HB 637 — An Act establishing the Youth Summer Employment Grant Program and the Youth Summer Employment Fund; and authorizing regulations.

PRINTER'S NO.   647

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 637
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, SANCHEZ, KHAN, GIRAL, SCHLOSSBERG,
        HILL-EVANS, CIRESI, OTTEN, KENYATTA, MERSKI, ISAACSON,
        KAZEEM, STEELE, GREEN, SHUSTERMAN, MAYES, PROBST, MADDEN AND
        McANDREW, FEBRUARY 20, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND INDUSTRY, FEBRUARY 20, 2025


                                     AN ACT
 1   Establishing the Youth Summer Employment Grant Program and the
 2      Youth Summer Employment Fund; and authorizing regulations.
 3      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 4   hereby enacts as follows:
 5   Section 1.   Short title.
 6      This act shall be known and may be cited as the Youth Summer
 7   Employment Act.
 8   Section 2.   Definitions.
 9      The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
10   have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
11   context clearly indicates otherwise:
12      "Department."    The Department of Labor and Industry of the
13   Commonwealth.
14      "Eligible employer."     An employer that meets the
15   qualifications under section 4(c).
16      "Fund."   The Youth Summer Employment Fund established under
17   section 6.
 1      "Grant."     A grant awarded to an eligible employer under the
 2   program.
 3      "Historically disadvantaged community."     An area,
 4   municipality or part of a municipality where at least 20% of the
 5   population has been under the Federal Poverty Level as defined
 6   by the United States Department of Health and Human Services for
 7   at least 30 years.
 8      "Program."     The Youth Summer Employment Grant Program
 9   established under section 3.
10      "Youth."     An individual between 15 and 18 years of age who is
11   a resident of this Commonwealth.
12   Section 3.     Youth Summer Employment Grant Program.
13      The Youth Summer Employment Grant Program is established as a
14   program within the department to award grants to eligible
15   employers to develop summer youth employment opportunities.
16   Section 4.     Administration of program.
17      (a)     Administration.--The department shall administer the
18   program.
19      (b)     Application.--An eligible employer shall submit an
20   application, in a manner and form prescribed by the department,
21   for a grant.
22      (c)     Eligible employers.--An employer, including for-profit
23   companies, nonprofit organizations and municipalities, that
24   meets the following qualifications:
25            (1)   Employs a youth employee for at least eight weeks
26      during the summer between the spring school term and the fall
27      school term.
28            (2)   Adheres to all applicable Federal and State child
29      labor laws and other applicable labor laws.
30            (3)   Provides a work experience or an educational

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 1      experience, or some combination of both.
 2            (4)   Pays the youth employee a stipend or a salary that
 3      equals the rate of the minimum wage established by the act of
 4      January 17, 1968 (P.L.11, No.5), known as The Minimum Wage
 5      Act of 1968, or $15 per hour, whichever is greater.
 6            (5)   Any other qualification that the department may deem
 7      as necessary to enforce or administer the program.
 8      (d)   Regulations.--The department shall create guidelines and
 9   promulgate regulations necessary for the implementation and
10   administration of this act.
11      (e)   Advertisement.--The department shall create a publicly
12   accessible Internet website that advertises the program to
13   employers and annually send letters to schools of secondary
14   education located in this Commonwealth to inform guidance
15   counselors and other administrators of the available youth
16   summer employment under this act.
17   Section 5.     Employment grants.
18      (a)   Grants.--The department shall award grants under the
19   program to eligible employers who employ youths during the
20   summer between the spring school term and the fall school term.
21      (b)   Grant amount.--The department shall award grants under
22   the program as follows:
23            (1)   An eligible employer that employs between 10 and 20
24      youth employees shall receive a grant of $5,000.
25            (2)   An eligible employer that employs more than 20 youth
26      employees shall receive a grant of $10,000.
27            (3)   If 50% of an eligible employer's youth employees
28      live in a historically disadvantaged community, the eligible
29      employer shall receive an additional grant of $5,000.
30   Section 6.     Youth Summer Employment Fund.

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1      (a)   Establishment.--The Youth Summer Employment Fund is
2   established as a nonlapsing fund in the State Treasury.
3      (b)   Appropriation.--Money shall be appropriated to the
4   department for the administration of the program and for grants
5   provided under this act.
6   Section 7.   Effective date.
7      This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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