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SENATE BILL 317
57
TH LEGISLATURE
-
STATE
OF
NEW
MEXICO
-
FIRST SESSION
,
2025
INTRODUCED BY
Craig W. Brandt
AN ACT
RELATING TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT; CREATING THE YOUTH
INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM; PROVIDING FOR THE PAYMENT OF
WAGES FOR APPRENTICESHIPS AND INTERNSHIPS FOR SIXTEEN- TO
EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLDS; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
SECTION 1. [NEW MATERIAL] YOUTH INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY
PROGRAM--ELIGIBILITY--APPLICATION--MONITORING AND STANDARDS--
REPORTING AND EVALUATION.--
A. As used in this section:
(1) "America's job center New Mexico" means a
regional workforce center established pursuant to the federal
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to support workforce
development initiatives;
(2) "participant" means a person aged sixteen
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to eighteen who is a resident of New Mexico and is actively
enrolled in an approved program;
(3) "program" means the youth internship
opportunity program; and
(4) "registered internships or
apprenticeships" means formal training programs approved by an
America's job center New Mexico.
B. The "youth internship opportunity program" is
created in America's job centers New Mexico under the direction
of the local workforce development boards. The program's
purpose is to:
(1) increase youth employment opportunities;
(2) develop in-demand skills in industries
such as health care, trades, information technology and
agriculture; and
(3) foster workforce readiness and enhance New
Mexico's professional and occupational talent pipeline.
C. Internships or apprenticeships shall be
registered with the applicable America's job center New Mexico.
D. Employers seeking participation in the program
shall submit a job description and meet eligibility
requirements established by the applicable center in
consultation with the applicable local workforce development
boards and the workforce solutions department, including
safety, licensing and insurance requirements.
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E. Youths seeking participation in the program
shall apply through a process that prioritizes:
(1) low-income or at-risk youth;
(2) underserved populations; and
(3) students enrolled in career technical
education courses during the school year.
F. Participants will be employees of the applicable
America's job center New Mexico to work on-site at an approved
employer. The center shall match participants with eligible
employers.
G. Participants shall receive an hourly wage of
between fifteen dollars ($15.00) to seventeen dollars ($17.00)
per hour, paid biweekly for up to four hundred hours. Biweekly
wage statements shall be processed upon submission of completed
timesheets and employer meetings with the participant's mentor
or supervisor to verify progress. The America's job center New
Mexico shall provide worker's compensation for each
participant.
H. Participants are required to achieve measurable
skills or certifications, and employers shall designate
qualified mentors or supervisors for each participant.
Employers shall ensure workplace safety and adhere to all state
labor laws.
I. The America's job center New Mexico shall:
(1) track and monitor:
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(a) participant progress and outcomes;
(b) employer satisfaction; and
(c) participants' achievement of
learning objectives;
(2) collect program data, including:
(a) demographic information of
participants;
(b) the number of registered internships
or apprenticeships completed; and
(c) the industry sectors represented;
(3) routinely evaluate the program to assess
effectiveness and guide improvements; and
(4) submit annual reports to the governor and
the legislature, including:
(a) total program expenditures and
number of participants; and
(b) participant outcomes, including
employment, certifications earned and post-program activities.
SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION.--Twenty-five million dollars
($25,000,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the
workforce solutions department for expenditure in fiscal years
2025 through 2027 for America's job centers New Mexico to
conduct youth internship opportunity programs. Any unexpended
or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year
2027 shall revert to the general fund.
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