Directs the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities to establish a voluntary training and certification program for employers that have taken the EmployAbility Pledge.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8915B
SPONSOR: Burdick TITLE OF BILL:
An act in relation to directing the New York State Office for People
With Developmental Disabilities to establish a voluntary training and
certification program for employers that have taken the EmployAbility
Pledge
PURPOSE A OF BILL:
Directs the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabil-
ities to establish a voluntary training and certification program for
employers that have taken the OPWDD EmployAbility Pledge.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1(a): establishes a pilot program between the Office for People
with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) to establish a voluntary train-
ing program that shall promote techniques and strategies employers can
implement to increase diversity to the employers workforce through the
hiring of individuals with disabilities.
Section 2: sets the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
According to a report issued in December 2021 by the Rockefeller Insti-
tute of Government, New York State has 2.2 million people or 11.6
percent of the population living with a disability. 1.1 million are 18
to 64-year olds. 29.3 percent of New York State's 18- to 64-year-old
residents with a disability were living below the poverty threshold,
compared with 11.7 percent of New Yorkers without a disability in the
same age bracket. New York State ranks 41st nationwide when comparing
poverty rates among populations with disabilities.
New York employers need training and a better understanding on how to
hire and retain individuals with disabilities. This bill will develop an
employer training program in hiring individuals with disabilities.
Establishing the pilot program between the Office for People with Devel-
opmental Disabilities (OPWDD) will create jobs, pay for itself and
generate both cost savings and tax revenue for the people of New York
State.
Studies have shown that for every hour an individual with a disability
is working, there is a positive local economic impact of $108. When the
pilot program is able to create 2,500 work hours, it would essentially
pay for itself. This is possible within one year with 63 full time, 40
hour a week jobs. .
This is a program that will get people to work, will save money by
decreasing reliance on the social safety net and has the potential to
pay for itself within one year, or possibly sooner.
This pilot program is an easy start to jumpstart the existing OPWDD
EmployAbility Pledge Program, and get people to work and generate posi-
tive revenue economic activity in New York.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Thirtieth day after it becomes law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8915--B
IN ASSEMBLY
January 19, 2022
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BURDICK, MEEKS, SEAWRIGHT, ABBATE, SANTABARBARA,
ENGLEBRIGHT, GALLAGHER, J. M. GIGLIO, DAVILA -- Multi-Sponsored by --
M. of A. COOK -- read once and referred to the Committee on People
with Disabilities -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- again
reported from said committee with amendments, ordered reprinted as
amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT in relation to directing the New York State Office for People
With Developmental Disabilities to establish a voluntary training and
certification program for employers that have taken the EmployAbility
Pledge
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. a. The New York State Office for People With Developmental
2 Disabilities (OPWDD) shall establish a voluntary training and certif-
3 ication program for employers that have taken the EmployAbility Pledge
4 and that support an inclusive workplace. The program shall promote tech-
5 niques and strategies employers can implement to increase diversity in
6 the employer's workforce through the hiring of individuals with disabil-
7 ities and to increase diversity in the selection of the employer's
8 supply chains by working with companies that employ individuals with
9 disabilities.
10 b. OPWDD will develop and manage the program. As part of the program,
11 OPWDD will develop a series of online/virtual training programs for
12 employers for key components related to training employers on topics
13 including:
14 (i) sensitivity training on disability disclosure;
15 (ii) providing reasonable accommodations to employees with disabili-
16 ties;
17 (iii) tax credits for employers who employee individuals with disabil-
18 ities;
19 (iv) website accessibility;
20 (v) interviewing individuals with disabilities and appropriate job
21 opening advertisements;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14043-04-2
A. 8915--B 2
1 (vi) workplace inclusion of individuals with disabilities;
2 (vii) supply chain diversity;
3 (viii) the role of job coaches in assisting employers; and
4 (ix) corporate partnership training for employers for purposes of
5 qualifying for preferred source procurement status.
6 § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
7 have become a law.
