S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2084
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 12, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Children and Families
 
 AN ACT relating to the establishment of a pilot program to  provide  job
   and  vocational  skills  training  to  youth who have been adjudicated
   juvenile delinquents or juvenile  offenders  residing  in  a  facility
   overseen  by the office of children and family services; and providing
   for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary,
 the department of labor, in consultation with the office of children and
 family  services  shall conduct a pilot program to provide job and voca-
 tional skills training to  youth  who  have  been  adjudicated  juvenile
 delinquents  or  juvenile  offenders under article 3 of the family court
 act and who are residing in a facility overseen by the office  of  chil-
 dren and family services as defined in section 504 or 504-a of the exec-
 utive  law.  Such  pilot program shall be conducted in three residential
 facilities chosen by the office of children  and  family  services.  The
 office of children and family services shall choose the three facilities
 in  which  the  pilot  program  will be conducted as considering factors
 including, but not limited to, existing vocational and job skills train-
 ing programs, the need for  expansion  of  such  programs,  the  average
 length of stay, and age of youth at the specific facilities.  Such pilot
 program  shall  use a combination of integrated support services, educa-
 tional, vocational and job skill training to provide youth  with  skills
 needed  to advance to higher levels of education and higher wage jobs in
 growing occupational fields.   Youth  wishing  to  participate  in  such
 program  who  are  also  attending  school  or are receiving educational
 services within the facility, must be given an option to participate  in
 the program at a time that does not conflict with their school or educa-
 tion schedule.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD00363-01-7

 S. 2084                             2
 
   §  2. The name of any youth participating in the pilot program and any
 other identifying information relating to the placement of such youth at
 a residential facility, and his or her adjudication as a juvenile delin-
 quent or juvenile offender, shall remain confidential  pursuant  to  law
 and shall not be disclosed to any person or entity not otherwise author-
 ized.
   § 3. To the extent possible, the department of labor and the office of
 children  and family services shall work in collaboration with community
 organizations operating in or around the counties where  the  facilities
 chosen  for  the pilot program are located. Such community organizations
 may include, but not be limited to, not-for-profit organizations,  faith
 based  organizations,  local  development  corporations  and small busi-
 nesses.
   § 4. The department of labor and the office  of  children  and  family
 services  shall  issue a joint report on the status of the pilot program
 to the chair of the New York state senate standing committee on children
 and families, the chair of the New York state senate standing  committee
 on labor, the chair of the New York state assembly standing committee on
 children  and  families  and  the  chair  of the New York state assembly
 standing committee on labor by December  31,  2019.  Such  report  shall
 include, but not be limited to, the status of the program, the number of
 youth  served  in the program, the average length of time youth received
 services in the program, and the employment and educational outcomes  of
 the youth participants if known, as of November 30, 2019.
   §  5.  This  act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
 deemed repealed April 1, 2020.