--- title: SB 180. High Demand Apprenticeship Program; opportunities for apprenticeship sponsors to enter into apprenticeship program contracts with State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia; provide collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sb180 cite_as: SB 180, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb180 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb180.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb180/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70373 date: 2025-04-28 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb179.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb181.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 953 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb180.md?full=1 bill_number: SB 180 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-04-28 last_action: Effective Date 2025-04-28 sponsors: - Clint Dixon - Bill Cowsert - Max Burns - Ed Setzler - Jason Anavitarte - Ricky Williams - Matt Dubnik text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB180/2025 upstream_id: 1970381 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - apprenticeships - workforce training - technical colleges - job training funding --- # SB 180. High Demand Apprenticeship Program; opportunities for apprenticeship sponsors to enter into apprenticeship program contracts with State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia; provide ## Text 25 LC 49 2206 Senate Bill 180 By: Senators Dixon of the 45th, Cowsert of the 46th, Burns of the 23rd, Setzler of the 37th, Anavitarte of the 31st and others AS PASSED A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Article 7 of Chapter 4 of Title 20 of the Official Cod e of Georgia Annotated,1 relating to the High Demand Apprenticeship Program, so as to pr ovide opportunities for2 apprenticeship sponsors to enter into apprenticeship program contracts with the State Board3 of the Technical College System of Georgia; to provide for comp letion awards to4 apprenticeship sponsors for the successful completion of such c ontracts; to provide for5 related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal co nflicting laws; and for other6 purposes.7 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:8 SECTION 1.9 Article 7 of Chapter 4 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the10 High Demand Apprenticeship Program, is amended in Code Section 20-4-151, relating to11 purpose, employer partnerships, required information, contracts, awards, and limitations, by12 revising subsections (b), (d), and (e) and paragraph (2) of subsection (g) as follows:13 "(b) An employer sponsor or apprenticeship sponsor may apply to the board for the14 opportunity to enter into a contract to perform the requirement s of conducting an15 apprenticeship program for a specific apprentice. Such contract shall require the employer16 S. B. 180 - 1 - 25 LC 49 2206 sponsor's apprentice or apprenticeship sponsor's apprentice to successfully complete an17 apprenticeship program."18 "(d) Upon successful completion of the requirements of a contract under this article, the19 board shall provide a contract completion award to the employer sponsor or apprenticeship20 sponsor. The contract completion award amount shall be determined based on the number21 of hours of education and training required for the successful completion of the22 apprenticeship under such apprenticeship program but shall not exceed:23 (1) $10,000.00 per apprentice for contracts entered into before July 1, 2024; and24 (2) $5,000.00 per apprentice for contracts entered into on or after July 1, 2024.25 (e) Each employer sponsor or apprenticeship sponsor shall only be eligible to enter into26 contracts under this article for up to:27 (1) Five apprentices per year through the end of Fiscal Year 2024; and28 (2) Ten apprentices per year beginning with the Fiscal Year 2025 and continuing each29 fiscal year thereafter."30 "(2) Provide funding to award employer sponsors or apprenticesh ip sponsors u p31 to $2,500.00 per apprentice 12 months after the start of his or her apprenticeship."32 SECTION 2.33 Said article is further amended in Code Section 20-4-154, relating to rules and regulations,34 by revising paragraph (4) as follows:35 "(4) The terms of agreement between an employer sponsor or apprenticeship sponsor and36 the board."37 SECTION 3.38 This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law39 without such approval.40 S. B. 180 - 2 - 25 LC 49 2206 SECTION 4.41 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.42 S. B. 180 - 3 - ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary. Senate Bill 180 lets more types of organizations, not just employers, sign contracts with the Technical College System of Georgia to run apprenticeships and earn completion awards under the High Demand Apprenticeship Program. ### Plain-language summary Georgia's High Demand Apprenticeship Program lets the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia pay employers who run successful apprenticeships. Previously the law focused on 'employer sponsors' entering these contracts. This bill adds 'apprenticeship sponsors' as a separate category that can also apply for and enter into these contracts, alongside employer sponsors, throughout the program's rules on contracts, completion awards, apprentice limits, and program regulations. The bill keeps the existing award amounts: up to $10,000 per apprentice for contracts signed before July 1, 2024, and up to $5,000 per apprentice for contracts signed on or after that date, plus a possible $2,500 bonus per apprentice paid 12 months into an apprenticeship. It also keeps the cap of ten apprentices per sponsor per year (five before the end of Fiscal Year 2024). The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it or it becomes law without his signature. ### What it does - Adds 'apprenticeship sponsors' as a category eligible to apply for and enter into apprenticeship program contracts with the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia, alongside employer sponsors. - Extends eligibility for contract completion awards (up to $10,000 or $5,000 per apprentice depending on contract date) to apprenticeship sponsors as well as employer sponsors. - Extends the $2,500 per apprentice bonus paid 12 months into an apprenticeship to apprenticeship sponsors, not just employer sponsors. - Applies the existing annual apprentice caps (up to ten per year currently) to both employer sponsors and apprenticeship sponsors. - Updates the rules and regulations section (O.C.G.A. § 20-4-154) so that agreement terms between the board and either an employer sponsor or apprenticeship sponsor are covered. ### Who it affects Employers and other organizations that sponsor apprenticeships in Georgia, the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia, which administers contracts and awards, and apprentices participating in high-demand occupation training programs. ### Why it matters By opening up program contracts and financial awards to apprenticeship sponsors in addition to employer sponsors, the bill could let more types of organizations, such as third-party training groups, formally participate in and get paid for running state-recognized apprenticeships, potentially expanding access to apprenticeship training statewide. ### Key provisions - Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-4-151 to revise subsections (b), (d), and (e) and paragraph (2) of subsection (g), adding 'apprenticeship sponsor' as an eligible party for contracts, completion awards, and the 12-month bonus. - Subsection (d) keeps the award cap at $10,000 per apprentice for contracts signed before July 1, 2024, and $5,000 per apprentice for contracts on or after that date. - Subsection (e) keeps the annual apprentice limit at five per sponsor through Fiscal Year 2024 and ten per sponsor from Fiscal Year 2025 onward. - Paragraph (g)(2) keeps the $2,500 per apprentice funding award paid 12 months after an apprenticeship begins, now available to apprenticeship sponsors too. - Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-4-154 to include apprenticeship sponsors in the rules governing agreement terms with the board. - Section 3 sets the effective date as immediate upon the Governor's signature or the bill becoming law without signature. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-04-28) - Last action: Effective Date 2025-04-28 (2025-04-28) - Sponsors: Clint Dixon, Bill Cowsert, Max Burns, Ed Setzler, Jason Anavitarte, Ricky Williams, Matt Dubnik - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70373 > The history, votes, and amendments (953 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb180.md?full=1