S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  2603--A
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 13, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. LAVALLE, HELMING -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher  Education
   -- recommitted to the Committee on Higher Education in accordance with
   Senate  Rule  6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
   reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

 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:
   § 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-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD08037-02-8

 S. 2603--A                          2
 
 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
 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.
   §  2.  Section  6206  of  the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 20 to read as follows:
   20. 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

 S. 2603--A                          3

 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
 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.
   §  3. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
 law.