The proposed legislation, General Assembly Raised Bill No. 389, aims to revise the allocation of youth employment and training funds managed by the Labor Department. The current allocation method, which specifies fixed percentages for various regional workforce development boards, is being replaced. Instead, the new bill stipulates that funds will be distributed based on the percentage of disadvantaged youth in each workforce development region, as defined by federal law. This percentage will be determined using census data published by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Additionally, the bill introduces a safeguard for regional workforce development boards facing significant funding reductions. If a board's allocation decreases by more than fifteen percent compared to the previous fiscal year, the allocations for other boards will be proportionately reduced to ensure that no single board's reduction exceeds this threshold. The changes are set to take effect on July 1, 2026, and are intended to better align funding with the needs of disadvantaged youth in Connecticut.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 31-3mm