S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    617
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 9, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. BRONSON -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Economic Development
 
 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 53 to read as follows:
   § 53. 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.
              

                                                            LBD04870-01-9

 A. 617                              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 TWENTY AND ANNUALLY THEREAFTER, IDENTIFYING THE  ENTI-
 TIES  RECEIVING  ASSISTANCE, THE TYPE OF ASSISTANCE PROVIDED, THE NUMBER
 OF INDIVIDUALS TRAINED AND NEWLY HIRED INCLUDING THOSE WHO  WERE  PREVI-
 OUSLY  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 TWENTY-ONE, 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, 2019.