The Florida Senate

445.0071  Florida Youth Summer Jobs Pilot Program.--

(1)  CREATION.--Contingent upon appropriations, there is created the Florida Youth Summer Jobs Pilot Program within workforce development district 22 served by the Broward Workforce Development Board. The board shall, in consultation with Workforce Florida, Inc., provide a program offering at-risk and disadvantaged children summer jobs in partnership with local communities and public employers.

(2)  ELIGIBILITY.--

(a)  Children at least 14 but not more than 18 years of age are eligible to participate in the program if they are:

1.  At risk of welfare dependency, including economically disadvantaged children, children of participants in the welfare transition program, children of migrant farmworkers, and children of teen parents. For purposes of this section, "economically disadvantaged children" are those whose family income is below 150 percent of the federal poverty level;

2.  Children of working families whose family income does not exceed 150 percent of the federal poverty level;

3.  Juvenile offenders;

4.  Children in foster care; or

5.  Children with disabilities.

(b)  Employers are eligible to participate in the program under the following conditions:

1.  The employer shall meet the program requirements of subsection (3).

2.  The employer shall pay the state minimum wage to a program participant hired under the program.

3.  The maximum hours required of a program participant per week shall not exceed 30 hours.

4.  The employer shall comply with state and federal child labor and antidiscrimination laws.

(3)  PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.--

(a)  The program shall:

1.  Provide the program participant a work experience that will teach personal responsibility and reinforce the obligations and rewards of holding a job.

2.  Allow for an academic enrichment component that will assist the program participant in remaining in or returning to school.

3.  Provide documented learning experiences relevant to the type of work performed and tailored to the needs of the program participant.

4.  Allow for the provision of life skills training by the local community or a third-party provider contracted by the local community if such skills training takes up no more than 10 percent of the program participant's work time.

(b)  The program may begin on the day after the end of the regular school year in the local community and shall end before the first regular day of school in the local community.

(4)  GOVERNANCE.--

(a)  The pilot program shall be administered by the regional workforce board in consultation with Workforce Florida, Inc.

(b)  The regional workforce board shall report to Workforce Florida, Inc., the number of at-risk and disadvantaged children who enter the program, the types of work activities they participate in, and the number of children who return to school, go on to postsecondary school, or enter the workforce full time at the end of the program. Workforce Florida, Inc., shall report to the Legislature by November 1 of each year on the performance of the program.

(5)  FUNDING.--

(a)  The regional workforce board shall, consistent with state and federal laws, use funds appropriated specifically for the pilot program to provide youth wage payments and educational enrichment activities. The regional workforce board and local communities may obtain private or state and federal grants or other sources of funds in addition to any appropriated funds.

(b)  Program funds shall be used as follows:

1.  No less than 85 percent of the funds shall be used for youth wage payments or educational enrichment activities. These funds shall be matched on a one-to-one basis by each local community that participates in the program.

2.  No more than 2 percent of the funds may be used for administrative purposes.

3.  The remainder of the funds may be used for transportation assistance, child care assistance, or other assistance to enable a program participant to enter or remain in the program.

(c)  The regional workforce board shall pay a participating employer an amount equal to one-half of the wages paid to a youth participating in the program. Payments shall be made monthly for the duration that the youth participant is employed as documented by the employer and confirmed by the regional workforce board.

History.--s. 2, ch. 2005-149.