STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 165 2019-2020 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled) January 9, 2019 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. CAHILL -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. AUBRY, COOK, CYMBROWITZ, ENGLEBRIGHT, GANTT, GOTTFRIED, JAFFEE, LUPARDO, MAGNARELLI, ORTIZ, PEOPLES-STOKES, RIVERA, RODRIGUEZ, TITUS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to enacting the "New York state YouthBuild act"; setting program requirements; authorizing the commissioner of labor to make grants to eligible YouthBuild programs and to establish application requirements; and expanding the number of YouthBuild programs in New York state The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as 2 the "New York state YouthBuild act". 3 § 2. Legislative intent. The legislature seeks to support economically 4 disadvantaged youth, especially youth who have not finished high school, 5 to obtain the education, work experience skills training, personal coun- 6 seling, leadership development skills training, job placement assist- 7 ance, and long-term follow-up services necessary for them to achieve 8 permanent economic self-sufficiency, while at the same time providing 9 valuable community service that addresses urgent community needs includ- 10 ing the demand for affordable housing and the need for young role models 11 and mentors for younger teenagers and children. 12 The legislature further intends to foster the development of leader- 13 ship skills and a commitment to community development among youth and to 14 ensure maximum educational achievement of program participants through 15 high school diploma or the equivalent attainment and transition to 16 institutions of higher education, where appropriate. 17 The legislature further intends to provide communities the opportunity 18 to establish or rebuild neighborhood stability in economically depressed 19 and low-income areas, as well as historic areas requiring restoration or EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD00026-01-9

A. 165 2 1 preservation, while providing economically disadvantaged youth and youth 2 who have not finished high school an opportunity for a meaningful 3 participation in society. 4 The legislature further intends to allow communities to expand the 5 supply of affordable housing for homeless and other low-income individ- 6 uals by utilizing the energies and talents of economically disadvantaged 7 youth and young people who have not graduated from high school. 8 The legislature also intends to foster the development of leadership 9 skills and a commitment to community development among youth. 10 § 3. The labor law is amended by adding a new section 42-a to read as 11 follows: 12 § 42-a. YouthBuild; program requirements services. 1. The commission- 13 er is authorized, subject to amounts made available by appropriation, to 14 make grants to eligible applicants for the purpose of carrying out 15 YouthBuild programs as approved under this section. All programs funded 16 pursuant to the provisions of this section shall use funds available 17 pursuant to this section to provide the following services: 18 a. The training costs for the rehabilitation or construction of hous- 19 ing and related facilities to be used for the purpose of providing 20 homeownership for disadvantaged persons, residential housing for home- 21 less individuals, and low-income and very low-income families, or tran- 22 sitional housing for persons who are homeless, have disabilities, are 23 ill, are deinstitutionalized, or have special needs, or the rehabili- 24 tation or construction of community facilities owned by not-for-profit 25 public agencies. 26 b. The cost of providing training and placement in the growing employ- 27 ment sectors of healthcare and technology. 28 c. The cost of integrated education and work experience skills train- 29 ing services and activities which are evenly divided within the program 30 shall include the following elements: 31 (1) An education component which includes: basic skills instruction, 32 secondary education services, and other activities designed to lead to 33 the attainment of a high school diploma or its equivalent. The curric- 34 ulum for this component shall include math, language arts, vocational 35 education, life skills training, social studies related to the cultural 36 and community history of the students, leadership skills, and other 37 topics at the discretion of the programs; and 38 (2) A work experience and skills training component pre-apprenticeship 39 program that includes construction and rehabilitation activities 40 described in paragraph a of this subdivision. The process of 41 construction must be coupled with work experience skills training and 42 with close on-site supervision by experienced trainers. The curriculum 43 for this component shall contain a set of locally agreed upon skills and 44 competencies that are systematically taught, with students' mastery 45 assessed individually on a regular, ongoing basis. The work experience 46 and skills training component shall be coordinated to the maximum extent 47 feasible with preapprenticeship programs, and apprenticeship programs 48 authorized under article twenty-three of this chapter. 49 d. The cost of counseling services designed to assist participants to 50 positively participate in society, which should include all of the 51 following if necessary: outreach, assessment, and orientation; individ- 52 ual and peer counseling; life skills training; drug and alcohol abuse 53 education and prevention; and referral to appropriate drug rehabili- 54 tation, medical, mental health, legal, housing, and other services and 55 resources in the community.

A. 165 3 1 2. A training subsidy, living allowance, or stipend that shall be no 2 less than minimum wage must be provided to program participants for the 3 time spent at the worksite in construction training, health care or 4 information technology services. Stipends and wages may be distributed 5 in a manner that offers incentives for good performance. 6 a. Full time participation in a YouthBuild program shall be offered 7 for a period of not less than six months and not more than twenty-four 8 months. 9 b. A concentrated effort, for those participants who choose not to 10 immediately enroll in an institution of higher education, shall be made 11 to find construction, construction-related, and nonconstruction jobs as 12 well as jobs in the fields of healthcare and technology for all gradu- 13 ates of the program who have performed well. The work experience skills 14 training curriculum shall provide participants with basic preparation 15 for seeking and maintaining a job. Follow-up counseling and assistance 16 in job-seeking shall also be provided to participants for the twelve 17 months following graduation from the program. 18 c. All programs serving twenty-eight trainees or more are required to 19 have a full-time director responsible for the coordination of all 20 aspects of the YouthBuild program. 21 3. a. Eligible participants are youth between the ages of sixteen and 22 twenty-four who are economically disadvantaged as defined in 29 United 23 States Code 1503, and who are part of one of the following groups: 24 (1) Persons who are not attending any school and have not received a 25 secondary school diploma or its equivalent; or 26 (2) Persons currently enrolled in a traditional or alternative school 27 setting or a HSE/TASC (high school equivalency/test assessing secondary 28 completion) program and who are in danger of dropping out of school; or 29 (3) Very low-income persons whose incomes are at or less than fifty 30 percent of the area median income area, adjusted for family size, as 31 estimated by the department of housing and urban development. 32 b. An exception may be made for individuals not meeting income or 33 educational need requirements. Not more than twenty-five percent of the 34 participants in such program may be individuals who do not meet the 35 requirements of this subdivision, but who have educational needs despite 36 the attainment of a high school diploma. 37 4. Priority in the awarding of funds under this section shall be given 38 to applicants with experience in operating YouthBuild programs and 39 implementing the YouthBuild model, including but not limited to, housing 40 construction skills training, education, leadership development, life 41 skills training, and counseling services. Priority shall also be given 42 to those who meet the program standards of YouthBuild USA, Inc. 43 5. Any not-for-profit private agencies, or public agencies with expe- 44 rience operating a YouthBuild program or with a plan to incubate a 45 YouthBuild program until it can be established as a not-for-profit 46 private agency are eligible entities. Only not-for-profit private agen- 47 cies or public agencies that are licensed affiliates of YouthBuild USA, 48 Inc. or currently receive a department of labor YouthBuild award, are 49 eligible to use the term YouthBuild or eligible to apply for these 50 funds. 51 6. The commissioner shall require applicants for YouthBuild funds to 52 include various information on the applicant's programs and shall 53 promulgate regulations outlining information required on such applicant. 54 Provided, however, that at a minimum such application shall include: 55 a. A request for an implementation grant, specifying the amount of the 56 grant requested and its proposed uses;

A. 165 4 1 b. A description of the applicant and a statement of its qualifica- 2 tions, including a description of the applicant's past experience 3 running a YouthBuild program, and its experience with housing rehabili- 4 tation or construction and with youth and youth education, youth leader- 5 ship development and work experience skills training programs, and its 6 relationship with local unions and youth apprenticeship programs, and 7 other community groups; and 8 c. A description of the educational and work experience skills train- 9 ing activities, work opportunities, and other services that shall be 10 provided to participants. 11 § 4. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a 12 law.

Enacts the "New York state YouthBuild act"

What's Happening

Why It Matters