S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8108
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             October 13, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. GONZALEZ-ROJAS -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing  a  work-
   place readiness week for secondary school students
 
   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 818 to
 read as follows:
   § 818. WORKPLACE READINESS  WEEK.  1.  THE  WEEK  OF  EACH  YEAR  THAT
 INCLUDES  APRIL  TWENTY-EIGHTH  SHALL  BE  KNOWN AS "WORKPLACE READINESS
 WEEK". ALL PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS, INCLUDING CHARTER SCHOOLS, SHALL ANNUAL-
 LY OBSERVE THAT WEEK BY  PROVIDING  INFORMATION  TO  STUDENTS  ON  THEIR
 RIGHTS  AS WORKERS. THE TOPICS COVERED SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED
 TO, ALL OF THE FOLLOWING:
   (A) LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL LAWS REGARDING  EACH  OF  THE  FOLLOWING
 ISSUES:
   (I) PROHIBITIONS AGAINST MISCLASSIFICATION OF EMPLOYEES AS INDEPENDENT
 CONTRACTORS;
   (II) CHILD LABOR;
   (III) WAGE AND HOUR PROTECTIONS;
   (IV) WORKER SAFETY;
   (V) WORKERS' COMPENSATION;
   (VI) UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE;
   (VII)  PAID SICK LEAVE, PAID FAMILY LEAVE, AND STATE DISABILITY INSUR-
 ANCE;
   (VIII) THE RIGHT TO ORGANIZE A UNION IN THE WORKPLACE; AND
   (IX) PROHIBITIONS AGAINST RETALIATION BY EMPLOYERS WHEN WORKERS  EXER-
 CISE THESE OR ANY OTHER RIGHTS GUARANTEED BY LAW;
   (B)  THE LABOR MOVEMENT'S ROLE IN WINNING THE PROTECTIONS AND BENEFITS
 DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION; AND
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13379-02-3
 A. 8108                             2
              

 
   (C) AN INTRODUCTION TO STATE-APPROVED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS  IN  NEW
 YORK,  HOW  TO  ACCESS  THEM, THE VARIETY OF PROGRAMS AVAILABLE, AND HOW
 THEY CAN PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE CAREER PATH FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT  ATTEND
 UNIVERSITY OR COLLEGE.
   2.  FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES ELEVEN AND TWELVE, THE OBSERVANCES REQUIRED
 BY SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE INTEGRATED INTO THE  REGULAR
 SCHOOL  PROGRAM,  CONSISTENT WITH THE HISTORY/SOCIAL SCIENCE CURRICULUM,
 BUT MAY ALSO INCLUDE SPECIAL EVENTS AFTER  REGULAR  SCHOOL  HOURS.  THIS
 INTEGRATION  IS  ENCOURAGED, BUT NOT REQUIRED, TO OCCUR DURING WORKPLACE
 READINESS WEEK.
   3. (A) BEGINNING AUGUST FIRST, TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY-FOUR,  ANY  MINOR
 SEEKING  WORKING  PAPERS  IN  ORDER TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE STATE SHALL BE
 ISSUED, BEFORE OR AT THE TIME OF RECEIVING SUCH WORKING PAPERS, A  DOCU-
 MENT CLEARLY EXPLAINING BASIC LABOR RIGHTS EXTENDED TO WORKERS.
   (B)  TOPICS COVERED IN THIS DOCUMENT SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED
 TO, THOSE TOPICS IDENTIFIED IN PARAGRAPH (A) OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF  THIS
 SECTION.
   (C)  THE  NEW  YORK  STATE SCHOOL OF INDUSTRIAL AND LABOR RELATIONS AT
 CORNELL UNIVERSITY IS ENCOURAGED TO PRODUCE, WITH INPUT FROM  BONA  FIDE
 LABOR ORGANIZATIONS, A DRAFT TEMPLATE FOR THE DOCUMENT TO BE PROVIDED TO
 MINORS,  INCLUDING TRANSLATIONS INTO OTHER LANGUAGES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
 LIMITED TO, SPANISH, CHINESE, TAGALOG, VIETNAMESE, AND KOREAN.
   (D) SUCH DOCUMENT SHALL EXPRESS THESE LABOR RIGHTS IN  PLAIN,  NATURAL
 TERMINOLOGY EASILY UNDERSTOOD BY THE STUDENT.
   (E)  THE  DOCUMENT  SHALL  BE  IN A PHYSICAL FORM IN ENGLISH AND SHALL
 INCLUDE BOTH A UNIFORM RESOURCE LOCATOR FOR, AND A QUICK  RESPONSE  CODE
 LINKED TO, AN INTERNET WEBSITE WITH ELECTRONIC VERSIONS OF THE DOCUMENT,
 AND  ANY  TRANSLATED  VERSIONS OF THE DOCUMENT, PRODUCED BY THE NEW YORK
 STATE SCHOOL OF INDUSTRIAL AND LABOR  RELATIONS  AT  CORNELL  UNIVERSITY
 PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (C) OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
   4.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL ANNUALLY SEND A WRITTEN NOTICE, DETAILING
 THE REQUIREMENTS OF WORKPLACE READINESS WEEK AND HOW TEACHERS MAY ACCESS
 RELATED INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND OTHER  RESOURCES,  TO  EVERY  PUBLIC
 HIGH SCHOOL, INCLUDING CHARTER SCHOOLS, IN THE STATE, AT LEAST ONE MONTH
 BEFORE WORKPLACE READINESS WEEK.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.