Bill Text: NY A06496 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes the sector partnership enhancement and reinforcement program to assist in the identification of target industry clusters and employers for creation of new local sector partnerships and to provide grants to emerging and existing local sector partnerships and to community colleges seeking to establish local sector partnerships for recruitment activities; makes an appropriation therefor.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 6-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - referred to economic development [A06496 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-A06496-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6496 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY April 12, 2023 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. MAHER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Economic Development AN ACT to amend the economic development law, in relation to establish- ing the sector partnership enhancement and reinforcement program; and making an appropriation therefor The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The economic development law is amended by adding a new 2 article 27 to read as follows: 3 ARTICLE 27 4 SECTOR PARTNERSHIP ENHANCEMENT AND REINFORCEMENT PROGRAM 5 Section 490. Short title. 6 491. Definitions. 7 492. Sector partnership enhancement and reinforcement program. 8 493. Local sector partnership duties and responsibilities. 9 494. Local sector partnership formation grant. 10 495. Local sector partnership enhancement grant. 11 496. Community college sector partnership exploration grant. 12 § 490. Short title. This article shall be known and may be cited as 13 the "sector partnership enhancement and reinforcement program act". 14 § 491. Definitions. For the purposes of this article: 15 1. "Community college" means a college established and operated pursu- 16 ant to the provisions of article one hundred twenty-six of the education 17 law which provides two-year postsecondary programs in general and 18 receives financial assistance from the state. 19 2. "Local sector partnership" means a workforce collaborative, within 20 an economic development region as established by the department pursuant 21 to article eleven of this chapter, focused on achieving the goal of 22 meeting shared human resources needs and consisting of multiple employ- 23 ers within an industry sector, in combination with representatives of 24 one or more of the following: EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD10488-01-3A. 6496 2 1 (a) a labor organization, where appropriate; 2 (b) a local workforce development board; 3 (c) a postsecondary education institution; 4 (d) a community college; 5 (e) an adult basic education provider; 6 (f) a school district; 7 (g) the state or a local government; 8 (h) a chamber of commerce or other economic development organization; 9 (i) a community based organization or other not-for-profit organiza- 10 tion; or 11 (j) any other entity as determined eligible by the department. 12 § 492. Sector partnership enhancement and reinforcement program. The 13 department, in consultation with the department of labor, the state 14 education department, the New York state higher education services 15 corporation, the New York state workforce investment board, and repre- 16 sentatives of local workforce development boards, shall establish a 17 sector partnership enhancement and reinforcement program, the purpose of 18 which shall be to: 19 1. upon request, assist in the identification of target industry clus- 20 ters and employers for creation of new local sector partnerships 21 throughout the state; 22 2. support and encourage contact and cooperation between local sector 23 partnerships already in existence and those looking to create a new 24 local sector partnership; 25 3. serve as a coordinator or convener pursuant to subdivision one of 26 section four hundred ninety-three of this article on behalf of employers 27 within an industry sector and the appropriate state and local agencies 28 or not-for-profit organizations to facilitate the creation and support 29 of local sector partnerships; 30 4. provide technical assistance, including counseling and direction 31 from department staff in forming and sustaining a local sector partner- 32 ship, professional development opportunities for members of a local 33 sector partnership, customized labor market and economic data upon 34 request, and similar assistance as to be determined by the department to 35 local sector partnerships; and 36 5. provide and administer grants pursuant to sections four hundred 37 ninety-four, four hundred ninety-five and four hundred ninety-six of 38 this article to new and existing local sector partnerships. 39 § 493. Local sector partnership duties and responsibilities. A local 40 sector partnership shall: 41 1. designate one of the member entities or a representative from the 42 department as the convener of the local partnership. The convener shall 43 assume responsibility for recruiting membership to a local sector part- 44 nership, organizing meetings, fulfilling required reporting requirements 45 pursuant to subdivision two of this section, and for designating a 46 fiscal agent to oversee grant funds received pursuant to sections four 47 hundred ninety-four, four hundred ninety-five and four hundred ninety- 48 six of this article. The convener may perform additional duties as 49 determined by the local sector partnership; 50 2. report performance information as determined by the department, 51 including an annual financial statement prepared according to generally 52 accepted accounting principles, to the department by December first of 53 each year; 54 3. develop a comprehensive plan for addressing any identified skills 55 gap in the sector in order to be eligible for a grant pursuant toA. 6496 3 1 section four hundred ninety-four, section four hundred ninety-five, or 2 section four hundred ninety-six of this article; and 3 4. perform additional duties and responsibilities as determined by the 4 department. 5 § 494. Local sector partnership formation grant. 1. The department 6 shall award grants to emerging local sector partnerships, or local 7 sector partnerships created within the last five years of the effective 8 date of this article, to fund planning activities including, but not 9 limited to, building and promoting membership in a local sector partner- 10 ship, initial costs related to research identifying sector skill gaps 11 and factors contributing to such gaps, and developing a plan to close 12 any existing skills gap as identified by the local sector partnership. 13 2. Local sector partnership formation grants shall not be less than 14 fifty thousand dollars and shall not exceed one hundred thousand 15 dollars. 16 3. The first fifty percent of the total grant amount shall be made 17 available immediately upon notification of such grant award. The remain- 18 ing fifty percent of the grant shall be available to a local sector 19 partnership as a two-to-one match for funds raised. 20 4. For the purposes of this grant, matching funds include, but are not 21 limited to: cash funds raised; equipment costs, including computers, 22 training equipment, software, subscriptions, and other items directly 23 related to partnership operations; and facility costs, including acqui- 24 sition, rent, utilities, and other costs incurred directly related to 25 partnership operations. 26 5. For the purposes of this grant, matching funds shall not include: 27 salaries and fringe benefits provided in-kind by the lead applicant, 28 fiscal agent, or partnership member organizations; salaries and fringe 29 benefits paid by the lead applicant, fiscal agent, or partnership member 30 organizations to training or educational program participants; and fund- 31 ing granted through other programs administered by the department. 32 § 495. Local sector partnership enhancement grant. 1. The department 33 shall award grants to local sector partnerships which have already 34 completed planning activities as identified by the department for imple- 35 mentation activities including, but not limited to: skills training; 36 establishing a secondary to postsecondary education workforce pipeline; 37 establishing career pathways for adults; creating industry-based certif- 38 ication programs; developing curriculum; promoting participation in any 39 workforce training or education program; and other activities that 40 prepare or assist in providing workers for the industry sector. 41 2. Local sector partnership enhancement grants shall not be less than 42 fifty thousand dollars and shall not exceed two hundred fifty thousand 43 dollars. 44 3. Grants pursuant to this section shall be available to a local 45 sector partnership as a two-to-one match for funds raised by the local 46 sector partnership. 47 4. For the purposes of this grant, matching funds include, but are not 48 limited to: cash funds raised; equipment costs, including computers, 49 training equipment, software, subscriptions, and other items directly 50 related to partnership operations; and facility costs, including acqui- 51 sition, rent, utilities, and other costs incurred directly related to 52 partnership operations. 53 5. For the purposes of this grant, matching funds shall not include: 54 salaries and fringe benefits provided in-kind by the lead applicant, 55 fiscal agent, or partnership member organizations; salaries and fringe 56 benefits paid by the lead applicant, fiscal agent, or partnership memberA. 6496 4 1 organizations to training or educational program participants; and fund- 2 ing granted through other programs administered by the department. 3 § 496. Community college sector partnership exploration grant. 1. The 4 department shall award grants to community colleges seeking to establish 5 local sector partnerships for recruitment activities including, but not 6 limited to: developing a plan for creating and convening a local sector 7 partnership with employers in targeted industry clusters; related 8 marketing costs for advertising the potential creation of sector part- 9 nerships; financial incentives for recruiting employers in targeted 10 industry clusters to join a new local sector partnership; and other 11 activities that assist in the creation of a new local sector partner- 12 ship. 13 2. Community college sector partnership exploration grants shall not 14 be less than fifty thousand dollars and shall not exceed five hundred 15 thousand dollars. 16 3. Grants pursuant to this section shall be made available immediately 17 upon notification of such grant award. 18 § 2. The sum of up to fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000), is hereby 19 appropriated to the department of economic development for the purpose 20 of carrying out the provisions of this act to be funded by grants under 21 the workforce investment act, federal Public Law 105-220, and the work- 22 force innovation and opportunity act, federal Public Law 113-128. Such 23 moneys shall be payable on the audit and warrant of the comptroller on 24 vouchers certified or approved by the commissioner of the department of 25 economic development in the manner prescribed by law. 26 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
