Legislative counsel walks House committee through H.803 apprenticeship updates
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Summary
On April 7, 2026 the Vermont House Committee on Commerce & Economic Development reviewed H.803, which would revise Title 21 apprenticeship definitions, make demographic reporting voluntary and remove Social Security numbers from required registered-apprenticeship fields, expand advisory-board duties, and adjust youth-apprenticeship registration and reporting. The bill is set to take effect July 1, 2026; several technical items were referred to the Department of Labor for clarification.
Montpelier — The Vermont House Committee on Commerce & Economic Development on April 7 held a walkthrough of H.803, a bill that updates the state's apprenticeship law in Title 21, covering definition changes, data-collection practices and youth-apprenticeship registration.
Rick Siegel of the Office of Legislative Council summarized the bill's edits as largely technical and as responses to federal changes in workforce and apprenticeship reporting. He told the committee the text revises how "nontraditional" populations and industries are defined, adds a 2023 benchmark for certain measures, and expands the statutory definition of "underserved communities" to name groups facing barriers such as age, previous incarceration, rural residence, limited transportation or internet access, and veteran status.
Those definition changes matter because they determine which groups qualify for outreach and supports under state apprenticeship programs. The bill would also require the Vermont Registered Apprenticeship Program to develop and disseminate a strategic plan beginning July 1, 2026; the transcript records an unclear duration for the plan (it reads "105 years"), and the committee flagged the timing and intent for Department of Labor clarification.
H.803 would remove Social Security number as a required field from registered-apprenticeship agreements while retaining date of birth; demographic disclosures such as race, national origin, gender identity, primary language, age and veteran status would be voluntary. Siegel said these edits align with federal reporting and privacy practices and noted the change is likely intended to conform with federal equal-opportunity reporting requirements.
The bill also expands duties for the Vermont Apprenticeship Advisory Board to "address barriers to participation and completion," strengthen relationships with community partners serving historically marginalized groups and underserved populations, and to support greater participation by groups that have been underrepresented in apprenticeship programs.
On youth apprenticeships, H.803 revises the definition of a youth apprenticeship program to cover students who have not completed secondary education but are enrolled in an Agency of Education-approved program or a career and technical education program. It changes registration steps so the Department of Labor may register programs after regional CTE centers submit specified information, and it spells out requirements for classroom instruction descriptions, alignment with diploma requirements, progressive wage schedules for paid work, and advanced-standing criteria.
Siegel also said the proposal includes an assurance that school staff and partners are aware of youth legal protections under child-labor and wage laws, and that apprenticeship plans submitted under the statute be developed in partnership with apprenticeship sponsors and secondary schools. He closed by telling the committee the act would take effect on July 1, 2026.
Committee members asked several technical questions during the walkthrough, including why Social Security numbers were removed while other identifier fields appear optional; Siegel said those questions would be forwarded to the Department of Labor for further explanation. The committee set follow-up scheduling items and recessed the session, with additional discussion expected when labor officials are present for detailed intent and implementation questions.
