S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                    701
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 6, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. COMRIE, ORTT -- read twice and ordered printed, and
   when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
 
 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 60 to read as follows:
   § 60. 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
 DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS TO YOUTH AND  INDIVIDUALS  WHO  ARE  UNEMPLOYED  OR
 UNDEREMPLOYED.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01453-01-3
              

 S. 701                              2
 
   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  ARE
 NOT  LIMITED  TO,  CLASSROOM  TRAINING,  ON THE JOB TRAINING, CURRICULUM
 DEVELOPMENT, 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
 INSTITUTIONS; 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-FIVE 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 TWENTY-SIX, 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, 2025.