Bill > H1651

This bill establishes a Strong Communities and Workforce Development Fund to provide grants for job training, job creation, and job placement programs in communities heavily impacted by crime and the criminal justice system. The fund will be managed by a 13-member board of directors, with at least 6 members from the target population. The fund will be financed by redirecting a portion of the state's savings from reduced incarceration costs, calculated based on the decline in the combined population of the Department of Corrections and county Houses of Correction since 2019. Eligible grant recipients must demonstrate a model for creating employment opportunities or building employment skills for the target population, which includes individuals under 25, victims of violence, those without a high school diploma, those with felony convictions, the long-term unemployed, and those living in high-poverty areas.

Budget and Finance, Labor and Employment

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/H1651