D.C. Act 21-73. Youth Employment and Work Readiness Training Emergency Amendment Act of 2015.

AN ACT

To amend, on an emergency basis, the Youth Employment Act for 1979 to authorize the Mayor to provide employment or work readiness training for no fewer than 10,000 and no more than 21,000 youth participants 14 to 24 years of age.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may be cited as the "Youth Employment and Work Readiness Training Emergency Amendment Act of 2015".

Sec. 2. Section 2 of the Youth Employment Act of 1979, effective January 5, 1980 (D.C. Law 3-46; D.C. Official Code § 32-241), is amended as follows:

(a) Subsection (a)(1) is amended as follows:

(1) Subparagraphs (A) and (A-i) are amended to read as follows:

"(A)(i) A summer youth jobs program to provide for the employment or training each summer of not fewer than 10,000 or more than 21,000 youth 14 to 24 years of age on the date of enrollment in the program, including no more than 1000 youth 22 to 24 years of age.

"(ii) Youth ages 14 to 15 years at the date of enrollment shall receive an hourly work readiness training rate of not less than $5.25.

"(iii) Youth ages 16 to 24 years at the date of enrollment shall be compensated at an hourly rate of $8.25 for 16 to 21 year olds and $9.25 for 22 to 24 year olds.

"(A-i) Registration for the summer youth jobs program shall occur on or before the last day of January and shall conclude by the last day of April of each year.".

(2) Subparagraph (B) is amended by striking the phrase "but shall not be less than 20 nor more than 25 hours" and inserting the phrase "but shall not be fewer than 20 hours or more than 40 hours" in its place.

(3) Subparagraph (C) is amended to read as follows:

"(C) Employment may include an appropriate number of supervisory positions at an hourly wage of $9.25 to $13. Supervisory positions shall not be subject to the requirements under this paragraph regarding the number of hours and weeks of employment.".

(b) A new subsection (g) is added to read as follows:

"(g)(1) The Department of Employment Services shall collect, and publish on its website, aggregated information on the participants of the summer youth jobs program, including statistics on:

"(A) The demographics of participants;

"(B) Participants' activities in the program; and

"(C) Participants' employment following the end of the program.

"(2) The information required by paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be published by November 30, 2015.

"(3) It is the sense of the Council that the Department of Employment Services shall consult with the Council on revising the existing evaluation requirement for the summer youth jobs program to focus on program outcomes and program effectiveness.".

Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement.

The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement of the Chief Financial Officer as the fiscal impact statement required by section 602(c)(3) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(3)).

Sec. 4. Effective date.

This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), and shall remain in effect no longer than 90 days, as provided for emergency acts of the Council of the District of Columbia in section 412(a) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 788; D.C. Official Code § 1-204.12(a)).