1Establishing the Youth Job Program and providing for job
2training and career experience to unemployed youths.

3The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4hereby enacts as follows:

5Section 1. Short title.

6This act shall be known and may be cited as the Youth Job
7Program Act.

8Section 2. Definitions.

9The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
10have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
11context clearly indicates otherwise:

12"Department." The Department of Conservation and Natural
13Resources of the Commonwealth.

14"Local government." A municipality as defined in 1 Pa.C.S. §
151991 (relating to definitions).

16"Program." The Youth Job Program established under section
173.

1"Qualified youth." An individual between 16 and 21 years of
2age who is unemployed or who has never been employed.

3"TANF." The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program
4under the Social Security Act (49 Stat. 620, 42 U.S.C. § 301 et
5seq.).

6Section 3. Youth Job Program.

7(a) Establishment.--The Youth Job Program is established
8within the department.

9(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the program is to provide
10valuable job training and career experience to unemployed youths
11throughout this Commonwealth by providing summer employment
12opportunities at State and local parks and recreation facilities
13to qualified youths. Employment opportunities shall be offered
14either through the department or through local governments that
15receive grant funding under this act.

16(c) Program requirements.--The following shall apply:

17(1) Qualified youth may be employed by the department or
18the local government at an hourly rate of $10 per hour. The
19receipt of a salary or other benefits by the qualified youth
20under this program shall not be used in calculating income
21for purposes of determining eligibility for TANF benefits by
22the qualified youth's parents or legal guardians.

23(2) Qualified youth employed by the department or a
24local government under this program shall be limited to a
25maximum of 25 employment hours per week.

26(3) The period of employment offered to a qualified
27youth by the department or a local government under this
28program shall not exceed ten weeks.

29Section 4. Powers and duties of department.

30The department shall have the following powers and duties:

1(1) To employ qualified youth with the department for
2purposes of carrying out the provisions of this act.

3(2) To establish application procedures for local
4governments to apply for grants to carry out the purposes of
5this act.

6(3) To establish a procedure for awarding grants to
7local governments, except that no grant may be awarded to a
8local government whose proposed program does not comply with
9section 3(c).

10Section 5. Funding.

11The sum of $25,000,000 is transferred from the Oil and Gas
12Lease Fund to the department for the purposes of this act.

13Section 20. Effective date.

14This act shall take effect immediately.