Senate Bill S184

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    184
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. PERSAUD -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Social Services
 
 AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to  establishing  a
   full year youth and young adult employment immersion program

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The social services law is amended by adding a new  section
 131-y to read as follows:
   § 131-Y.  YOUTH  EMPLOYMENT  IMMERSION PROGRAM. 1. FOR THE PURPOSES OF
 THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A) "OFFICE" MEANS THE OFFICE OF TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY ASSISTANCE.
   (B) "PROGRAM" MEANS THE YOUTH EMPLOYMENT IMMERSION PROGRAM ESTABLISHED
 UNDER THIS SECTION.
   (C) "ELIGIBLE YOUTHS AND YOUNG ADULTS"  MEANS  ECONOMICALLY  DISADVAN-
 TAGED  STATE  RESIDENTS  WHO ARE BETWEEN THE AGES OF SIXTEEN AND TWENTY-
 FOUR WHOM HAVE NOT COMPLETED POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION.
   2. THE OFFICE SHALL ESTABLISH A YOUTH  EMPLOYMENT  IMMERSION  PROGRAM.
 THE PROGRAM SHALL BE ADMINISTERED BY THE LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICTS
 WITH  SUPERVISION AND REGULATION BY THE OFFICE. THE PROGRAM SHALL BE FOR
 ELIGIBLE YOUTHS AND YOUNG ADULTS WHICH SHALL INCLUDE:
   (A) UP TO TWENTY PERCENT OF AN ELIGIBLE YOUTH OR  YOUNG  ADULT'S  TIME
 WITH  THE  PROGRAM  BEING  SPENT  ON EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT READINESS,
 INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
   (I) ATTENDING A HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY PROGRAM;
   (II) ATTENDING PROGRAMS WHICH TEACH WORKFORCE READINESS, SKILL  DEVEL-
 OPMENT, FINANCIAL LITERACY, OR DIGITAL LITERACY;
   (III) EARNING A CERTIFICATION OR LICENSE; OR
   (IV) BEING PROVIDED WITH JOB PLACEMENT AND RETENTION SERVICES; AND
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00868-01-5
 S. 184                              2
              

 
   (B) AT LEAST EIGHTY PERCENT OF AN ELIGIBLE YOUTH OR YOUNG ADULT'S TIME
 WITH  THE  PROGRAM  BEING  SPENT ENGAGING IN PAID EMPLOYMENT THAT BUILDS
 TRANSFERABLE SKILLS.
   3.  THE PROGRAM SHALL PERMIT ELIGIBLE YOUTHS AND YOUNG ADULTS TO APPLY
 FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM FOR A  PERIOD  OF  ONE  YEAR  WITH  THE
 OPTION  OF  RE-APPLYING  TO EXTEND THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM BY
 ONE YEAR UNTIL THEY ARE NO LONGER ELIGIBLE.
   4. THE PROGRAM MAY PROVIDE EMPLOYERS WITH SUBSIDIES OF UP TO ONE THIRD
 OF THE GROSS WAGES FOR UP TO ONE YEAR FOR THE HIRING OF A PARTICIPANT IN
 THE PROGRAM.
   5. THE PROGRAM SHALL PERFORM OUTREACH TO  ELIGIBLE  YOUTHS  AND  YOUNG
 ADULTS  AT: HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY PROGRAMS; HIGH SCHOOLS, SPECIFICALLY
 REACHING OUT TO STUDENTS WHO DO NOT HAVE  PLANS  AFTER  GRADUATION;  AND
 PUBLIC  ASSISTANCE WORK READINESS PROGRAMS. THE PROGRAM SHALL ALSO REACH
 OUT TO YOUTHS AND YOUNG ADULTS WHO ARE BEING RELEASED  BY  THE  CRIMINAL
 JUSTICE SYSTEM OR NON-SECURE PLACEMENT PROGRAMS.
   6. PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS SHALL BE COMPENSATED FOR EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION
 AND  EMPLOYMENT  READINESS  COMPONENTS  AT  A  RATE EQUAL TO TWO HUNDRED
 SIXTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LINE.
   § 2. Subparagraph (ix) of paragraph (a) of subdivision  8  of  section
 131-a  of the social services law, as added by section 1 of subpart D of
 part XX of chapter 55 of the  laws  of  2020,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   (ix)  all of the income derived from participation in the summer youth
 employment program  OR  YOUTH  EMPLOYMENT  IMMERSION  PROGRAM,  provided
 however,  that such income shall be exempt only for an individual who is
 not older than age twenty-four at the time of enrollment in  the  summer
 youth  employment program OR YOUTH EMPLOYMENT IMMERSION PROGRAM and such
 disregard must be applied for the length  of  the  individual's  partic-
 ipation in such program.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.