What's happening
This bill requires businesses receiving economic development assistance in New York to prioritize hiring unemployed, low-income, dislocated workers, veterans, and individuals with disabilities for new jobs created.
Why it matters
Targets economic development dollars toward reducing unemployment and inequality. By requiring businesses receiving state assistance to prioritize hiring from groups that traditionally face higher barriers to employment—such as the unemployed, low-income individuals, dislocated workers, veterans, and people with disabilities—the bill aims to ensure public funds help those most in need, potentially reducing poverty and dependence on public benefits.
Updates and coordinates job referral processes. The bill modernizes language and mechanisms to align with the federal Workforce Investment Act, requiring businesses to notify local workforce investment boards of job openings. This creates a more coordinated, transparent process for connecting job seekers from priority groups to new employment opportunities.
May influence how businesses approach hiring and workforce planning. Businesses that seek state economic development aid will need to demonstrate willingness to consider candidates from these targeted groups and document efforts, potentially affecting corporate HR policies, partnerships with workforce agencies, and even the types of skills training they provide.
Could shift economic development evaluation criteria. The legislation makes the extent of hiring from these groups a more explicit part of how state agencies and authorities evaluate and prioritize funding applications, meaning projects with a stronger commitment to inclusive hiring may have a competitive edge for state support.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Prioritize Local Unemployed for Jobs
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Referred to labor
- Referred to labor
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Prioritize Workforce Act Hiring
In Senate Committee · Energy And Telecommunications · Sponsor Velmanette Montgomery
Full text
7 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1507
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 12, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. SIMON, GOTTFRIED, MOSLEY -- read once and referred to the Committee on Labor
AN ACT to amend the economic development law, the public authorities law, the general municipal law and the New York state urban development corporation act, in relation to requiring first consideration of unemployed individuals, low-income individuals, dislocated workers, individuals training for nontraditional employment, as defined in the federal workforce investment act of nineteen hundred ninety-eight (P.L. 105-220), veterans, and individuals with disabilities for hiring for positions created as a result of economic development assistance
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision (j) of section 184 of the economic development law, as added by chapter 32 of the laws of 1987, is amended to read as follows:
(j) the extent of the applicant's willingness to make jobs available to [persons defined as eligible for services under the federal job training partnership act of nineteen hundred eighty-two] unemployed individuals, low-income individuals, dislocated workers, individuals training for non-traditional employment, as defined in the federal workforce investment act of nineteen hundred ninety-eight (P.L. 105-220), veterans, and individuals with disabilities and the extent of the applicant's willingness to satisfy affirmative action goals;
§ 2. Subdivisions 1 and 5 of section 202 of the economic development law, as added by chapter 839 of the laws of 1987, are amended to read as follows:
1. The department shall provide assistance to approved applicants for the purpose of offering skills training services that will foster economic development by creating or preserving jobs. For the purposes of this section, "applicant" shall mean an educational agency, business, or industry group or association, an employee union or organizations, a
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00787-01-7
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community based organization, grant recipient or administrative entity of the [service delivery area] local workforce investment area and [private industry council] local workforce investment board as defined by the federal [job training partnership act (P.L. 97-300)] workforce investment act of nineteen hundred ninety-eight (P.L. 105-220), provided that such groups have demonstrated effectiveness in the delivery of training services. Any assistance provided shall be matched at least equally by financing or contribution from other sources. Such skills training services shall include:
(a) training for entry-level employment and worker skills upgrading; or
(b) payment of on-the-job training costs for a period not to exceed twelve weeks or classroom instruction, or a combination thereof.
5. For any positions opened as a result of assistance provided under this section businesses so assisted shall provide notice of position openings to the local workforce investment board and shall first consider [persons eligible to participate in federal job training partnership act (P.L. 97-300) programs] unemployed individuals, low-income individuals, dislocated workers, individuals training for non-traditional employment, as defined in the federal workforce investment act of nineteen hundred ninety-eight (P.L. 105-220), veterans, and individuals with disabilities who shall be referred to the business by administrative entities of [service delivery areas] local workforce investment areas created pursuant to such act or by the [job service division] division of employment services of the department of labor.
§ 3. Subdivision 8 of section 224 of the economic development law, as added by chapter 291 of the laws of 1990, is amended to read as follows:
8. Job listings. For any positions opened as a result of assistance provided under this section businesses so assisted shall provide notice of position openings to the local workforce investment board and shall first consider [persons eligible to participate in federal job training partnership act (P.L. 97-300) programs] unemployed individuals, low-income individuals, dislocated workers, individuals training for non-traditional employment, as defined in the federal workforce investment act of nineteen hundred ninety-eight (P.L. 105-220), veterans, and individuals with disabilities who shall be referred to the business by administrative entities of [service delivery areas] local workforce investment areas created pursuant to such act or by the [job service division] division of employment services of the department of labor.
§ 4. Subparagraph 9 of paragraph (a) of subdivision 13 of section 1005 of the public authorities law, as amended by chapter 645 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read as follows:
(9) the extent of the business' willingness to make jobs available to [persons defined as eligible for services under the federal job training partnership act of nineteen hundred eighty-two] unemployed individuals, low-income individuals, dislocated workers, individuals training for non-traditional employment, as defined in the federal workforce investment act of nineteen hundred ninety-eight (P.L. 105-220), veterans, and individuals with disabilities and the extent of the business' willingness to satisfy affirmative action goals;
§ 5. Subdivision 13-d of section 1804 of the public authorities law, as amended by chapter 839 of the laws of 1992, is amended to read as follows:
13-d. To require that any new employment opportunities created in connection with industrial or commercial projects financed through loans or loan guarantees from the authority shall be listed with the New York
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state department of labor [job service division] division of employment services and with the administrative entity of the [service delivery area] local workforce investment area created pursuant to the federal [job training partnership act (P.L. 97-300)] workforce investment act of nineteen hundred ninety-eight (P.L. 105-220) in which the project is located and shall first consider for such employment opportunities [persons eligible to participate in federal job training partnership act programs] unemployed individuals, low-income individuals, dislocated workers, individuals training for non-traditional employment, as defined in the federal workforce investment act of nineteen hundred ninety-eight (P.L. 105-220), veterans, and individuals with disabilities who shall be referred to such firms by such administrative entities or by the [job service division] division of employment services of the department of labor; provided, however, that nothing contained [herein] in this section shall be construed to require project occupants or business entities as defined in section eighteen hundred twenty-seven of this title, to violate any existing collective bargaining agreement with respect to the hiring of new employees. Such listing shall be in a manner and form prescribed by the authority in consultation with the commissioner of labor and the commissioner of economic development.
§ 6. Subdivision 2 of section 1967-a of the public authorities law, as added by chapter 356 of the laws of 1993, is amended to read as follows:
2. Except as is otherwise provided by collective bargaining contracts or agreements, new employment opportunities created as a result of projects of the agency shall be listed with the New York State Department of Labor [Community Services Division] division of employment services, and with the administrative entity of the [service delivery area] local workforce investment area created by the federal [job training partnership act (P.L. No. 97-300)] workforce investment act (P.L. 105-220) in which the project is located. Except as is otherwise provided by collective bargaining contracts or agreements, sponsors of projects shall agree, where practicable, to first consider [persons eligible to participate in federal job training partnership (P.L. No. 97-300) programs] unemployed individuals, low-income individuals, dislocated workers, individuals training for non-traditional employment, as defined in the federal workforce investment act of nineteen hundred ninety-eight (P.L. 105-220), veterans, and individuals with disabilities who shall be referred by administrative entities of [service delivery areas] local workforce investment areas created pursuant to such act or by [community services division] the division of employment services of the department of labor for such new employment opportunities.
§ 7. Subdivision 2 of section 2329 of the public authorities law, as added by chapter 356 of the laws of 1993, is amended to read as follows:
2. Except as is otherwise provided by collective bargaining contracts or agreements, new employment opportunities created as a result of projects of the agency shall be listed with the New York state department of labor [community services division] division of employment services, and with the administrative entity of the [service delivery area] local workforce investment area created by the federal [job training partnership act (P.L. No. 97-300)] workforce investment act (P.L. 105-220) in which the project is located. Except as is otherwise provided by collective bargaining contracts or agreements, sponsors of projects shall agree, where practicable, to first consider [persons eligible to participate in federal job training partnership (P.L. No. 97-300) programs] unemployed individuals, low-income individuals, dislocated workers, individuals training for non-traditional employment, as
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defined in the federal workforce investment act of nineteen hundred ninety-eight (P.L. 105-220), veterans, and individuals with disabilities who shall be referred by administrative entities of [service delivery areas] local workforce investment areas created pursuant to such act or by the [community services division] division of employment services of the department of labor for such new employment opportunities.
§ 8. Subdivision 10 of section 3102-a of the public authorities law, as added by chapter 291 of the laws of 1990, is amended to read as follows:
10. For any positions opened as a result of a project conducted pursuant to this section businesses so assisted shall provide notice of position openings to the local workforce investment board and shall first consider [persons eligible to participate in federal job training partnership act (P.L. 97-300) programs] unemployed individuals, low-income individuals, dislocated workers, individuals training for non-traditional employment, as defined in the federal workforce investment act of nineteen hundred ninety-eight (P.L. 105-220), veterans, and individuals with disabilities who shall be referred to the business by administrative entities of [service delivery areas] local workforce investment areas created pursuant to such act or by the [job service division] division of employment services of the department of labor.
§ 9. Subdivision 2 of section 858-b of the general municipal law, as added by chapter 356 of the laws of 1993, is amended to read as follows:
2. Except as is otherwise provided by collective bargaining contracts or agreements, new employment opportunities created as a result of projects of the agency shall be listed with the New York state department of labor [community services division] division of employment services, and with the administrative entity of the [service delivery area] local workforce investment area created by the federal [job training partnership act (P.L. No. 97-300)] workforce investment act (P.L. 105-220) in which the project is located. Except as is otherwise provided by collective bargaining contracts or agreements, sponsors of projects shall agree, where practicable, to first consider [persons eligible to participate in the federal job training partnership (P.L. No. 97-300) programs] unemployed individuals, low-income individuals, dislocated workers, individuals training for non-traditional employment, as defined in the federal workforce investment act of nineteen hundred ninety-eight (P.L. 105-220), veterans, and individuals with disabilities who shall be referred by administrative entities of [service delivery areas] local workforce investment areas created pursuant to such act or by the [community services division] division of employment services of the department of labor for such [such] new employment opportunities.
§ 10. Section 9-b of section 1 of chapter 174 of the laws of 1968 constituting the New York state urban development corporation act, as added by chapter 839 of the laws of 1987, is amended to read as follows:
§ 9-b. Positions opened as a result of assistance provided pursuant to section nine-a of this act. For any positions opened as a result of assistance provided pursuant to section nine-a of this act, industrial firms so assisted shall provide notice of position openings to the local workforce investment board and shall first consider [persons eligible to participate in federal job training partnership act (P.L. 97-300) programs] unemployed individuals, low-income individuals, dislocated workers, individuals training for non-traditional employment, as defined in the federal workforce investment act of nineteen hundred ninety-eight (P.L. 105-220), veterans, and individuals with disabilities who shall be referred to the industrial firm by administrative entities of [service
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