AB 345: Apprenticeship programs: approval process.

This bill would require the state to establish a process for approving new apprenticeship programs within 30 days of receiving an application. If the chief of the division of apprenticeship standards fails to make a final determination within six months, the program would have conditional approval if it meets certain conditions, including approval by the US Department of Labor. The bill would also establish a one-year timeline for the chief to make a final determination on new apprenticeship program applications. The bill does not apply to building and construction trades or firefighter programs. The bill would expand the scope of an existing crime related to discrimination in apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs, making it a state-mandated local program.