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To: Workforce Development;
Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representatives Bell (21st), Anthony

HOUSE BILL NO. 1696
(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI OFFICE OF APPRENTICESHIP 1
ACT; TO DEFINE CERTAIN TERMS; TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI OFFICE OF 2
APPRENTICESHIP UNDER THE MISSISSIPPI STATE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT 3
BOARD; TO STATE THE PURPOSES OF THE OFFICE; TO REQUIRE THE OFFICE 4
OF APPRENTICESHIP TO PROMULGATE RULES NECESSARY FOR THE 5
IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS ACT; TO PRESCRIBE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE 6
OF APPRENTICESHIP; TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI APPRENTICESHIP 7
COUNCIL AS AN ADVISORY COUNCIL TO THE OFFICE; TO PROVIDE THAT 8
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS AND SPONSORS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO REGISTER 9
WITH THE OFFICE OF APPRENTICESHIP; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 10
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 11
SECTION 1. This act is known and may be cited as the 12
"Mississippi Office of Apprenticeship Act". 13
SECTION 2. As used in this act, the following words and 14
phrases have the meanings provided in this section unless the 15
context clearly requires otherwise: 16
(a) "Apprentice" means a worker who: 17
(i) Is at least sixteen (16) years of age; and 18
(ii) Is employed to learn an apprenticeable 19
occupation, as defined in 29 CFR Section 29.4, under standards of 20
apprenticeship fulfilling the requirements of 29 CFR Section 29.5. 21
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(b) "Apprenticeship" means a written agreement, 22
complying with, and authorized by, federal laws and regulations, 23
including 29 CFR Section 29.7, between an apprentice and either 24
the apprentice's program sponsor or an apprenticeship committee 25
acting as agent for the program sponsor or sponsors, which 26
agreement contains the terms and conditions of the employment and 27
training of the apprentice. 28
(c) "Apprenticeship agreement" means a written 29
agreement for an apprenticeship program authorized by, and in 30
compliance with, federal laws and regulations that contain the 31
terms and conditions of the apprentice's employment and training 32
of the apprentice consistent with the requirements of federal laws 33
and regulations, including 29 CFR Section 29.7 and this act. 34
(d) "Apprenticeship Council" means the Mississippi 35
Apprenticeship Council, an entity established to assist the 36
Mississippi Office of Apprenticeship. The Apprenticeship Council 37
is ineligible for recognition as the State Registration Agency. 38
Only the Mississippi Office of Apprenticeship may promulgate 39
apprenticeship programs. This Council must provide advice and 40
guidance to the Mississippi Office of Apprenticeship on the 41
operation of this state's apprenticeship system. 42
(e) "Apprenticeship intermediary" means an entity that 43
provides required technical instruction to an apprentice. 44
(f) "Apprenticeship program" means a plan containing 45
all terms and conditions for the qualification, recruitment, 46
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selection, employment and training of apprentices, as required 47
under state law or relevant federal regulations as appropriate, 48
including such matters as the requirement for a written 49
apprenticeship agreement. 50
(g) "Cancellation" means the termination of the 51
registration or approval status of a program or apprenticeship at 52
the request of the sponsor or termination of an apprenticeship 53
agreement at the request of the apprentice. The rules for the 54
cancellation or termination of programs authorized under state law 55
must follow the regulations issued by the Mississippi Office of 56
Apprenticeship. 57
(h) "Competency" means the attainment of manual, 58
mechanical or technical skills and knowledge, as specified by an 59
occupational standard and demonstrated by an appropriate written 60
and hands-on proficiency measurement. 61
(i) "Completion rate" means the percentage of an 62
apprenticeship cohort who receive a certificate of apprenticeship 63
completion within one (1) year of the projected completion date. 64
An apprenticeship cohort is the group of individual apprentices 65
registered to a specific program during a period of one (1) year, 66
except that a cohort does not include the apprentices whose 67
apprenticeship agreement has been cancelled during the 68
probationary period. 69
(j) "Deregistration" means the termination of the 70
registration of an apprenticeship based upon a written request of 71
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the sponsor or after a determination of cause by the Mississippi 72
Office of Apprenticeship. 73
(k) "Employer" means an employer, as defined in Section 74
71-5-11, employing an apprentice, whether or not the person or 75
organization is a party to an apprenticeship agreement with the 76
apprentice. 77
(l) "Interim credentials" means a credential issued by 78
the Mississippi Office of Apprenticeship, upon request of the 79
appropriate sponsor, as certification of competency attainment by 80
an apprentice. 81
(m) "Journey worker" means a worker who has attained a 82
level of skill, abilities and competencies recognized within an 83
industry as having mastered the skills and competencies required 84
for the occupation. "Journey worker" includes a mentor, 85
technician, specialist or other skilled worker who has documented 86
sufficient skills and knowledge of an occupation, either through 87
formal apprenticeship or through practical on-the-job experience 88
and formal training. 89
(n) "Office of Apprenticeship" means the Mississippi 90
Office of Apprenticeship established under Section 3 of this act. 91
(o) "On-the-job training" means training that: 92
(i) Is provided to a paid apprentice who is 93
engaged in productive work in an occupation, and the work provides 94
knowledge or skills essential to the full and adequate performance 95
of the occupation; 96
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(ii) Is made available through an apprenticeship 97
registered with the Mississippi Office of Apprenticeship which 98
provides reimbursement to the employer of up to fifty percent 99
(50%) of the apprentice's wage rate for the purpose of covering 100
the employer's costs of providing the training and additional 101
supervision related to the training, except as provided in 29 USC 102
Section 3174(c)(3)(H); and 103
(iii) Is limited in duration as appropriate to the 104
occupation for which the apprentice is being trained, based on the 105
content of the training, the apprentice's prior work experience, 106
and the apprentice's service strategy, as appropriate. 107
(p) "Provisional registration" means the one-year 108
initial provisional approval of newly registered programs under 109
federal regulations which meet the required standards for program 110
registration, after which program approval may be made permanent, 111
continued as provisional, or rescinded following a review by the 112
Mississippi Office of Apprenticeship, as provided for in the 113
criteria described in 29 CFR Section 29.3(g) and (h). 114
(q) "Quality assurance assessment" means a 115
comprehensive review conducted by the Mississippi Office of 116
Apprenticeship regarding all aspects of an apprenticeship 117
program's performance, including, but not limited to, determining 118
if apprentices are receiving: on-the-job training in all phases 119
of the apprenticeable occupation; scheduled wage increases 120
consistent with the registered standards; related instruction 121
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through appropriate curriculum and delivery systems; and that the 122
registration agency is receiving notification of all new 123
registrations, cancellations and completions as required in this 124
act and as applicable to the programs authorized under state or 125
federal laws and regulations. 126
(r) "Registered apprenticeship" means the acceptance 127
and recording of an apprenticeship agreement or program by the 128
Mississippi Office of Apprenticeship as evidence of the program's 129
compliance with labor standards for quality apprenticeships as 130
authorized by federal laws and regulations. 131
(s) "Registration apprenticeship agreement" means the 132
acceptance and recording of an apprenticeship agreement by the 133
Mississippi Office of Apprenticeship as evidence of the 134
apprentice's participation in a particular registered 135
apprenticeship program authorized by federal laws and regulations. 136
(t) "Related technical instruction" means an organized 137
and systematic form of instruction designed to provide an 138
apprentice with knowledge of the theoretical and technical 139
subjects related to his or her trade or occupations approved by 140
the Mississippi Office of Apprenticeship. "Related technical 141
instruction" includes instruction that is provided: 142
(i) In a classroom; 143
(ii) Through occupation or industrial courses; 144
(iii) By correspondence courses; 145
(iv) Through electronic media; or 146
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(v) Through other forms of self-study. 147
(u) "Sponsor" means a person, association, committee, 148
business, state agency or organization operating an apprenticeship 149
registered or approved under federal law for an apprenticeship 150
program and in whose name the apprenticeship program is to be 151
registered or approved. 152
(v) "State office" means the Mississippi Office of 153
Apprenticeship, under the Mississippi State Workforce Investment 154
Board, designated as the point of contact for the Mississippi 155
Office of Apprenticeship. 156
(w) "Technical Assistance" means guidance provided by 157
Mississippi Office of Apprenticeship staff in the development, 158
revision, amendment or processing of a potential or current 159
program sponsor's standards of apprenticeship, apprenticeship 160
agreements, or advice or consultation with a program sponsor to 161
further compliance with this act or guidance from the Office of 162
Apprenticeship on how to remedy nonconformity with this act under 163
the applicable federal laws and regulations. 164
(x) "Transfer" means a shift of apprenticeship 165
registration from one (1) program to another or from one (1) 166
employer within a program to another employer within that same 167
program, where there is agreement between the apprentice and the 168
affected apprenticeship committees or program sponsors. 169
SECTION 3. (1) There is created the Mississippi Office of 170
Apprenticeship under the Mississippi State Workforce Investment 171
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Board, which is Mississippi's state apprenticeship agency in 172
accordance with 29 USC Section 50 and 29 CFR Sections 29 and 30. 173
(2) (a) The Mississippi Office of Apprenticeship shall be 174
under the direction of the executive committee of the Mississippi 175
State Workforce Investment Board. 176
(b) The executive committee shall select a Director for 177
the Mississippi Office of Apprenticeship, with the advice and 178
consent of a majority of the State Workforce Investment Board, who 179
must possess demonstrated experience in the development or 180
operation of an apprenticeship for a private-sector employer. The 181
director shall: 182
(i) Be a person with extensive experience with 183
registered apprenticeships and possess no less than five (5) years 184
professional experience related to registered apprenticeships; 185
(ii) Manage the Mississippi Office of 186
Apprenticeship; 187
(iii) Perform functions necessary for the daily 188
operation and administration of the office, with oversight from 189
the executive committee of the State Workforce Investment Board, 190
to fulfill the duties of the Office of Apprenticeship, as 191
described in this act; 192
(iv) Hire staff needed for the performance of 193
duties under this act and, with the approval of the executive 194
committee of the State Workforce Investment Board, set the 195
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compensation of hired employees from any funds available for that 196
purpose; 197
(v) Serve at the will and pleasure of the 198
executive committee of the State Workforce Investment Board; 199
(vi) Promulgate rules and regulations, subject to 200
oversight by the State Workforce Investment Board, not 201
inconsistent with this act, as may be necessary to enforce the 202
provisions of this act; and 203
(vii) Perform other actions determined by the 204
executive committee to be necessary to fulfill the duties under 205
this act. 206
(c) The office is established for the following 207
purposes: 208
(i) To serve as the State Registration Agency; 209
(ii) To establish labor standards for quality 210
youth apprenticeships and registered apprenticeships, and to 211
safeguard the welfare of apprentices in these programs; 212
(iii) To establish labor standards for youth 213
apprenticeships and federally registered apprenticeships and for 214
safeguarding the welfare of apprentices in these programs; 215
(iv) To ensure equal opportunities exist in each 216
registered apprenticeship authorized by federal law and to 217
safeguard the welfare of apprentices in these programs; 218
(v) To resolve disputes between parties to an 219
apprenticeship agreement; 220
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(vi) To comply with all federal requirements for 221
state apprenticeship agencies and the duties outlined in 29 CFR 222
Section 29; and 223
(vii) To support, assess, assist, monitor and 224
regulate all registered apprenticeship programs authorized or 225
funded by the United States Department of Labor. 226
(3) Before July 31, 2026, the executive committee of the 227
State Workforce Investment Board shall submit an application to 228
the Administrator of the United States Office of Apprenticeship to 229
be recognized as the state apprenticeship agency that shall comply 230
with applicable federal law. 231
(4) The duties created in this section are in addition to 232
the duties established for the Mississippi State Workforce 233
Investment Board under Chapter 153, Title 37, Mississippi Code of 234
1972. 235
(5) Subject to the availability of funding, the 236
administrative and operational expenses of the Mississippi Office 237
of Apprenticeship shall be paid using state special fund monies 238
annually appropriated specifically for such purposes. 239
SECTION 4. The Mississippi Office of Apprenticeship shall 240
promulgate rules, regulations and standards necessary to implement 241
this act in compliance with federal laws and regulations as 242
promulgated by the United States Department of Labor, as well as 243
all legal safeguards for the welfare of apprentices in these 244
programs and the resolution of disputes between parties to an 245
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apprentice in these programs agreement. The rules and regulations 246
promulgated by the Mississippi Office of Apprenticeship must be 247
made pursuant to the procedures required under Section 71-5-117 248
and comply with the applicable laws or regulations governing the 249
specific program. 250
SECTION 5. (1) The Mississippi Office of Apprenticeship 251
shall develop a nationally recognized federal apprenticeship 252
completion credentials, as described in 29 CFR Section 29.5. 253
(2) The office may register apprenticeship programs that 254
meet the requirements of federal laws and regulations established 255
by the United States Department of Labor. 256
(3) The office will accord reciprocal approval, for federal 257
purposes, to apprenticeship programs that are registered in other 258
states and approved by the United States Department of Labor's 259
Office of Apprenticeship or a registered state apprenticeship 260
agency if such reciprocity is requested by a registered 261
apprenticeship sponsor. A program sponsor seeking reciprocal 262
approval must meet the wage and hour provisions and the 263
apprenticeship ratio standards of this state. 264
(4) (a) The Director of the Mississippi Office of 265
Apprenticeship shall allocate state funds for the support of 266
registered apprenticeship training programs authorized under state 267
law. 268
(b) Funding for a registered apprenticeship training 269
program, in addition to any other monies available, must be based 270
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on the allocation of funds by the Office of Apprenticeship to an 271
apprenticeship program sponsor. 272
(5) The office shall establish regulations that outline the 273
process to be utilized for the cancellation or deregistration, or 274
both, of programs, and for temporary suspension, cancellation or 275
deregistration of apprenticeship agreements under federal law and 276
regulations. 277
(6) The office shall promote apprenticeship opportunities 278
within the state. 279
(7) The office shall establish regulations to define the 280
standards and requirements for apprenticeship programs in this 281
state for programs authorized by federal laws and regulations, 282
including eligibility criteria required for approval and 283
registration by the office in compliance with the requirements of 284
federal laws and regulations. 285
(8) The office shall ensure that each approved and 286
registered apprenticeship program authorized under federal law 287
meets performance standards in compliance with 29 CFR Section 288
29.6. 289
(9) The office will ensure that each apprenticeship 290
agreement authorized under federal law complies with the 291
requirements of 29 CFR Section 29.7. 292
(10) The office will ensure that the process to deregister 293
an apprenticeship program authorized under federal law complies 294
with the requirements of 29 CFR Section 29.8. In the event of a 295
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deregistration for cause, as determined by the office, the 296
Director of the Mississippi Office of Apprenticeship shall notify 297
the sponsor of its appeal rights and facilitate an appeals 298
hearing, upon request, in compliance with the requirements of 29 299
CFR Section 29.10. 300
(11) The office shall comply with all notification and 301
reporting requirements promulgated by the United States Department 302
of Labor for apprenticeship programs authorized under federal laws 303
or regulations. 304
SECTION 6. (1) There is established the Mississippi 305
Apprenticeship Advisory Council, which is an advisory body 306
composed of the following individuals: 307
(a) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Office of 308
Workforce Development, or his or her designee; 309
(b) The Chairman of the Mississippi State Workforce 310
Investment Board, or his or her designee; 311
(c) The Chief Executive Officer of the Mississippi 312
Business Alliance, or his or her designee; 313
(d) One (1) individual representing an employer 314
organization who meets the qualifications described in subsection 315
(3), appointed by the Governor; 316
(e) One (1) individual representing an employee 317
organization who meets the qualifications described in subsection 318
(3), appointed by the Governor; 319
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(f) One (1) individual representing an employer 320
organization who meets the qualifications described in subsection 321
(3), appointed by the Lieutenant Governor; 322
(g) One (1) individual representing an employee 323
organization who meets the qualifications described in subsection 324
(3), appointed by the Lieutenant Governor; 325
(h) One (1) individual representing an employer 326
organization who meets the qualifications described in subsection 327
(3), appointed by the Speaker; and 328
(i) One (1) individual representing an employee 329
organization who meets the qualifications described in subsection 330
(3), appointed by the Speaker. 331
(2) The council must include an equal number of 332
representatives of employer and employee organizations and must 333
include public members who may not exceed in number the number 334
named to represent either employer or employee organizations. 335
(3) Each person appointed under paragraphs (d) through (i) 336
of subsection (1) must be familiar with apprenticeable occupations 337
and either: 338
(a) Have operational experience or familiarity with 339
registered apprenticeship programs; or 340
(b) Employ registered apprentices. 341
(4) The terms for initial members shall begin on October 1, 342
2026. The terms of persons appointed to the board other than 343
those serving ex officio are three (3) years. As the terms for 344
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the initial members appointed pursuant to paragraphs (d) through 345
(i) of subsection (1) expire, successors shall be appointed for a 346
term of five (5) years. 347
(5) Whenever a vacancy on the apprenticeship council exists, 348
the appointing authority shall appoint a member from the same 349
category of representation under subsection (1) that the vacating 350
member represented for the remainder of the unexpired term. 351
(6) The council shall meet at least two (2) times in a 352
fiscal year. 353
(7) The council shall: 354
(a) Operate under the direction of the Mississippi 355
Office of Apprenticeship; 356
(b) Provide advice to the Mississippi Office of 357
Apprenticeship regarding its duties under Section 5 of this act; 358
(c) Provide advice to the Mississippi Office of 359
Apprenticeship on matters involving apprenticeships, including: 360
(i) Developing federal apprenticeship programs in 361
emerging, high-demand sectors and nontraditional industries to 362
align with state workforce needs; 363
(ii) Promoting alternative pathways for 364
apprenticeships and job training for youth or economically 365
disadvantaged populations of the state; 366
(iii) Recommend strategies to strengthen linkages 367
between education, apprenticeships and experiential job-training 368
programs; 369
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(iv) Recommend strategies on the use of data to 370
better track program outcomes and identify opportunities for new 371
apprenticeships; 372
(v) Recommend strategies for recruitment and 373
retention for all populations in the state in apprenticeships; and 374
(vi) Recommend strategies for the development of 375
partnerships with employers, educational institutions and 376
community organizations to build a more robust, interconnected 377
apprenticeship ecosystem; 378
(d) Provide community outreach and education regarding 379
the benefits of registered apprenticeship; 380
(e) Present recommendations to the Mississippi Office 381
of Apprenticeship regarding standards and methods to improve 382
federally authorized programs under this act before April 1 of 383
each year; and 384
(f) Meet with any state agency or board in this state 385
with information relevant to apprenticeships. 386
SECTION 7. This act does not: 387
(1) Affect the status of the State Department of Education 388
as the eligible agency to receive and administer career and 389
technical education funding under the federal Carl D. Perkins 390
Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 USC Section 2301 et 391
seq.); or 392
(2) Impair the Mississippi Office of Apprenticeship's 393
ability, with the consent of the sponsor, to permit the 394
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apprenticeship intermediary to provide the required technical 395
instruction and technical assistance, including the implementation 396
of the competency frameworks established by the office in 397
compliance with federal laws and regulations that align with the 398
on-the-job training for apprenticeship programs registered or 399
certified by the Mississippi Office of Apprenticeship. 400
SECTION 8. Sections 1 through 8 of this act shall stand 401
repealed on July 1, 2030. 402
SECTION 9. This act shall take effect and be in force from 403
and after July 1, 2026. 404