S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
8988
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
August 13, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SLATER -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Economic Development
AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to the office of strategic
workforce development; to repeal section 100-b of the economic devel-
opment law, relating thereto; and in relation to transferring the
office of strategic workforce development from the department of
economic development to the department of labor
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
the "workforce development consolidation act of 2025".
§ 2. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature finds that a
fragmented approach to workforce development across multiple state agen-
cies has led to inefficiencies, duplication of services, and a lack of
alignment with the evolving needs of New York's economy. The current
system presents challenges for job seekers and employers alike. The
legislature further finds that consolidating workforce development
programs under a single, strategic office will streamline adminis-
tration, improve accessibility, enhance accountability, and better align
training with the demands of high-growth industries. It is the intent of
the legislature to consolidate all workforce development programs
currently administered by various New York state agencies into the
office of strategic workforce development that will now be part of the
department of labor, thereby modernizing and strengthening New York
state's workforce development system.
§ 3. Section 100-b of the economic development law is REPEALED.
§ 4. Transfer of functions. Notwithstanding the provisions of any law
to the contrary, all of the duties, functions and powers of the office
of strategic workforce development are hereby transferred, assigned to,
and assumed by the department of labor and the commissioner thereof as
may be applicable.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11571-02-5
A. 8988 2
§ 5. Transfer of employees. Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, upon the transfer of functions
from the department of economic development to the department of labor
pursuant to this act, all employees of the office of strategic workforce
development shall be transferred to the department of labor to be
retained within the office of strategic workforce development. Employees
transferred pursuant to this section shall be transferred without
further examination or qualification and shall retain their respective
civil service classifications, status, and collective bargaining unit
designations and collective bargaining agreements. No individual trans-
ferred pursuant to this act shall suffer a reduction in salary.
§ 6. Transfer of facilities, records, and equipment. The commissioner
of economic development shall transfer and deliver to the commissioner
of labor all facilities, vehicles, books, papers, records, and equipment
of the office of strategic workforce development to the department of
labor so as to enable the department of labor to carry out the trans-
ferred functions of the office set out in section four of this act.
§ 7. Completion of unfinished business. Any business or other matter
undertaken or commenced by the department of economic development
pertaining to or connected with the functions, powers, obligations, and
duties transferred and assigned pursuant to this act to the department
of labor, and pending on the effective date of this act, may be
conducted and completed by the department of labor in the same manner
and under the same terms and conditions and with the same effect as if
conducted and completed by the department of economic development.
§ 8. Continuation of rules and regulations. All rules, regulations,
acts, orders, determinations, and decisions of the office of strategic
workforce development or the department of economic development pertain-
ing to the functions and powers transferred and assigned pursuant to
this act, in force at the time of such transfer and assumption, shall
continue in force and effect as rules, regulations, acts, orders, deter-
minations, and decisions of the department of labor until duly modified
or abrogated by the commissioner of labor.
§ 9. Terms occurring in laws, contracts, and other documents. Whenever
the office of strategic workforce development is referred to or desig-
nated in any law, contract, or document pertaining to the functions,
powers, obligations, and duties transferred and assigned pursuant to
this act, such reference or designation shall be deemed to refer to the
office of strategic workforce development as continued in the department
of labor.
§ 10. Pending actions or proceedings. No action or proceeding pending
at the time when this act shall take effect, brought by or against the
office of strategic workforce development shall be affected by this act,
but the same may be prosecuted or defended in the name of the commis-
sioner of labor or the office. If the department of economic development
is a party in any such actions and proceedings, the commissioner of
labor or the office, upon application to the court, shall be substituted
as party.
§ 11. Transfer of appropriations. All appropriations made to the
department of economic development relating to the office of strategic
workforce development, to the extent of remaining unexpended balances,
shall be transferred by the comptroller to and made available for use by
the department of labor, subject to the approval of the director of the
budget, for the payment of liabilities previously incurred by the func-
tions transferred pursuant to this act. Payments for liabilities for
expenses of personal service, maintenance, and operation previously
A. 8988 3
incurred by the transfer of functions and for liabilities incurred and
to be incurred shall be made on vouchers or certificates approved by the
commissioner of labor on audit and warrant of the comptroller.
§ 12. Transfer of assets and liabilities. All assets and liabilities
of the office of strategic workforce development as part of the depart-
ment of economic development shall be transferred to and assumed by the
office as part of the department of labor.
§ 13. Transfer of workforce development programs. All existing work-
force development programs shall be transferred and administered by the
office of strategic workforce development within sixty days of the
effective date of this section.
§ 14. The labor law is amended by adding a new article 24-B to read as
follows:
ARTICLE 24-B
OFFICE OF STRATEGIC WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
SECTION 855. DEFINITIONS.
855-A. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE OFFICE.
855-B. TRANSITION TASK FORCE.
855-C. ANNUAL REPORTING.
§ 855. DEFINITIONS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING
TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
1. "WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM" MEANS ANY PROGRAM ADMINISTERED BY A
NEW YORK STATE AGENCY OR PUBLIC AUTHORITY THAT PROVIDES TRAINING, EDUCA-
TION, JOB PLACEMENT ASSISTANCE, OR RELATED SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS SEEK-
ING EMPLOYMENT OR TO EMPLOYERS SEEKING TO TRAIN OR UPSKILL EMPLOYEES.
2. "OFFICE" MEANS THE OFFICE OF STRATEGIC WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
§ 855-A. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE OFFICE. THE OFFICE OF STRATEGIC WORK-
FORCE DEVELOPMENT SHALL:
1. ADMINISTER ALL CONSOLIDATED WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND
ASSOCIATED FUNDING;
2. CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF EXISTING WORKFORCE TRAINING
PROGRAMS TO IDENTIFY REDUNDANCIES, INEFFICIENCIES, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR
IMPROVEMENT, AND TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE INNO-
VATION AND OPPORTUNITY ACT, PURSUANT TO CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO OF TITLE
TWENTY-NINE OF THE UNITED STATES CODE WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF THE EFFECTIVE
DATE OF THIS SECTION;
3. DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A STREAMLINED, UNIFIED APPLICATION SYSTEM FOR
ALL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS TO SIMPLIFY ACCESS FOR APPLICANTS;
4. IMPLEMENT AND MAINTAIN AN APPLICANT TRACKING SYSTEM TO MONITOR
APPLICANT PROGRESS FROM SUBMISSION THROUGH PROGRAM COMPLETION AND JOB
PLACEMENT. SUCH APPLICANT TRACKING SYSTEM SHALL BE UTILIZED TO COLLECT
AND ANALYZE DATA ON PROGRAM PARTICIPATION, DEMOGRAPHICS, TRAINING
OUTCOMES, AND EMPLOYMENT RATES;
5. ESTABLISH AND UTILIZE STANDARDIZED PERFORMANCE METRICS TO EVALUATE
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ALL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. SUCH METRICS
SHALL INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, JOB PLACEMENT RATES, WAGE LEVELS,
RETENTION RATES, AND SKILL ATTAINMENT;
6. LAUNCH AND MAINTAIN A STATEWIDE PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN TO
EDUCATE RESIDENTS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK ABOUT THE CONSOLIDATION OF
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, THE SERVICES AVAILABLE, AND HOW TO
ACCESS THOSE SERVICES. SUCH CAMPAIGN SHALL UTILIZE VARIOUS COMMUNICATION
CHANNELS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ONLINE RESOURCES, SOCIAL MEDIA,
COMMUNITY OUTREACH, AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH EMPLOYERS AND COMMUNITY ORGAN-
IZATIONS;
7. PRIORITIZE TRAINING PROGRAMS IN HIGH-GROWTH INDUSTRIES, INCLUDING
BUT NOT LIMITED TO TECHNOLOGY, HEALTHCARE, MANUFACTURING, AND GREEN
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ENERGY, IN ALIGNMENT WITH LOCAL, REGIONAL AND STATEWIDE ECONOMIC DEVEL-
OPMENT PRIORITIES; AND
8. COORDINATE CLOSELY WITH REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCILS TO
ENSURE THAT WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAMS MEET LOCAL LABOR MARKET NEEDS
AND SUPPORT REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES.
§ 855-B. TRANSITION TASK FORCE. A TRANSITION TASK FORCE SHALL BE
ESTABLISHED WITHIN THIRTY DAYS OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION TO
OVERSEE THE TRANSITION OF THE OFFICE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR PURSUANT
TO THE CHAPTER OF THE LAWS OF TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE WHICH ADDED THIS
ARTICLE. SUCH TASK FORCE SHALL BE COMPOSED OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE
OFFICE, THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, THE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EMPIRE STATE DEVELOPMENT, AND OTHER RELEVANT AGEN-
CIES AND STAKEHOLDERS, AS NECESSARY.
§ 855-C. ANNUAL REPORTING. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE
GOVERNOR, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, AND THE SPEAKER OF THE
ASSEMBLY NO LATER THAN DECEMBER THIRTY-FIRST OF EACH YEAR. IN PREPARING
THE REPORT, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL COORDINATE WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW
YORK, THE OFFICE OF TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY ASSISTANCE, THE OFFICE OF
CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES, THE URBAN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND ITS
SUBSIDIARIES, AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT AGENCY OR ENTITY. SUCH REPORT SHALL
INCLUDE, BUT NEED NOT BE LIMITED TO: AGGREGATE TOTALS FOR EACH ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM ADMINISTERED DIRECTLY BY THE OFFICE, AND AGGREGATE
TOTALS FOR RELATED PROGRAMS IN OTHER AGENCIES WHEREIN SUCH PROGRAM FUNDS
ARE APPROPRIATED WITHIN THE OFFICE, THE NUMBER OF AWARDS MADE SINCE THE
LAST REPORT AS WELL AS THE NUMBER OF AWARDS MADE TO DATE, THE NUMBER OF
BUSINESS PARTNERS SECURED THROUGH SUCH AWARDS, THE DOLLAR TOTAL OF SUCH
AWARDS, REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF SUCH AWARDS, THE IDENTIFIED STATEWIDE
AND REGIONAL PRIORITY SECTORS AS IDENTIFIED BY THE URBAN DEVELOPMENT
CORPORATION WITH INPUT FROM THE REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCILS
INCLUDING A DESCRIPTION OF EACH SUCH SECTOR, THE NUMBER OF TRAINEES
ASSISTED THROUGH SUCH AWARDS, LEVERAGED MATCHING FUNDS ASSOCIATED WITH
AWARDS, PROGRAM PARTICIPATION RATES, INDUSTRY TRENDS, AND ANY OTHER
INFORMATION DEEMED NECESSARY BY THE COMMISSIONER.
§ 15. This act shall take effect immediately.