(1) The Nebraska Office of Registered Apprenticeship shall develop standards to create a nationally recognized state apprenticeship completion credential in compliance with standards established in 29 C.F.R. 29.5, as such regulation existed on January 1, 2026, for completing a registered apprenticeship program.

(2) The office shall approve or deny the registration of a registered apprenticeship program, whether for a new program or expansion of an existing apprenticeship program. The office shall provide an entity whose registration is not approved with specific reasons for the disapproval and an option for modifying the application for registration.

(3) The office shall establish competency-based, time-based, and hybrid apprenticeship frameworks based on the regional and statewide collection of valuable credentials and consistent with 29 C.F.R. 29.5(b)(2), as such regulation existed on January 1, 2026.

(4) The office shall establish a plan to provide reciprocal approval, for federal purposes, to apprentices, apprenticeship programs, and standards that are registered in other states by the United States Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship, or a registration agency, if such reciprocity is requested by the apprenticeship sponsor. Apprenticeship sponsors seeking reciprocal approval shall meet wage and hour provisions and apprentice ratio standards of this state.

(5) The office may consider advice provided by the Nebraska Apprenticeship Council when completing the office's duties as set forth in this section.

(6) The office shall serve as the registration agency for quality pre-apprenticeships, registered apprenticeships, and other apprenticeships.

(7) The office shall develop a plan providing a procedure for the cancellation or deregistration of programs and for temporary suspension, cancellation, or deregistration of apprenticeship agreements.

(8) The office shall not require affiliation with a labor organization, employer organization, or other limited-membership organization as a criterion of an apprenticeship program. This subsection does not prohibit labor organizations, employer organizations, and limited-membership organizations from requiring membership to participate in the apprenticeship training provided by the organization.