) tugboat workers; and 18
(23) welders. 19
(b) The commissioner of transportation and public facilities o r the 20
commissioner of administration shall provide to the commissione r of labor and 21
workforce development the follo wing information for each constr uction project 22
subject to (a) of this section: 23
(1) the name of the project; 24
(2) the dollar value of the project; 25
(3) the name of the prime contractor and contact information f or the 26
prime contractor; 27
(4) the name of each subcontr actor and contact information as 28
provided to the department by the prime contractor; 29
(5) the percentage of labor hours that will be performed by 30
apprentices; and 31
34-LS0816\N
HB0186b -3- CSHB 186(TRA)
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

(6) the occupation title of each apprentice used. 1
(c) The commissioner of labor a nd workforce development shall collect data 2
on the total apprentice hours work ed on each construction proje ct that is provided to 3
the commissioner under (b) of this section. 4
(d) This section does not apply to a construction project if a pplying the 5
requirements of this section to t h e p r o j e c t w o u l d c a u s e t h e s t at e t o l o s e f e d e r a l 6
funding. 7
(e) In this section, 8
(1) "apprentice" means an apprentice enrolled in a registered 9
apprenticeship program under 29 U.S.C. 50; 10
(2) "construction" means the process of building, altering, re pairing, 11
maintaining, improving, or demolishing a public highway, struct ure, building, or other 12
public improvement for any kind of real property other than pri vately owned real 13
property leased for the use of agencies; "construction" does no t include professional 14
and other services related to th e planning and design required for a construction 15
project, the routine operation of a public improvement to real property, or the 16
construction of public housing; 17
(3) "labor hours" means the tot al hours of work performed by 18
construction workers on a project in job classes subject to min imum wage rates under 19
AS 36.05.070. 20
* Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 21
read: 22
REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE. The commissioner of labor and workforce 23
development shall, with the assistance of the commissioner of a dministration and the 24
commissioner of transportation and public facilities, submit a report to the legislature 25
identifying the percentage of apprentice labor hours in the occ upations listed in AS 36.05.125 26
that were used in each construc tion contract subject to AS 36.0 5.125 for the fiscal years 27
ending June 30, 2026, June 30, 2027, June 30, 2028, June 30, 20 29, and June 30, 2030. The 28
commissioner of labor and workforce development shall deliver t he report to the senate 29
secretary and chief clerk of the house of representatives on or before September 1, 2030, and 30
shall notify the legislature that the report is available. 31