New York A 2118: Enacts the "Learning for Work" act; appropriation

Status: REFERRED TO EDUCATION (as of 2026-01-07)

State: New York · Session: 2025-2026 · Bill: A 2118

Sponsors: Edward Ra, Alec Brook-Krasny, Joseph Sempolinski, Kenneth Blankenbush, Lester Chang, Michael Novakhov, Patrick Chludzinski, Paula Bologna, Scott H. Bendett

Bill Text

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A02118 Summary:

BILL NOA02118 

&nbsp

SAME ASSAME AS S00037

&nbsp

SPONSORRa

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COSPNSRBrook-Krasny, Chang, Novakhov, Bologna, Chludzinski, Sempolinski, Blankenbush, Bendett

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

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Add Art 23-C §§832 - 832-d, Lab L; add §208-b, Ed L; amd §§210-B & 606, Tax L

&nbsp

Enacts the "learning for work act"; establishes the youth apprenticeship program and the enhanced regents professional diploma; appropriates moneys therefor.

Go to top A02118 Actions:

BILL NOA02118 

&nbsp

01/15/2025referred to education

01/07/2026referred to education

Go to topA02118 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA02118 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topA02118 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 2118

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 January 15, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. RA, BROOK-KRASNY, CHANG, NOVAKHOV -- read once
 and referred to the Committee on Education

 AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to establishing the youth
 apprenticeship program; and making an appropriation therefor (Part A);
 to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the enhanced
 regents professional diploma (Part B); and to amend the tax law, in
 relation to establishing a youth apprenticeship tax credit (Part C)

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "learning
 2 for work act".
 3 § 2. Legislative findings and intent. According to a recent college
 4 and career readiness study released by the New York state education
 5 department, only thirty-five percent of high school graduates are
 6 college or career ready. This lack of preparedness has driven many high
 7 school graduates into low-paying jobs, or college degree programs that
 8 they are not interested in, fail to lead to careers and result in an
 9 unreasonably high amount of student debt. For many current and future
 10 high school students, the traditional pathway of a basic high school
 11 education and then on to a four-year college may not be the correct
 12 route to take. These students would benefit from a program that would
 13 prepare them for employment immediately upon graduating high school.
 14 Therefore, the legislature finds it necessary to establish this "learn-
 15 ing for work" program in our high schools that will create a youth
 16 apprenticeship program, an enhanced regents professional diploma with a
 17 designation in a specified occupational area and a tax credit for
 18 employers who take part in the youth apprenticeship program. This would
 19 further the goals of limiting the accumulation of unsustainable student
 20 debt, and ensuring all students in the state of New York are prepared to
 21 enter the twenty-first century workforce.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD00068-01-5

 A. 2118 2

 1 § 3. This act enacts into law major components of legislation which
 2 are necessary to implement the "learning for work act". Each component
 3 is wholly contained within a Part identified as Parts A through C. The
 4 effective date for each particular provision contained within such Part
 5 is set forth in the last section of such Part. Any provision in any
 6 section contained within a Part, including the effective date of the
 7 Part, which makes a reference to a section "of this act", when used in
 8 connection with that particular component, shall be deemed to mean and
 9 refer to the corresponding section of the Part in which it is found.
 10 Section five of this act sets forth the general effective date of this
 11 act.

 12 PART A

 13 Section 1. The labor law is amended by adding a new article 23-C to
 14 read as follows:
 15 ARTICLE 23-C
 16 YOUTH APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
 17 Section 832. Definitions.
 18 832-a. Youth apprenticeship program.
 19 832-b. Local partnership duties and responsibilities.
 20 832-c. Youth apprenticeship program outcome requirements.
 21 832-d. Rules and regulations.
 22 § 832. Definitions. For the purposes of this article, the following
 23 terms shall have the following meanings:
 24 1. "Local partner

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