House Bill 499

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A YOUTH EMPLOYMENT GRANT PROGRAM TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY FOR THE PURPOSE OF ASSISTING MUNICIPALITIES WITH THE COSTS OF PROVIDING EMPLOYMENT FOR YOUTH; TO PROVIDE THAT IN ORDER FOR A MUNICIPALITY TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR A GRANT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT, THE MUNICIPALITY MUST PRESENT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY A PLAN FOR EMPLOYING YOUTH IN THE MUNICIPALITY AND MUST AGREE TO PROVIDE MATCHING FUNDS EQUAL TO TWENTY PERCENT OF THE AMOUNT OF THE GRANT; TO CREATE IN THE STATE TREASURY A SPECIAL FUND TO BE KNOWN AS THE YOUTH EMPLOYMENT GRANT PROGRAM FUND; TO PROVIDE THAT THE FUND WILL CONSIST OF MONIES APPROPRIATED BY THE LEGISLATURE FOR FUNDING THE PROGRAM, AND ANY OTHER MONIES THAT THE LEGISLATURE MAY DESIGNATE FOR DEPOSIT INTO THE FUND; TO PROVIDE THAT MONIES IN THE FUND MAY BE EXPENDED UPON LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATION FOR MAKING GRANTS TO MUNICIPALITIES FOR THE PURPOSES SPECIFIED IN THIS ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) Subject to appropriation by the Legislature, there is established a Youth Employment Grant Program to be administered by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security for the purpose of assisting municipalities with offering meaningful full-time or productive work for youth. Eligibility requirements for youth participants of the program are as follows:

(a) The youth must be between the ages of 16-24;

(b) The youth must be in school, either high school or college, or have agreed to enroll for a high school diploma or its equivalency or have agreed to enroll in college; and

As used under this section, municipalities shall mean cities, towns and villages as described under Section 21-1-1.

(2) In administering the provisions of this act, the Department of Employment Security shall have the following powers and duties:

(a) To supervise the use of all grant funds made to municipalities under this act for employing youth;

(b) To review and certify all work projects for which grants are made to municipalities under this act for employing youth;

(c) To requisition monies in the Youth Employment Grant Fund and make grants from those monies to municipalities on a project-by-project basis;

(d) To maintain an accurate record of all grants made to municipalities under this act for employing youth, place of employment for the youth, duties related to the employment for the youth and the costs for each work project; and

(e) To adopt and promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary or desirable for the purpose of implementing the provisions of this act.

(3) In order for a municipality to be eligible for a grant under the provisions of this act, the municipality must meet the following conditions:

(a) (i) The governing authorities of the municipality must present to the Department of Employment Security a plan for employing youth. The plan must identify the proposed work project or projects for youth and what municipal department the youth will work for and the prescribed duties for the youth; and

(ii) The plan prescribed in subparagraph (i) must provide youth a combination of work experience and on-the-job training that includes a minimum of ten percent (10%) of a youth's time that will enhance basic life skills that include, but are not limited to, education, communication skills, leadership development, positive work ethic, training and safety; and

(b) The governing authorities of the municipality must agree to provide matching funds equal to twenty percent (20%) of the amount of the grant.

(4) There is created in the State Treasury a special fund to be designated as the Youth Employment Program Fund. The fund shall consist of monies appropriated by the Legislature for funding the program, and any other monies that the Legislature may designate for deposit into the fund. Monies in the fund may be expended upon legislative appropriation for making grants to municipalities for the purposes specified in this act. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest earned on amounts in the fund shall be deposited to the credit of the fund.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024.