A4141

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); 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; 6% shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved to provide employment and training services for qualified disadvantaged workers; [42%] 40% shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for and appropriated to the Office of Customized Training; 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 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 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 5.5% 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, 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.

(cf: P.L.2015, c.235, s.2)

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.