An Act To Amend Titles 19 And Title 29 Of The Delaware Code Relating To Craft Training Requirements In Public Works Contracts.
Summary
SB 193 amends Delaware law governing apprenticeship and craft training in public works contracts. The bill requires certain public works contracts that meet prevailing wage thresholds and involve contractors with 10 or more employees to include craft training requirements for each craft on the state’s approved list. Contractors and subcontractors may satisfy the requirement by maintaining active apprentices, having recently completed apprentices, participating in a qualifying training consortium, or—under the bill’s core change—making a payment into the Apprenticeship and Training Fund in lieu of direct participation.
The bill also directs the Department of Labor to maintain and annually update the list of crafts with approved training programs and to publish the payment amount that satisfies the requirement for each craft, based on average related technical instruction costs. That payment amount must be reviewed at least every three years, considering collections, new programs, tuition changes, and contractor compliance. The bill further requires contracts to include penalty provisions for noncompliance and sets rules for remission or refund if compliance is later established.
Impact
SB 193 would change Titles 19 and 29 of the Delaware Code by tightening the craft training requirement for qualifying public works contracts and by eliminating the practical ability to avoid apprenticeship participation through a capped buy-out. It links the craft training obligation to the state’s approved apprenticeship list, requires subcontractor compliance commitments, and establishes a payment-based compliance option tied to craft-specific training costs and annual employer thresholds. The bill also expands administrative duties for the Department of Labor and related agencies to update craft lists, set payment amounts, and coordinate apprenticeship programs.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have strong pro-apprenticeship and pro-workforce-development support in its stated purpose and synopsis. Its sponsors frame it as a way to strengthen earn-while-you-learn pathways, support low-income, minority, and female workers, and ensure that taxpayer-funded projects help build the local skilled labor force. No committee transcript or vote record is provided, so there is no recorded opposition or formal vote sentiment in the supplied materials.
Contention
The main point of contention is the bill’s removal of the payment-in-lieu option, which the sponsor describes as a “buy-out” that lets contractors avoid direct apprenticeship participation. Supporters argue that the buy-out undercuts training incentives and benefits contractors who do not maintain apprenticeship programs, while critics of the bill would likely focus on the added compliance burden and reduced flexibility for contractors, especially those entering Delaware for public projects. The bill also distinguishes between contractors with 10–25 employees and those with more than 25 employees for payment thresholds, which may be another area of practical concern for affected employers.