S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
7646
I N S E N A T E
May 12, 2016
___________
Introduced by Sen. LAVALLE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the "help
individuals reach employment program" (HIRE)
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 355-d
to read as follows:
S 355-D. HELP INDIVIDUALS REACH EMPLOYMENT. 1. THE "HELP INDIVIDUALS
REACH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM" (HIRE) IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE ADDI-
TIONAL SKILLS FOR COLLEGE GRADUATES TO INCREASE THEIR EMPLOYMENT MARKET-
ABILITY AND ATTAIN SUCCESSFUL JOB PLACEMENT.
2. TO BE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE HIRE PROGRAM, AN APPLICANT
SHALL HAVE: (A) RECEIVED AN UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE FROM THE STATE UNIVER-
SITY OF NEW YORK AND HAVE ACHIEVED A GRADE POINT AVERAGE OF 3.0 OR HIGH-
ER; (B) COMPLETED THEIR DEGREE IN NO MORE THAN FIVE YEARS, OR SIX YEARS
IF THE DEGREE TYPICALLY REQUIRES FIVE YEARS; (C) COMPLETED AN APPROVED
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING ACTIVITY, AS DEFINED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES; (D)
GRADUATED AND SOUGHT EMPLOYMENT FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS PRIOR TO THE
DATE OF APPLICATION; (E) BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN OBTAINING FULL-TIME
EMPLOYMENT; (F) PROVIDED DOCUMENTATION THAT SUCH APPLICANT HAS SOUGHT
EMPLOYMENT FOR SUCH A JOB IN NEW YORK STATE; AND (G) APPLIED FOR THE
DEGREE ENHANCEMENT FOR EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM WITHIN ONE YEAR AFTER THE DATE
OF GRADUATION.
3. THE TRUSTEES OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK SHALL ESTABLISH OR
IDENTIFY EXISTING CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE SKILLS FOR COLLEGE
GRADUATES TO ENHANCE THEIR EMPLOYMENT MARKETABILITY THAT ARE TAILORED TO
JOB MARKET NEEDS WHICH SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO ALL ELIGIBLE APPLI-
CANTS FREE OF CHARGE TO SUCH APPLICANT. THE TRUSTEES SHALL PROMULGATE
RULES AND REGULATIONS IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TO
ENSURE SUCH PROGRAMS ARE ALIGNED WITH JOB MARKET AND INDUSTRY NEEDS. IF
THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK DOES NOT CURRENTLY OFFER CERTIFICATE
PROGRAMS THAT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION, OR IF CURRENT
CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS ARE AT CAPACITY OR CAN NOT BE EXPANDED TO ADMIT ALL
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15315-01-6
S. 7646 2
ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS, SUCH PROGRAMS MAY BE OFFERED IN AN ON-LINE FORMAT
TO SATISFY THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION.
4. IF THE COLLEGE FROM WHICH THE APPLICANT GRADUATED CURRENTLY OFFERS
A CERTIFICATE PROGRAM THAT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS SET FORTH IN SUBDIVI-
SION THREE OF THIS SECTION, THEN IT SHALL BE THE CHOICE OF THE APPLICANT
TO EITHER ATTEND SUCH PROGRAM AT THAT CAMPUS OR COMPLETE SUCH PROGRAM
ON-LINE; OR IF A COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS CURRENTLY OFFERING A CERTIFICATE
PROGRAM THAT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS IN SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS
SECTION, SUCH APPLICANT SHALL HAVE THE CHOICE OF OBTAINING SUCH CERTIF-
ICATE FROM SUCH COMMUNITY COLLEGE FREE OF CHARGE TO THE APPLICANT. SUCH
COMMUNITY COLLEGE SHALL BE ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE COST OF
SUCH APPLICANT'S ATTENDANCE IN THE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM FROM THE STATE
UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK FOUR YEAR INSTITUTION FROM WHICH THE APPLICANT
RECEIVED HIS OR HER BACHELOR'S DEGREE.
5. EACH STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK INSTITUTION THAT CONFERS FOUR
YEAR DEGREES SHALL INFORM ALL INCOMING FRESHMAN AND TRANSFER STUDENTS
ABOUT ANTICIPATED JOB AVAILABILITY PER EACH MAJOR AND APPROXIMATE SALARY
RANGES PER EACH MAJOR, WHICH DEGREES WILL TYPICALLY REQUIRE A GRADUATE
DEGREE OR ADDITIONAL EDUCATION BEYOND A BACHELOR'S DEGREE AND ABOUT SUCH
INSTITUTION'S UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT EMPLOYMENT RATES MEASURED WITHIN ONE
YEAR OF SUCH STUDENTS' GRADUATION.
S 2. Section 6206 of the education law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 19 to read as follows:
19. A. THE "HELP INDIVIDUALS REACH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM" (HIRE) IS HERE-
BY ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SKILLS FOR COLLEGE GRADUATES TO
INCREASE THEIR EMPLOYMENT MARKETABILITY AND ATTAIN SUCCESSFUL JOB PLACE-
MENT.
B. TO BE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE HIRE PROGRAM, AN APPLICANT
SHALL HAVE: (I) RECEIVED AN UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE FROM THE CITY UNIVERSI-
TY OF NEW YORK AND HAVE ACHIEVED A GRADE POINT AVERAGE OF 3.0 OR HIGHER;
(II) COMPLETED THEIR DEGREE IN NO MORE THAN FIVE YEARS, OR SIX YEARS IF
THE DEGREE TYPICALLY REQUIRES FIVE YEARS; (III) COMPLETED AN APPROVED
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING ACTIVITY, AS DEFINED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES;
(IV) GRADUATED AND SOUGHT EMPLOYMENT FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS PRIOR TO
THE DATE OF APPLICATION; (V) BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN OBTAINING FULL-TIME
EMPLOYMENT; (VI) PROVIDED DOCUMENTATION THAT SUCH APPLICANT HAS SOUGHT
EMPLOYMENT FOR SUCH A JOB IN NEW YORK STATE; AND (VII) APPLIED FOR THE
DEGREE ENHANCEMENT FOR EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM WITHIN ONE YEAR AFTER THE DATE
OF GRADUATION.
C. THE TRUSTEES OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK SHALL ESTABLISH OR
IDENTIFY EXISTING CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE SKILLS FOR COLLEGE
GRADUATES TO ENHANCE THEIR EMPLOYMENT MARKETABILITY THAT ARE TAILORED TO
JOB MARKET NEEDS, WHICH SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO ALL ELIGIBLE APPLI-
CANTS FREE OF CHARGE TO SUCH APPLICANT. THE TRUSTEES SHALL PROMULGATE
RULES AND REGULATIONS IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TO
ENSURE SUCH PROGRAMS ARE ALIGNED WITH JOB MARKET AND INDUSTRY NEEDS. IF
THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK DOES NOT CURRENTLY OFFER CERTIFICATE
PROGRAMS THAT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SUBDIVISION, OR IF CURRENT
CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS ARE AT CAPACITY OR CANNOT BE EXPANDED TO ADMIT ALL
ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS, SUCH PROGRAMS MAY BE OFFERED IN AN ON-LINE FORMAT
TO SATISFY THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
D. IF THE COLLEGE FROM WHICH THE APPLICANT GRADUATED CURRENTLY OFFERS
A CERTIFICATE PROGRAM THAT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS IN PARAGRAPH C OF THIS
SUBDIVISION, THEN IT SHALL BE THE CHOICE OF THE APPLICANT TO EITHER
ATTEND SUCH PROGRAM AT THAT CAMPUS OR COMPLETE SUCH PROGRAM ON-LINE; OR
IF A COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS CURRENTLY OFFERING A CERTIFICATE PROGRAM THAT
S. 7646 3
MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS IN PARAGRAPH C OF THIS SUBDIVISION, SUCH APPLI-
CANT SHALL HAVE THE CHOICE OF OBTAINING SUCH CERTIFICATE FROM SUCH
COMMUNITY COLLEGE FREE OF CHARGE TO THE APPLICANT. SUCH COMMUNITY
COLLEGE SHALL BE ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE COST OF SUCH APPLI-
CANT'S ATTENDANCE IN THE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM FROM THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF
NEW YORK FOUR YEAR INSTITUTION FROM WHICH THE APPLICANT RECEIVED HIS OR
HER BACHELOR'S DEGREE.
E. EACH CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK INSTITUTION THAT CONFERS FOUR YEAR
DEGREES SHALL INFORM ALL INCOMING FRESHMEN AND TRANSFER STUDENTS ABOUT
ANTICIPATED JOB AVAILABILITY PER EACH MAJOR AND APPROXIMATE SALARY RANG-
ES PER EACH MAJOR, WHICH DEGREES WILL TYPICALLY REQUIRE A GRADUATE
DEGREE OR ADDITIONAL EDUCATION BEYOND A BACHELOR'S DEGREE AND ABOUT SUCH
INSTITUTION'S UNDER GRADUATE STUDENT EMPLOYMENT RATES MEASURED WITHIN
ONE YEAR OF SUCH STUDENTS' GRADUATION.
S 3. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
law.