Creates grant program for NJ YouthBuild programs through DOLWD; makes appropriation.

A1443

ASSEMBLY, No. 1443

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman ERIK K. SIMONSEN

District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblyman McClellan

SYNOPSIS

���� Creates grant program for NJ YouthBuild programs
through DOLWD; makes appropriation.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act
establishing YouthBuild programs, supplementing Title
34 of the Revised Statutes, and making an appropriation.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� This act shall be known
and may be cited as �The New Jersey YouthBuild Act.�

���� 2.��� The purpose of the �The
New Jersey YouthBuild Act� shall be to:

���� a.���� Enable economically
disadvantaged youth, especially youth who have not finished high school, to
obtain the education, job skills training, personal counseling, leadership
development skills training, job placement assistance, and long-term follow-up
leading to economic self-sufficiency;

���� b.��� Provide communities the
opportunity to establish or rebuild neighborhood stability in economically
depressed and low-income areas, as well as historic areas requiring restoration
or preservation, while providing economically disadvantaged youth and youth who
have not finished high school an opportunity for meaningful participation in
society;

���� c.���� Allow communities to
maintain and expand the supply of affordable housing for homeless and other
low-income individuals by utilizing the energies and talents of economically
disadvantaged youth and young people who have not graduated from high school;
and

���� d.��� Foster the development
of leadership skills and a commitment to community development among youth.

���� 3.��� As used in this act:

���� "Applicant" means a
public or private not-for-profit agency eligible to provide education and
employment training under federal or State employment training programs.

���� �Commissioner� means the
Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

���� �Department� means the
Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

���� �Eligible entity� means a
public or private nonprofit agency or organization, including a consortium of
public or private nonprofit agencies or organizations, including but not
limited to:

���� (1)�� a community-based
organization;

���� (2)�� a faith-based
organization;

���� (3)�� an entity carrying out
activities under this act, such as a local board;

���� (4)�� a community action
agency;

���� (5)�� a State or local housing
development agency;

���� (6)�� an Indian tribe or other
agency primarily serving Indians;

���� (7)�� a community development
corporation;

���� (8)�� a State or local youth
service or conservation corps; and

���� (9)�� any other entity
eligible to provide education or employment training under a federal program
(other than the program carried out under this section).

���� "YouthBuild" means
the program established by this act that provides disadvantaged youth with
opportunities for comprehensive education, employment, leadership development,
and training in the construction or rehabilitation of housing for special needs
populations, very low-income households and low-income households.

���� 4.��� a. The commissioner
shall, subject to appropriation, make grants to applicants for the purpose of
carrying out YouthBuild programs as approved under this section. �All programs
funded pursuant to the provisions of this section shall reflect strong youth
and community involvement. �In addition, funding provided under this section
shall be used by each YouthBuild program to provide, at a minimum, the
following services:

���� (1)�� integrated education and
job skills training services and activities which are evenly divided within the
program, with 50 percent of students� time spent in classroom-based
instruction, counseling, and leadership development instruction and 50 percent
of their time spent in service learning experiences at construction sites.� The
programs shall include, at a minimum, the following elements:

���� (a)�� an education component
which includes basic skills instruction, secondary education services, and
other activities designed to lead to the attainment of a high school diploma or
its equivalent. �The curriculum for this component shall include math, language
arts, vocational education, life skills training, social studies related to the
cultural and community history of the students, leadership skills, and other
topics at the discretion of the programs;

���� (b)�� a vocational learning
experience and skills training component apprenticeship program that includes
the construction and rehabilitation activities described in paragraph (4) of
this subsection.� The process of construction shall be tied with skills training
and with close on-site supervision by experienced trainers.� The curriculum for
this component shall contain a set of locally agreed upon skills and
competencies that are systematically taught, with a student's mastery assessed
individually on a regular, ongoing basis.� Safety skills shall be taught at the
outset.� The vocational learning experience and skills training component shall
be coordinated to the maximum extent feasible with pre-apprenticeship and
apprenticeship programs.� In order to receive grant funding, programs shall
offer vocational learning experiences that conclude with the administration of
assessments to obtain an industry-valued credential, per the list provided by
the Department of Labor and Workforce Development; and

���� (c)�� assistance in attaining
post-secondary education and required financial aid to be made available to
participants prior to graduation;

���� (2)�� counseling services
designed to assist participants to positively participate in society, which
should include all of the following if necessary: outreach, assessment, and
orientation; individual and peer counseling; life skills training, drug and
alcohol abuse education and prevention; and referral to appropriate drug
rehabilitation, medical, mental health, legal, housing, and other services and
resources in the community;

���� (3)�� leadership development
training that provides participants with meaningful opportunities to develop
leadership skills such as decision making, problem solving, and negotiating.
The program shall also encourage participants to develop strong peer group ties
that support their mutual pursuit of skills and values. All programs shall
establish a youth council in which participants are afforded opportunities to
develop public speaking and negotiating skills, and management and
policy-making participation in specific aspects of the program; and

���� (4)�� assistance with the
acquisition, rehabilitation, acquisition and rehabilitation, or construction of
housing and related facilities which will serve as the vocational training
sites and then to be used for the purpose of providing home ownership for disadvantaged
persons, residential housing for homeless individuals, and low-income and very
low-income families, or transitional housing for persons who are homeless, have
disabilities, are ill, are de-institutionalized, or have special needs and
rehabilitation or construction of community facilities owned by not-for-profit
or public agencies.

���� b.��� A YouthBuild program shall
provide a stipend to participants to cover the costs associated with their full
time participation in the program.� The stipend shall not be considered as
income in determining eligibility for other State or federal assistance
programs.� Stipends may be distributed in a manner that offers incentives for
good performance.

���� c.���� Full-time participation
in a YouthBuild program shall be offered for a period of not less than six months
and not more than 24 months.

���� d.��� A concentrated effort
shall be made to find jobs for all graduates of the program who have performed
well.� The skills training curriculum shall provide participants with basic
preparation for seeking and maintaining a job.� Follow-up counseling and assistance
in job-seeking shall also be provided to participants for the 12 months
following graduation from the program.

���� e.���� All programs serving 20
trainees or more are required to have a full-time director responsible for the
coordination of all aspects of the YouthBuild program.

���� 5.��� a.� Eligible
participants in a YouthBuild program shall be youth, 16 to 24 years old, who
are economically disadvantaged as defined in 29 U.S.C. s.1503, and who are part
of one of at least one of the following groups:

���� (1)�� persons who are not
attending any school and not received a secondary school diploma or its
equivalent;

���� (2)�� persons currently
enrolled in a traditional or alternative school setting or a high school
equivalency testing program and who are in danger of dropping out of school; or

���� (3)�� a member of a low-income
family, a youth in foster care (including a youth aging-out of foster care), a
youth offender, a youth with a disability, a child or incarcerated parents, or
a migrant youth.

���� b.��� Not more than 25 percent
of participants in the program may be individuals who do not meet the
requirements of paragraphs (1) or (2) of subsection a. of this section, but who
are deficient in basic skills despite having attained a secondary school
diploma, high school equivalency certificate, or other State-recognized
equivalent, or who have been referred by a local secondary school for
participation in a YouthBuild program leading to the attainment of a secondary
school diploma.

�

���� 6.��� Eligible entities to be
awarded funds under this act are not-for-profit private agencies with
experience operating a YouthBuild program or entities that have received a
federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) YouthBuild grant or have experience
in serving this population and have plans to incubate a YouthBuild program.
Priority in the awarding of funds under this act shall be given to applicants
with experience in operating YouthBuild programs or organizations that have
received HUD YouthBuild funding. Only not-for-profit private agencies that are
affiliates of YouthBuild USA or have received a federal HUD YouthBuild grant
shall be eligible to use the term YouthBuild.

�

���� 7.��� The commissioner shall
require that an application for YouthBuild funds under this act contain at a
minimum:

���� a.���� A request for an
implementation grant, specifying the amount of the grant requested and its
proposed uses;

���� b.��� A description of the
applicant and a statement of its qualifications, including a description of the
applicant�s past experience running a YouthBuild program, and with housing
rehabilitation or construction and with youth and youth education, youth leadership
development and employment training programs and other relevant community
organizations;

���� c.���� A description of the
educational and job training activities, work opportunities, and other services
that will be provided to participants;

���� d.��� A description of the
proposed construction or rehabilitation activities to be undertaken and the
anticipated schedule for carrying out those activities;

���� e.���� A description of the
manner in which eligible youths will be recruited and selected, including a
description of the arrangements which will be made with community-based
organizations, local educational agencies, public assistance agencies, the
courts of jurisdiction for status and youth offenders, shelters for homeless
individuals and other agencies that serve homeless youth, foster care agencies,
and other appropriate public and private agencies;

���� f.���� A description of the
special efforts that will be undertaken to recruit eligible young women
(including young women with dependent children) with plans for addressing
appropriate supports they may need, especially childcare;

���� g.��� A description of how the
proposed program will be coordinated with other youth serving agencies in the
service area;

���� h.��� Assurances that there
will be a sufficient number of adequately trained supervisory personnel in the
program who have attained the level of journeyman or its equivalent;

���� i.���� A description of the
applicant's relationship with any local building trade unions, which may exist,
regarding their involvement in training, and the relationship of the YouthBuild
program with established apprenticeship programs;

���� j.���� A description of
activities that will be undertaken to develop the leadership skills of
participants, including their role in decision making;

���� k.��� A detailed budget and a
description of the system of fiscal controls and auditing and accountability
procedures that will be used to ensure fiscal soundness;

���� l.���� A description of any
contracts and arrangements entered into between the applicant and other
agencies and entities including all in-kind donations and grants from both
public and private entities that will serve to augment State YouthBuild funds;

���� m.�� The qualifications and
past experience of the person who will fill the full-time program director
position; and

���� n.��� Other information or
factors as deemed necessary by the commissioner.

���� 8.��� a.� An applicant
selected for funding under this act shall provide to the department information
on program and participant outcomes, including but not limited to: attendance,
retention, GED attainment, high school diplomas issued, educational improvement
levels, placement, construction outcomes and community service accomplishments.

���� b.��� The department shall
prepare and submit annual evaluation reports to the Governor and the
Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1) on the
progress of individual programs funded under this act. �The department shall
prepare and submit a final evaluation report to the Governor and the
Legislature, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), on
individual programs at the times of program completion. �The final evaluation
report shall include, but not be limited to, information on the effectiveness
of the program, the status of program participants and recommendations on
program administration at the State and local level. �The department shall
submit the first evaluation report by July 1, 2024, and subsequent annual
reports by July 1 of each year thereafter.

�

���� 9.��� There is appropriated from
the General Fund to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development to
effectuate the provisions of this act:

���� a.���� $4,000,000 for fiscal
year 2024;

���� b.��� $4,400,000 for fiscal
year 2025;

���� c.���� $4,900,000 for fiscal
year 2026;

���� d.��� $5,400,000 for fiscal
year 2027; and

���� e.���� $6,000,000 for fiscal
year 2028.

���� 10.� This act shall take
effect on the 30th day after the date of enactment.

STATEMENT

���� This bill allows for the
Department of Labor and Workforce Development to establish a grant program for
YouthBuild programs throughout New Jersey.� YouthBuild is a community-based
pre-apprenticeship program that provides job training and educational opportunities
for at-risk youth ages 16-24 through the United States Department of Labor.�
The bill would expand YouthBuild programs in the State by establishing a State
program with funding that would work in coordination with the federal program.

���� In order for a YouthBuild
program to be eligible to receive this grant funding, several program
requirements must be met: (1) serving economically disadvantaged young people
ages 16 to 24 who have not received a secondary school diploma or its
equivalent; (2) offering integrated education and job skills training services
and activities which are evenly divided within the program, with 50 percent of
students� time spent in classroom-based instruction, counseling, and leadership
development instruction and 50 percent of their time spent in service learning
experiences at job sites; (3) curriculum culminating in an industry recognized
credential, with the YouthBuild program being the entity administering the
examination; (4) providing stipends to youth participants to cover the costs
associated with their full time participation in this program.

���� Only not-for-profit private
agencies that are affiliates of YouthBuild USA or have received a federal
Housing and Urban Development YouthBuild award are eligible to use the term
YouthBuild and apply for this funding. The Commissioner of Labor and Workforce
Development will require all programs eligible to receive YouthBuild grant
funding to meet the specific application requirements outlined in this bill.�
YouthBuild programs selected for funding under the bill will be required to
report outcomes to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, which
will be publicly available.� The department will also complete an initial
evaluation report on the progress of individual programs funded under the bill;
this report will be available to the Governor and appropriate legislative
committees.

���� The bill makes an
appropriation from the general fund to the Department of Labor and Workforce
Development in fiscal years 2024 to 2028 to fund this grant program.

���� The purpose of this bill is to
increase accessibility and sustainability of the evidence-based YouthBuild
model.� For more than 30 years, the YouthBuild model, through YouthBuild USA,
has demonstrated positive outcomes for youth- supporting young people in
earning their high school diploma, or equivalent, and acquiring the skills and
credentials necessary to meet their postsecondary goals.� Over the years, the
number of YouthBuild programs throughout the State of New Jersey has fluctuated
because the federal YouthBuild appropriation from the federal Department of
Labor is not guaranteed.� A Statewide YouthBuild appropriation would help
ensure that opportunity youth throughout New Jersey are consistently served
with an evidence-based model.� It would promote the sustainability of currently
operating YouthBuild programs and would also likely lead to an increase in
YouthBuild programs throughout New Jersey.