S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8156--A
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             October 13, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. BRONSON -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Education -- recommitted  to  the  Committee  on  Education  in
   accordance  with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill
   amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said  commit-
   tee

 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.  This  act  shall  be known and may be cited as the "youth
 workplace readiness act".
   § 2. Legislative findings and intent. It is the intent of the Legisla-
 ture that New York pupils enter the workforce with a strong  understand-
 ing  of  their  rights  as  workers, as well as their explicit rights as
 employed minors. It is further the intent of the  Legislature  to  equip
 pupils with this knowledge to protect them from retaliation and discrim-
 ination,  to ensure that these young workers receive all wages and bene-
 fits to which they are entitled, to empower them to refuse  unsafe  work
 when necessary, and to prepare them to assert their labor rights whenev-
 er these rights are threatened.
   The  Legislature hereby finds and declares that young New Yorkers must
 enter the workforce having received a thorough education on their  right
 to join or organize a union at their workplace. It is further the intent
 of the Legislature that secondary schools present state-approved appren-
 ticeship programs as a path towards a living wage career for all pupils.
   §  3. 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  MAY  FIRST  SHALL  BE KNOWN AS "WORKPLACE READINESS WEEK". ALL
 SECONDARY SCHOOLS SHALL ANNUALLY OBSERVE THAT WEEK BY PROVIDING INFORMA-

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11779-04-4
 A. 8156--A                          2
              

 
 TION 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) CHILD LABOR;
   (II) WAGE AND HOUR PROTECTIONS;
   (III) WORKER SAFETY;
   (IV) WORKERS' COMPENSATION;
   (V) PAID SICK LEAVE;
   (VI) PROHIBITIONS AGAINST RETALIATION; AND
   (VII) THE RIGHT TO ORGANIZE A UNION IN THE WORKPLACE;
   (B) THE LABOR MOVEMENT'S ROLE IN WINNING THE PROTECTIONS AND  BENEFITS
 DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION;
   (C)  AN  INTRODUCTION TO STATE-APPROVED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS IN NEW
 YORK, HOW TO ACCESS THEM, AND HOW THEY CAN PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE CAREER
 PATH FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT ATTEND UNIVERSITY OR COLLEGE;
   (D) AN INTRODUCTION TO THE CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM IN NEW  YORK  AND  THE
 PROCESS OF TESTING AND APPLYING FOR CIVIL SERVICE JOBS; AND
   (E) AN INTRODUCTION TO FINANCIAL LITERACY WHICH SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT
 BE LIMITED TO, BANKING BASICS, BUDGETING, AND FILING TAXES.
   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. 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 DOCUMENT CLEARLY EXPLAINING BASIC  LABOR  RIGHTS  EXTENDED  TO
 WORKERS.    TOPICS  COVERED  IN  THIS DOCUMENT SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE
 LIMITED TO, THOSE TOPICS IDENTIFIED IN PARAGRAPH (A) OF SUBDIVISION  ONE
 OF THIS SECTION. SUCH DOCUMENT SHALL BE PRODUCED, AND MADE AVAILABLE, IN
 ANY  LANGUAGE  SPOKEN  BY FIVE PERCENT OR MORE OF THE PUPILS ENROLLED IN
 ANY ONE SCHOOL OR, IF REQUESTED, IN THE PRIMARY LANGUAGE OF ANY  STUDENT
 AND SHALL EXPRESS THESE LABOR RIGHTS IN PLAIN, NATURAL TERMINOLOGY EASI-
 LY  UNDERSTOOD  BY THE STUDENT. THE DOCUMENT SHALL BE IN A PHYSICAL FORM
 BUT MAY ALSO BE PROVIDED ELECTRONICALLY. 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 SEEKING WORKING PAPERS  PURSU-
 ANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION, INCLUDING THE TRANSLATIONS SPECIFIED.
   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  SECONDARY
 SCHOOL IN THE STATE, AT LEAST ONE MONTH BEFORE WORKPLACE READINESS WEEK.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.