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.