S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                   6536
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               June 1, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  ORTT  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Corporations,  Authorities
   and Commissions
 
 AN ACT to amend the New York state urban development corporation act, in
   relation  to  the  creation  of  the strategic investment in workforce
   development program

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. Section 1 of chapter 174 of the laws of 1968, constituting
 the New York state urban development  corporation  act,  is  amended  by
 adding a new section 52 to read as follows:
   §  52.  STRATEGIC  INVESTMENT IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. 1. PURSUANT TO
 THIS SECTION THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED  WITHIN  THE  CORPORATION,  THE
 STRATEGIC  INVESTMENT  IN  WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM TO IDENTIFY AND
 ADDRESS WORKFORCE NEEDS THROUGHOUT  THE  STATE.  THE  CORPORATION  SHALL
 COLLABORATE  WITH  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF LABOR, THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC
 DEVELOPMENT, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, THE  CITY  UNIVERSITY  OF
 NEW  YORK,  AND  THE  STATE  EDUCATION  DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO
 ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS WITHIN AMOUNTS AVAILABLE FOR THE  STRATEGIC  INVEST-
 MENTS  IN  WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM AND SHALL IDENTIFY THE TRAINING
 NEEDS OF EMPLOYERS, EMPLOYEES AND PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEES; IDENTIFY  AREAS
 OF  THE STATE OR SPECIFIC INDUSTRIES WHERE A SHORTAGE OF A SKILLED WORK-
 FORCE IS IMPACTING THE ABILITY OF THOSE AREAS OF THE STATE OR INDUSTRIES
 TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE AND INNOVATIVE; IDENTIFY  METHODS  AND  MODELS  TO
 TRAIN  AND  EMPLOY YOUTH WORKERS; AND IDENTIFY WAYS TO SERVE PROSPECTIVE
 EMPLOYEES THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNEMPLOYED OR UNDEREMPLOYED. THE  STRATEGIC
 INVESTMENT  IN  WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM SHALL UTILIZE THE INFORMA-
 TION  GATHERED  TO  TARGET  WORKFORCE  TRAINING  ACTIVITIES,  EMPLOYMENT
 CREDENTIALS OR CERTIFICATE OPPORTUNITIES, AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
 TO MEET THE IDENTIFIED NEEDS AND TO PROVIDE NECESSARY TRAINING AND SKILL
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11809-01-7
              

 S. 6536                             2
 
 DEVELOPMENT  PROGRAMS  TO  YOUTH  AND  INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE UNEMPLOYED OR
 UNDEREMPLOYED.
   2.  ELIGIBLE  APPLICANTS  SHALL  INCLUDE  AN EMPLOYER OR CONSORTIUM OF
 EMPLOYERS IN CONJUNCTION WITH A LABOR ORGANIZATION, A NOT-FOR-PROFIT, AN
 EDUCATIONAL ENTITY OR A PROGRAM OR NETWORK THAT  PROVIDES  TRAINING  AND
 SKILL  DEVELOPMENT FOR YOUTH OR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE UNEMPLOYED OR UNDER-
 EMPLOYED.   AN ENTITY THAT WORKS  DIRECTLY  WITH  EMPLOYERS  TO  PROVIDE
 TRAINING OR RETRAINING, PARTICULARLY IN HIGH-SKILL OCCUPATIONS OR INDUS-
 TRIES,  OR  AN ENTITY THAT SEEKS TO PROMOTE AND FOSTER ECONOMIC DEVELOP-
 MENT AND JOB GROWTH SHALL ALSO  BE  CONSIDERED  AN  ELIGIBLE  APPLICANT.
 ELIGIBLE  APPLICANTS  SHALL  DEMONSTRATE A RELATIONSHIP WITH EDUCATIONAL
 PROGRAMS AND ENTITIES THAT ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF EMPLOYERS, EMPLOYEES  OR
 PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEES, PARTICULARLY YOUTH, UNSKILLED WORKERS, UNEMPLOYED
 INDIVIDUALS OR UNDEREMPLOYED WORKERS.
   3.  (A) ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY THE CORPORATION TO ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS,
 MAY BE USED FOR THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH STRATEGIC  WORKFORCE  DEVELOP-
 MENT TRAINING AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT. SUCH COSTS MAY INCLUDE, BUT IS NOT
 LIMITED TO, CLASSROOM TRAINING, ON THE JOB TRAINING, CURRICULUM DEVELOP-
 MENT, AND TRAINING MATERIALS ASSOCIATED WITH ON THE JOB TRAINING, SKILLS
 UPGRADING,  SKILLS  RETRAINING,  AND BASIC SKILLS TRAINING THAT LEADS TO
 OBTAINING APPROPRIATE CERTIFICATIONS OR DEGREES FROM  ACCREDITED  INSTI-
 TUTIONS; AND
   (B)  THE CORPORATION SHALL ENSURE THAT NOT LESS THAN TWENTY PERCENT OF
 THE PROGRAM FUNDS ARE USED IN SUPPORT  OF  PROJECTS  THAT  ASSIST  SMALL
 BUSINESSES  AS DEFINED IN SECTION ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-ONE OF THE ECONOMIC
 DEVELOPMENT LAW AND MINORITY- AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES.
   4. (A) THE CORPORATION SHALL REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE BY JUNE THIRTI-
 ETH, TWO THOUSAND EIGHTEEN  AND  ANNUALLY  THEREAFTER,  IDENTIFYING  THE
 ENTITIES  RECEIVING  ASSISTANCE,  THE  TYPE  OF ASSISTANCE PROVIDED, THE
 NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS TRAINED AND NEWLY HIRED INCLUDING THOSE  WHO  WERE
 PREVIOUSLY  UNEMPLOYED, UNDEREMPLOYED OR ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED, AND
 THE NUMBER OF CERTIFICATIONS OR DEGREES CONFERRED FROM ACCREDITED INSTI-
 TUTIONS.
   (B) THE CORPORATION SHALL ALSO PROVIDE FOR AN  INDEPENDENT  EVALUATION
 OF  THE  PROGRAM ON OR BEFORE JUNE THIRTIETH, TWO THOUSAND NINETEEN, AND
 EVERY THREE YEARS THEREAFTER.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and  shall  be  deemed  to
 have been in full force and effect on and after April 1, 2017.