A BILL for an Act to create and enact a new section to chapter 54-60 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to an apprenticeship grant program; and to provide an appropriation.
SB 2239 would create a new apprenticeship grant program administered by the North Dakota Department of Commerce. The program would provide grants to individuals enrolled in qualifying registered apprenticeship programs in the state, with the goal of helping participants cover costs while they complete approved training. The bill directs the commissioner to work with the U.S. Department of Labor and the State Board for Career and Technical Education to set eligibility rules, including full-time enrollment, satisfactory progress, and a minimum grade point average or equivalent.
Under the bill, an eligible participant could receive up to $3,000 over a three-year period while enrolled in an eligible apprenticeship program. The measure also includes a $1.1 million general fund appropriation for the 2025-2027 biennium to administer the program. In practical terms, the bill would add a new state-funded financial aid mechanism for apprentices and expand the role of the Department of Commerce in workforce training support.
The bill would add a new section to Chapter 54-60 of the North Dakota Century Code, creating a state apprenticeship grant program and authorizing the Department of Commerce to administer it. It would also appropriate $1.1 million from the general fund for the 2025-2027 biennium to fund the program. The main affected parties would be apprentices in registered programs, the Department of Commerce, and the education/workforce agencies involved in setting eligibility standards.
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee discussion or votes in the provided materials, the measure appears to have been framed as a workforce-development and training-support proposal rather than a controversial policy change. Its focus on helping apprentices complete registered programs suggests generally positive intent, but the bill ultimately failed on April 8, 2025, indicating it did not secure enough support to advance.
No committee transcript or vote detail is provided, so specific objections are not documented here. The likely points of contention would have been the use of $1.1 million in general fund money, the criteria for who qualifies for grants, and whether the state should directly subsidize apprenticeship participants. Any debate would likely have centered on program cost, administrative oversight, and whether the grant structure was the best way to support workforce development.