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A2439
ASSEMBLY, No. 2439
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman TENNILLE R. MCCOY
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
���� Establishes NJ Life Sciences Training and Development
Program in DOLWD.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
An Act
establishing the New Jersey Life Sciences Training and
Development Program using workforce development funds and amending and
supplementing P.L.1992, c.43.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� Section 9 of P.L.1992,
c.43 (C.34:15D-9) is amended to read as follows:
���� 9.��� a. A restricted,
nonlapsing, revolving Workforce Development Partnership Fund, to be managed and
invested by the State Treasurer, is hereby established to: provide employment
and training services to qualified displaced, disadvantaged and employed workers
by means of training grants or customized training services; provide for the
other costs indicated in subsection a. of section 4 of P.L.1992, c.43
(C.34:15D-4); provide for the New Jersey Innovation and Research Fellowship
Program as provided for in section 3 of P.L.2015, c.235 (C.34:15D-26); provide
for the Talent Network Program as provided for in section 2 of P.L.2019, c.125
(C.34:15D-29); and facilitate the provision of education and training to youth
by means of grants provided by the Youth Transitions to Work Partnership
pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1993, c.268 (C.34:15E-1 et al.). All
appropriations to the fund, all interest accumulated on balances in the fund
and all cash received for the fund from any other source shall be used solely
for the purposes specifically delineated by this act.
���� b.��� During any fiscal year
beginning after June 30, 2001, of the total revenues dedicated to the program
during any one fiscal year: 25% shall be deposited in an account of the
Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved to provide employment and
training services for qualified displaced workers, and through fiscal year
2023, not less than 10% of the revenues deposited in that account shall be
reserved to provide employment and training services to qualified displaced
workers in the pursuit of industry-valued credentials under the pilot program
established pursuant to P.L.2019, c.252 (C.34:15D-30 et al.); and during any
fiscal year beginning after June 30, 2019, 0.5% shall be deposited in an
account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for an
appropriated to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development for the
Apprenticeship Start-Up Grant Program created pursuant to section 3 of
P.L.2019, c.417 (C.34:15D-6.1); 6% shall be deposited in an account of the
Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved to provide employment and
training services for qualified disadvantaged workers, and through fiscal year
2023, not less than 10% of the revenues deposited in that account shall be
reserved to provide employment and training services to qualified disadvantaged
workers in the pursuit of industry-valued credentials under the pilot program
established pursuant to P.L.2019, c.252 (C.34:15D-30 et al.);
[
37%
]
35%
shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund
reserved for and appropriated to the Office of Customized Training; 5% shall be
deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved
for the Youth Transitions to Work Partnership created pursuant to P.L.1993,
c.268 (C.34:15E-1 et seq.); 3% shall be deposited in an account of the
Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for occupational safety and
health training; 5% shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce
Development Partnership Fund reserved for and appropriated to the Talent
Network Program established pursuant to section 2 of P.L.2019, c.125
(C.34:15D-29); 3% shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development
Partnership Fund reserved for the New Jersey Innovation and Research Fellowship
Program established pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2015, c.235 (C.34:15D-26);
2%
shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund
reserved for the New Jersey Life Sciences Training and Development Program
established pursuant to section 2 of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending
before the Legislature as this bill);
10% shall be deposited in an account
of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for administrative costs
as defined in section 3 of P.L.1992, c.43 (C.34:15D-3); 0.5% shall be deposited
in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for the
State Employment and Training Commission to design criteria and conduct an
annual evaluation of the program; and 5% shall be deposited in an account of
the Workforce Development Partnership Fund to be used, at the discretion of the
commissioner, for any of the purposes indicated in subsection a. of section 4
of P.L.1992, c.43 (C.34:15D-4).
���� c.���� Beginning January 1,
1995, through June 30, 2002, the balance in the fund as of the previous
December 31, as determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles, shall not exceed 1.5 times the amount of contributions deposited
for the calendar year then ended. If the balance exceeds this amount, the
excess shall be deposited into the unemployment compensation fund within seven
business days of the date that the determination is made.
���� d.��� Beginning July 1, 2002,
and for any subsequent fiscal year, if the unexpended cash balance in any of
the accounts indicated in subsection b. of this section, except for the account
reserved for the Talent Network Program, less any amount awarded in grants but
not yet disbursed from the account, is determined to exceed 20% of the amount
of contributions collected for deposit in the account pursuant to this
subsection during the fiscal year then ended, the excess shall be regarded as
an unemployment compensation contribution and deposited into the unemployment
compensation fund within seven business days of the date that the determination
is made.� If the unexpended cash balance in the account reserved for the Talent
Network Program, less any amount awarded in grants but not yet disbursed from
the account, is determined to exceed 20% of the amount of contributions
collected for deposit in the account pursuant to this subsection during the
fiscal year then ended, the excess shall be deposited into the Workforce
Development Partnership Fund account reserved for the Office of Customized
Training.
���� e.���� $250,000 shall be
allocated to the Apprentice Assistance and Support Services Pilot Program
established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2019, c.419 (C.34:15D-6.2) from the
$29,690,000 which was appropriated pursuant to the annual appropriations act
for State fiscal year 2019 from the Workforce Development Partnership Fund for
the purpose of funding Work First New Jersey Work Activities and Work First New
Jersey-Training Related Expenses, and, $1,100,000 shall be allocated to the
pilot program in each of fiscal years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 from the
amounts appropriated pursuant to the annual appropriations act in those fiscal
years from the Workforce Development Partnership Fund for the purpose of
funding Work First New Jersey Work Activities and Work First New
Jersey-Training Related Expenses.� Of the funds allocated to the pilot program
pursuant to this subsection, 90% shall be dedicated to the Child Care Stipend
program and 10% to transportation reimbursement.
���� 2.��� (New section)� a.� The
Department of Labor and Workforce Development, in consultation with the New
Jersey Economic Development Authority and the Secretary of Higher Education,
shall establish the New Jersey Life Sciences Training and Development Program.
���� b.��� The New Jersey Life
Sciences Training and Development Program shall be funded through the funds
reserved for that program from the Workforce Development Partnership Fund
pursuant to section 9 of P.L.1992, c.43 (C.34:15D-9).� The funds shall be
distributed by the department as follows:
���� (1)�� The department shall
work in consultation with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and
Secretary of Higher Education to fund job training and career development
programs that connect life sciences employers located throughout the State with
college graduates that have completed a course of study that focuses on the
life sciences.
���� (2)�� The job training and
career development programs shall be hosted by life sciences employers at any
place of business located in this State or at an institution of higher
education located in this State. The programs shall focus on life sciences
career development as well as any specialized training that prepares life
sciences college graduates for immediate employment with a host life sciences
employer upon completion of a job training and career development program.
���� (3)�� The job training and
career development programs funded pursuant to this act shall provide life
sciences employers the ability to train workers at no cost to the employer.
���� c.���� The department, in
consultation with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, shall
promulgate rules and regulations providing for the establishment,
administration, and evaluation of the New Jersey Life Sciences Training and
Development Program.
���� d.��� The department, in
consultation with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, shall conduct
an evaluation of the effectiveness of the New Jersey Life Sciences Training and
Development program overall, and its capacity to promote the growth of life sciences
businesses and life sciences employment, no later than five years after the
approval of the first job training and career development program.
���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
���� This bill will dedicate workforce
development funds for a New Jersey Life Sciences Training and Development
Program in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The program will
be designed by the department in consultation with the New Jersey Economic
Development Authority and the Secretary of Higher Education.
���� The program will fund job
training and career development programs, administered by the department, which
focus on connecting life sciences employers located throughout the State with
college graduates that have completed a course of study that focuses on the
life sciences. The job training and career development programs will be hosted
by life sciences employers at any place of business located in this State or at
an institution of higher education located in this State and shall focus on
specialized training that prepares college graduates for employment with a host
life sciences employer upon completion of a job training and career development
program.� The programs funded by the bill will provide life sciences employers
the ability to train workers at no cost to the employer
���� The bill requires the
department to conduct an evaluation of the program five years after approval of
the first job training and career development program to determine the
effectiveness of the program overall.