The House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee for Intergovernmental Affairs, of which I am the vice chairman, this week held a hearing on the "sue and settle" process.
Oftentimes, consent decrees, or legally-binding, court-ordered settlement agreements, are used by outside groups to “sue and settle” with federal agencies or state or local governments for alleged violations of federal laws or constitutional rights.
The consent decrees can last for years, and are used to skirt elected officials in the policymaking process.
Click here to learn more about this hearing.
During an Education and the Workforce Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, I supported internship programs and the easing of federal regulations on such programs.
Currently, registered apprenticeships are programs registered with the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Apprenticeship or a state office of apprenticeship.
Under the Obama administration, the DOL issued regulations requiring registered apprenticeships to meet 26 specific requirements relating to program design, and required these programs adhere to apprenticeship-specific equal employment opportunity regulations.
There is no concrete definition of what constitutes a non-registered apprenticeship, but these programs are estimated to comprise more than 80 percent of all apprenticeship programs.
Some businesses have found the registered apprenticeship model simply does not work for them because the DOL is allowed to dictate the skills the business must provide to apprentices in specific industries. These businesses prefer to structure apprenticeship programs in the manner they find most effective to prepare apprentices for employment.
Click here for more information about this hearing.
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