2016 -- S 2069

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LC003649

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT - HUMAN RESOURCE

INVESTMENT COUNCIL

     

     Introduced By: Senators Ruggerio, McCaffrey, Goodwin, DaPonte, and Paiva Weed

     Date Introduced: January 13, 2016

     Referred To: Senate Labor

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 42-102-11 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-102 entitled

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"Governor's Workforce Board Rhode Island" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     42-102-11. State Work Immersion Program. -- (a) (1) The workforce board ("board")

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shall develop a state, work-immersion program and a non-trade, apprenticeship program. For the

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purposes of this section, work-immersion shall mean a temporary, paid, work experience that

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provides a meaningful learning opportunity and increases the employability of the participant.

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The programs shall be designed in order to provide post-secondary school students, recent college

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graduates, and unemployed adults with a meaningful work experience, and to assist employers by

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training individuals for potential employment.

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      (2) Funding for the work immersion program will be allocated from the job development

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fund account and/or from funds appropriated in the annual appropriations act. Appropriated funds

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will match investments made by employers in providing meaningful work immersion positions

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and non-trade apprenticeships.

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      (b) For each participant in the work immersion program, the program shall reimburse

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eligible employers up to fifty percent (50%) of the cost of not more than four hundred (400) hours

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of work experience and during a period of ten (10) weeks. If an eligible employer hires a program

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participant at the completion of such a program, the state may provide reimbursement for a total

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of seventy-five percent (75%) of the cost of the work-immersion position.

 

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      (c) The board shall create a non-trade apprenticeship program and annually award

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funding on a competitive basis to at least one new initiative proposed and operated by the

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governor's workforce board industry partnerships. This program shall meet the standards of

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apprenticeship programs defined pursuant to § 28-45-9. The board shall present the program to

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the state apprenticeship council, established pursuant to chapter 45 of title 28, for review and

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consideration.

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      (d) An eligible participant in the programs established in subsections subsection (b) and

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(c) must be at least eighteen (18) years of age and must be a Rhode Island resident. Provided,

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however, any non-Rhode Island resident, who is enrolled in a college or university located in

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Rhode Island, is eligible to participate while enrolled at the college or university.

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      (e) In order to fully implement the provisions of this section, the workforce board is

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authorized to promulgate rules and regulations. The rules and regulations shall define eligible

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employers that can participate in the programs created by this section.

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     SECTION 2. Chapter 42-102 of the General Laws entitled "Governor's Workforce Board

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Rhode Island" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     42-102-12.1. Non-trade apprenticeship program. -- (a) Program establishment. The

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workforce board shall create a non-trade apprenticeship program and annually award funding on

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a competitive basis to at least one new initiative proposed and operated by the governor's

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workforce board industry partnerships. This program shall meet the standards of apprenticeship

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programs defined pursuant to §28-45-9. The workforce board shall present the program to the

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state apprenticeship council, established pursuant to chapter 45 of title 28, for review and

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consideration.

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     (b) Program incentive. Contingent upon annual appropriation, for each apprentice

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enrolled in a non-trade apprenticeship program established pursuant to this section, the workforce

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board shall establish a wage reimbursement incentive, in accordance with the following

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provisions:

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     (1) Reimbursement would be allowed for the participating business of up to fifty percent

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(50%) of actual wages paid to the apprentice, or one thousand dollars ($1,000), whichever is less;

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     (2) The maximum that any one employer may receive within any twelve (12) month

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period under the terms of this section is five thousand dollars ($5,000); and

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     (3) An employer shall not be eligible for the wage reimbursement for an apprentice under

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the terms of this section until after the completion of the probationary period required pursuant to

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§28-45-9(2)(viii).

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     (c) In order to fully implement the provisions of this section, the workforce board is

 

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authorized to promulgate rules and regulations. The rules and regulations shall define eligible

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employers that can participate in the program created by this section.

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT - HUMAN RESOURCE

INVESTMENT COUNCIL

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     This act would provide for a wage reimbursement incentive for employers participating

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in the non-trade apprenticeship program and would permit the governor's workforce board to

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establish rules and regulations for the program. The workforce board would also establish a wage

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reimbursement incentive for the program.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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