S3213

An Act establishing a paid service program for volunteers, 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. a. There is established in the Department of State a paid service program to be known as the New Jersey Skills Service Corps. The program shall provide adult volunteers alternatives to gain credentials while serving their communities. The program shall connect volunteers with State entities to provide workforce experience and credentialing.

b. The program shall be administered by the Office of Volunteerism in the Department of State. The Director of the Office of Volunteerism shall establish the necessary procedures and standards for the successful implementation of the program and ensure that all program participants meet the requirements established pursuant to this section.

The director shall ensure that, at a minimum, the program:

(1) provides participants with training and free credential certification upon completion of the program;

(2) includes volunteer work in areas including, but not limited to, State infrastructure, renewable energy, healthcare, education support, and community development needs;

(3) includes only industry-valued credentials, such as apprenticeship hours, that an eligible individual can complete within 12 to 24 months;

(4) prioritizes participants in underserved communities; and

(5) expands credentialing opportunities for underserved communities.

c. Any resident of this State, who has attained an age of at least 18 years, who enters into an agreement to provide volunteer work for a State entity for the first time, for at least one year to a maximum of 24 consecutive months, shall be eligible to receive payment for their service through the program.

d. Once enrolled, a program participant shall receive a monthly stipend, in an amount to be determined by the director, for each month they spend at least 15 hours participating in a volunteer program. This shall include time spent training for the volunteer work. The participant shall not be considered an employee, and shall be entitled to only those benefits available to other volunteers as provided by law.

e. The State entity seeking participants, shall be responsible for certifying to the director that (1) the State entity has a need for volunteers, and (2) program participants who have volunteered with the State entity have conducted the requisite number of hours each month to receive their monthly stipend.

f. The Office of Volunteerism, in collaboration with the participating State entities, shall promote the benefits of the program and the benefits of linking volunteer work with workforce credentialing, particularly to the State’s youth and those seeking to explore new career opportunities in this State, as they deem necessary and appropriate.

g. There is established in the Department of State a special dedicated non-lapsing fund to be known as the New Jersey Skills Service Corps Fund. The fund shall consist of all monies appropriated by the Legislature for inclusion in the fund, monies received from federal grants, investment earnings of the fund, and monies contributed to the fund by private sources, including AmeriCorps, Community Development Block Grant allocations, and non-profit partnerships, to be used for the purposes of this section. The monies in the fund shall be invested and reinvested by the Department of the Treasury.

h. As used in this section:

"State entity" means a department, agency, institution, commission, or board of State government, including a State university or college, or an authority created by the State.

"Underserved community" means a school district in which at least 75 percent of public school students are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program established pursuant to the "Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act," Pub.L.79-396 (42 U.S.C. s.1751 et seq.).

2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of State, for deposit in the New Jersey Skills Service Corps Fund established pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. )(pending before the Legislature as this bill), an amount sufficient to effectuate the purposes and objectives of this act.

3. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes in the Department of State a paid service program to be known as the New Jersey Skills Service Corps. The program will provide adult volunteers alternatives to gain credentials while serving their communities. The program will connect volunteers with State entities to provide workforce experience and credentialing.

The program will be administered by the Office of Volunteerism in the Department of State. The Director of the Office of Volunteerism will establish the necessary procedures and standards for the successful implementation of the program and ensure that all program participants meet the requirements established pursuant to the bill.

Under the bill, the director will ensure that, at a minimum, the program: provides participants with training and free credential certification upon completion of the program; includes volunteer work in areas including, but not limited to, State infrastructure, renewable energy, healthcare, education support, and community development needs; includes only industry-valued credentials, such as apprenticeship hours, that an eligible individual can complete within 12 to 24 months; prioritizes participants in underserved communities; and expands credentialing opportunities for underserved communities.

Under the bill, any resident of this State who is 18 years or older, shall be eligible to volunteer with a State entity and be paid for that service for up to two years. The participant will be expected to volunteer at least 15 hours per month to continue receiving their payments, and the participating State entity will be responsible for certifying that the volunteer has completed those hours.

The bill creates a special fund to pay for the volunteer stipends.

The bill defines State entity to mean a department, agency, institution, commission, or board of State government, including a State university or college, or an authority created by the State.