Senate Bill S9397

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  9397--A
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 9, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  RAMOS, JACKSON -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be  committed  to  the  Committee  on  Finance  --
   committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
   recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to establish an educator development workforce for the purpose of
   contracting with EDHUBNY, a nonprofit organization, for support of New
   York's child serving and educator workforce; and making  an  appropri-
   ation therefor
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Definitions. For the purposes of this  act,  the  following
 terms shall have the following meanings:
   1.  "Educator development workforce" or "workforce" means the educator
 development workforce initiative established pursuant to section two  of
 this act.
   2.  "EDHUBNY" means NYS Educator Workforce Development HUB, also known
 as EDHUBNY, a  nonprofit  organization  organized  pursuant  to  section
 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code.
   §  2. Workforce established. 1. The commissioner of labor shall estab-
 lish an educator development workforce initiative to act as an  interme-
 diary and provide technical assistance for education entities and child-
 care  providers  to  engage in registered apprenticeships and additional
 child serving pathways, support, and retention strategies  as  necessary
 to ensure that New York's children, from birth through high school grad-
 uation,  are  supported  by  a  stable,  well-prepared child serving and
 educator workforce.
   2. The workforce shall collaborate with the department  of  education,
 the office of children and family services, and any other relevant state
 agencies to accomplish its purposes under this section.
   3.  Eligible participants with the workforce shall include, but not be
 limited  to,  school  districts,  boards  of   cooperative   educational
 services,  teacher  centers,  institutions  of  higher  education, early
 childhood providers, education intermediaries, and workforce development
 organizations.
   § 3. Workforce contracting with EDHUBNY. 1.  The  workforce  shall  be
 authorized  to  contract  with EDHUBNY for support of the purposes under
 subdivision two of this section, and the allocation of funds to EDHUBNY,
              

 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD14758-05-6
 S. 9397--A                          2
 
 appropriated therefor pursuant to section five  of  this  act,  for  the
 purposes  under  subdivision three of this section. Such contracts shall
 include performance  measures,  including  the  number  of  participants
 served,  reporting  requirements,  and  fiscal  controls consistent with
 state law. EDHUBNY shall be subject to audit by  the  state  comptroller
 and  shall maintain all financial and programmatic records for a minimum
 of 6 years.
   2. Contracts executed pursuant to subdivision one of this section  may
 provide for:
   (a)  Individual and group-sponsored registered apprenticeship programs
 for educators  and  child-serving  professionals  from  early  childhood
 through grade twelve;
   (b) Grow-your-own educator pathways rooted in local communities;
   (c)  Strategic  staffing and educator retention initiatives, including
 stipends and innovative staffing models;
   (d) Development of high-quality,  streamlined  credentialing  pathways
 for  career  changers  in partnership with institutions of higher educa-
 tion; and
   (e) Professional development, mentoring, and technical assistance  for
 educators, mentors, employers, and intermediaries.
   3.  Funds  appropriated pursuant to section five of this act and allo-
 cated to EDHUBNY pursuant to subdivision one of this  section  shall  be
 utilized by EDHUBNY as follows:
   (a) To support employer and apprentice costs for up to 750 apprentices
 statewide  serving  children  from birth through high school graduation,
 including  wage  offsets,  tuition  assistance,  support  services,  and
 certification guidance;
   (b)  For professional training and mentoring for experienced educators
 and child care providers through non-profits such  as  teacher  centers,
 BOCES, or CUNY PDI;
   (c)  For  EDHUBNY's  ANEW  program, the Association for a New Educator
 Workforce, for statewide intermediary coordination and group apprentice-
 ship sponsorship;
   (d) To work with the department of education and institutions of high-
 er education to develop streamlined credentialing  pathways  for  career
 changers;
   (e)  To pilot research-based strategic staffing and educator retention
 models; and
   (f) For implementation of any of the  initiatives  so  contracted  for
 under subdivision two of this section.
   §  4. On or after December 31, 2027, EDHUBNY, in consultation with the
 workforce, shall submit a report to the governor, the  temporary  presi-
 dent  of  the senate, the speaker of the assembly, and the chairs of the
 assembly committees on labor, education, and ways and  means,  detailing
 outcomes, expenditures, workforce impact, and geographic distribution.
   §  5.  The sum of 50 million dollars ($50,000,000), or so much thereof
 as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the educator  development
 workforce  established  pursuant  to  section two of this act out of any
 moneys in the state treasury in the general fund to the  credit  of  the
 commissioner  of labor, not otherwise appropriated, and made immediately
 available, for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of  this  act.
 Such moneys shall be payable on the audit and warrant of the comptroller
 on  vouchers  certified  or approved by the commissioner of labor in the
 manner prescribed by law.
   § 6. This act shall take effect January 1, 2027.