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SB173 • 2026

APPRENTICE LABOR IN PUBLIC PROJECTS

An Act relating to the use of apprentice labor in public construction projects; relating to the use of veteran apprentice labor in public construction projects; and relating to an annual 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
SENATOR DUNBAR
Last action
2025-04-14
Official status
(S) L&C
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official bill text does not explicitly state that it defines all the terms mentioned in the candidate explanation. It only provides definitions for 'apprentice' and 'veteran'.

Using Apprentice Labor in Public Construction Projects

This act requires public construction projects over $2,500,000 to use apprentice labor and gives preference to veteran apprentices.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires that at least 15% of the work hours on large public construction projects be done by apprentices in specific trades.
  • Recommends hiring at least 20% of these apprentices as veterans.
  • Requires project details, including apprentice and veteran numbers, to be reported to labor officials.
  • Requires an annual report detailing the use of apprentice and veteran apprentice labor on large public construction projects.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Construction companies bidding on state contracts over $2,500,000
  • Veterans seeking apprenticeship opportunities in construction

Terms To Know

apprentice
An apprentice enrolled in a registered apprenticeship program under federal law.
veteran
An individual who served in the U.S. armed forces or Alaska National Guard and was honorably discharged.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act does not apply if it would cause the state to lose federal funding.
  • It is unclear how this will affect smaller construction projects under $2,500,000.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-14 858

    (S) REFERRED TO LABOR & COMMERCE

  2. 2025-04-14 858

    (S) L&C, FIN

  3. 2025-04-14 858

    (S) 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; relating to the use of veteran apprentice labor in public construction projects; and relating to an annual report on the use of apprentice labor in public construction projects.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
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SENATE BILL NO. 173

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION

BY SENATOR DUNBAR

Introduced: 4/14/25
Referred: Labor and Commerce, Finance

A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to the use of apprentice labor in public const ruction projects; relating 1
to the use of veteran apprentice labor in public construction p rojects; and relating to an 2
annual report on the use of apprentice labor in public construction projects." 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 4
* Section 1. AS 36.05 is amended by adding new sections to article 1 to read: 5
Sec. 36.05.125. Use of apprentice labor in construction. ( a ) T o t h e e x t e n t 6
practicable, each construction contract that the Department of Transportation and 7
Public Facilities or the Department of Administration advertise s for bids that has a 8
contract award amount of $2,500,000 or more must require that n ot less than 15 9
percent of the labor hours on a project be performed by apprent ices in the following 10
occupations: 11
(1) boilermakers; 12
(2) bricklayers; 13
(3) carpenters; 14
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(4) cement masons; 1
(5) culinary workers; 2
(6) electricians; 3
(7) elevator constructors and mechanics; 4
(8) equipment operators; 5
(9) insulation workers; 6
(10) ironworkers; 7
(11) laborers; 8
(12) mechanics; 9
(13) millwrights; 10
(14) painters; 11
(15) pile driving occupations; 12
(16) plumbers and pipefitters; 13
(17) roofers; 14
(18) sheet metal workers; 15
(19) sprinkler fitters; 16
(20) surveyors; 17
(21) truck drivers; 18
(22) tugboat workers; and 19
(23) welders. 20
(b) A construction contract unde r (a) of this section must, to t h e e x t e n t 21
practicable, require that at least 20 percent of the apprentices hired be veterans. 22
(c) The commissioner of transportation and public facilities o r the 23
commissioner of administration shall provide to the commissione r of labor and 24
workforce development the follo wing information for each constr uction project 25
subject to (a) of this section: 26
(1) the name of the project; 27
(2) the dollar value of the project; 28
(3) the name of the prime contractor and contact information f or the 29
prime contractor; 30
(4) the name of each subcontr actor and contact information as 31
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provided to the department by the prime contractor; 1
(5) the percentage of labor hours that will be performed by ap prentices 2
and by apprentices who are veterans; 3
(6) the number of apprentices who are veterans; and 4
(7) the occupation title of each apprentice used. 5
(d) For each construction project for which the commissioner o f labor and 6
workforce development receives information under (c) of this se ction, the 7
commissioner shall collect data on the total number of 8
(1) apprentice hours worked on the construction project; and 9
(2) veteran apprentices that were hired for the construction project. 10
(e) This section does not apply to a construction project if a pplying the 11
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 12
funding. 13
Sec. 36.05.130. Annual report to the legislature. The commissioner of labor 14
and workforce development shall, with the assistance of the com missioner of 15
administration and the commissi oner of transportation and publi c facilities, submit a 16
report to the legislature identifying, for each construction co ntract in the previous year 17
subject to AS 36.05.125, the percentage of apprentice labor hou rs in the occupations 18
listed in AS 36.05.125 that were used and the number of veteran apprentices that were 19
hired. The commissioner of labor and workforce development shal l deliver the report 20
to the senate secretary and chief clerk of the house of represe ntatives on or before 21
February 1 of each year and shall notify the legislature that the report is available. 22
Sec. 36.05.135. Definitions. In AS 36.05.125 - 36.05.135, 23
(1) "apprentice" means an apprentice enrolled in a registered 24
apprenticeship program under 29 U.S.C. 50; 25
(2) "construction" means the process of building, altering, re pairing, 26
maintaining, improving, or demolishing a public highway, struct ure, building, or other 27
public improvement for any kind of real property other than pri vately owned real 28
property leased for the use of agencies; "construction" does no t include professional 29
and other services related to th e planning and design required for a construction 30
project, the routine operation of a public improvement to real property, or the 31
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construction of public housing; 1
(3) "labor hours" means the tot al hours of work performed by 2
construction workers on a project in job classes subject to min imum wage rates under 3
AS 36.05.070; 4
(4) "veteran" means an individual who 5
(A) served in the 6
(i) armed forces of the United States, including a 7
reserve unit of the United States armed forces; or 8
(ii) Alaska Territorial Guard, the Alaska Army National 9
Guard, the Alaska Air National Guard, or the Alaska Navel Militia; and 10
(B) was separated from service under a condition that was not 11
dishonorable. 12