Committee narrows school apprenticeship requirements, adopts dash-2 after dash-3 fails
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Summary
House Bill 3,881 was amended in committee: a dash-3 amendment that would have made apprenticeship goals aspirational failed; the committee adopted a dash-2 replacement that narrows the bill's scope to certain school districts receiving capital-matching grants and retains enforceable apprenticeship requirements with a later operative date.
The House Committee on Rules considered several replacement amendments to House Bill 3,881 on May 21, 2025, and after debate the committee rejected a dash-3 amendment and adopted a dash-2 replacement. Representative Elmer moved the dash-3 amendment, which would have made apprenticeship utilization goals aspirational for certain large contracts and permitted school districts to avoid reducing contractor payment when apprenticeship goals were not met; members expressed concern that the aspirational approach would not sufficiently grow the workforce and that rural areas lack apprenticeship capacity.
The dash-3 amendment failed on a roll call. The committee then moved to adopt a dash-2 replacement amendment that narrows the bill to apply to school districts that apply for and receive School Capital Improvement Matching Program grant funds as qualifying agencies for the apprenticeship-utilization requirements. The dash-2 also applies to solicitations and contracts entered into on or after Jan. 1, 2026, and the measure permits the Attorney General, Department of Transportation, Department of Administrative Services, Bureau of Labor and Industries and qualifying agencies to take preparatory actions before the operative date. The dash-2 carried a fiscal impact statement for the Bureau of Labor and Industries.
After adopting the dash-2 amendment, the committee moved HB 3,881 as amended to the floor with a due-pass recommendation and referral to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means. Committee members emphasized commitment to workforce development while debating whether an aspirational approach or enforceable goals would better build apprenticeship capacity, especially in rural areas with fewer programs.
The transcript records members raising concerns about timing relative to prior 2023 legislation and whether the bill's requirements would be feasible across rural districts; several speakers said the bill seeks to strengthen workforce pathways but they differ on whether this amendment is the right mechanism.