HF2369 Summary

• Aligns Minnesota apprenticeship laws with federal regulations in Code of Federal Regulations, title 29, parts 29 and 30, effective July 1, 2013, and establishes the Division of Labor Standards and Apprenticeship as a State Apprenticeship Agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor.

• Requires apprenticeship programs to include minimum 144 hours of related instruction annually (including 50 hours of safety instruction), at least 2,000 hours of on-the-job work, graduated wage schedules based on journeyworker rates, and probationary periods not exceeding 500 hours or four months.

• Establishes apprentice eligibility at age 16 or older and allows apprenticeship agreements to extend into majority if signed by a minor with parental consent; specifies registered apprenticeship agreements must include program standards, wage information, fringe benefits, equal opportunity language, and other federal requirements.

• Creates procedures for program registration with one-year provisional approval period, annual review requirements, and grounds for deregistration including non-compliance with federal or state standards and failure to maintain at least one registered apprentice per trade or occupation.

• Revises dispute resolution and enforcement processes to require written complaints within 60 days with specific facts, establishes 90-day determination deadlines, and provides judicial review under Minnesota Administrative Procedure Act sections 14.63-14.68 rather than district court appeals.