On December 16, 2023, U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar, Ph.D. (TX-28) gathered with San Antonio labor leaders at the South Texas Electrical JATC to introduce the Apprentice-Related Childcare (ARCC) Act. The proposed legislation aims to address childcare challenges faced by individuals pursuing union apprenticeships.

Congressman Cuellar highlighted the significance of the ARCC Act in removing barriers to apprenticeships in South Texas. The bill proposes a childcare stipend pilot program to support Americans enrolled in Registered Apprenticeships and Pre-Apprenticeship programs, empowering them to manage family responsibilities and complete their training.

The event brought together representatives from the South Texas Electrical JATC, San Antonio Building Trades Council, IBEW Local 60, and Southwest Laborers District Council (LiUNA), all of whom joined Congressman Cuellar in announcing the bill.

The ARCC Act, with an authorized budget of $200 million over Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025, directs the U.S. Department of Labor to establish a competitive grant program. This program will distribute grants to ten geographically diverse states, enabling them to administer childcare stipends to apprentices. Stipends, a minimum of $500 per month per dependent child, will be directly paid to childcare providers. States must prioritize historically underrepresented groups in apprenticeships, including women and people of color, when distributing the stipends.

The legislation has received endorsements from prominent organizations such as North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA), International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART), United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC), United Association of Union Plumbers & Pipefitters (UA), International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), Operative Plasterers’ and Cement Masons’ International Association (OPCMIA), International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers (Insulators), and Third Way.

The ARCC Act will not be subject to income tax and will not impact eligibility for public benefit programs. At the conclusion of the pilot program, the Department of Labor is required to report to Congress on the stipends' impact, including any effects on persistence and completion rates.

Congressman Cuellar's commitment to supporting American workers extends beyond the ARCC Act. As an original cosponsor of the Tax Fairness for Workers Act and the No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act, he advocates for fair tax treatment for union dues and opposes taxpayer subsidization of business anti-union activities. In his role on the Appropriations Committee, Congressman Cuellar secured the first funding increase for the National Labor Relations Board since 2014 in the Fiscal Year 2023 spending agreement. Additionally, he secured a $1.3 million earmark in the FY 2024 House appropriations bill for the City of San Antonio’s “Ready to Work Initiative” to enhance apprenticeship opportunities.

For more information on the ARCC Act, click here.