An Act establishing the Youth Summer Employment Grant Program and the Youth Summer Employment Fund; and authorizing regulations.

PRINTER'S NO. 647
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 637
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, SANCHEZ, KHAN, GIRAL, SCHLOSSBERG,
HILL-EVANS, CIRESI, OTTEN, KENYATTA, MERSKI, ISAACSON,
KAZEEM, STEELE, GREEN, SHUSTERMAN, MAYES, PROBST, MADDEN AND
McANDREW, FEBRUARY 20, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND INDUSTRY, FEBRUARY 20, 2025
AN ACT
Establishing the Youth Summer Employment Grant Program and the
Youth Summer Employment Fund; and authorizing regulations.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Youth Summer
Employment Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Department." The Department of Labor and Industry of the
Commonwealth.
"Eligible employer." An employer that meets the
qualifications under section 4(c).
"Fund." The Youth Summer Employment Fund established under
section 6.
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"Grant." A grant awarded to an eligible employer under the
program.
"Historically disadvantaged community." An area,
municipality or part of a municipality where at least 20% of the
population has been under the Federal Poverty Level as defined
by the United States Department of Health and Human Services for
at least 30 years.
"Program." The Youth Summer Employment Grant Program
established under section 3.
"Youth." An individual between 15 and 18 years of age who is
a resident of this Commonwealth.
Section 3. Youth Summer Employment Grant Program.
The Youth Summer Employment Grant Program is established as a
program within the department to award grants to eligible
employers to develop summer youth employment opportunities.
Section 4. Administration of program.
(a) Administration.--The department shall administer the
program.
(b) Application.--An eligible employer shall submit an
application, in a manner and form prescribed by the department,
for a grant.
(c) Eligible employers.--An employer, including for-profit
companies, nonprofit organizations and municipalities, that
meets the following qualifications:
(1) Employs a youth employee for at least eight weeks
during the summer between the spring school term and the fall
school term.
(2) Adheres to all applicable Federal and State child
labor laws and other applicable labor laws.
(3) Provides a work experience or an educational
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experience, or some combination of both.
(4) Pays the youth employee a stipend or a salary that
equals the rate of the minimum wage established by the act of
January 17, 1968 (P.L.11, No.5), known as The Minimum Wage
Act of 1968, or $15 per hour, whichever is greater.
(5) Any other qualification that the department may deem
as necessary to enforce or administer the program.
(d) Regulations.--The department shall create guidelines and
promulgate regulations necessary for the implementation and
administration of this act.
(e) Advertisement.--The department shall create a publicly
accessible Internet website that advertises the program to
employers and annually send letters to schools of secondary
education located in this Commonwealth to inform guidance
counselors and other administrators of the available youth
summer employment under this act.
Section 5. Employment grants.
(a) Grants.--The department shall award grants under the
program to eligible employers who employ youths during the
summer between the spring school term and the fall school term.
(b) Grant amount.--The department shall award grants under
the program as follows:
(1) An eligible employer that employs between 10 and 20
youth employees shall receive a grant of $5,000.
(2) An eligible employer that employs more than 20 youth
employees shall receive a grant of $10,000.
(3) If 50% of an eligible employer's youth employees
live in a historically disadvantaged community, the eligible
employer shall receive an additional grant of $5,000.
Section 6. Youth Summer Employment Fund.
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(a) Establishment.--The Youth Summer Employment Fund is
established as a nonlapsing fund in the State Treasury.
(b) Appropriation.--Money shall be appropriated to the
department for the administration of the program and for grants
provided under this act.
Section 7. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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