§ 11-602

(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.

(2) “Local area” means the local workforce development areas established in this State under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

(3) “Low income” means not more than 150% of the federal poverty level.

(4) “Program” means the Maryland Summer Youth Connection Program.

(5) “Summer” means the period beginning June 1 of each year and ending September 30 of each year.

(b) (1) There is a Maryland Summer Youth Connection Program in the Division.

(2) (i) The purpose of the Program is to provide summer jobs for youth who are not less than 14 years of age and not more than 21 years of age.

(ii) The Program priorities are to provide jobs for youth who:

1. are 14 years old and 15 years old;

2. are from low-income families;

3. have a disability;

4. have a special need; or

5. otherwise encounter barriers in the labor market.

(c) The Director shall:

(1) make grants in furtherance of the Program objectives to fiscal agents for local areas in accordance with the allocation formulas established under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act;

(2) adopt regulations to carry out the Program; and

(3) evaluate the performances of the local areas in carrying out the purposes of the Program.

(d) Under the Program, the local areas shall:

(1) develop meaningful and well supervised work experiences in:

(i) public and private nonprofit, community-based sites; and

(ii) private for-profit sites, if the experiences developed in the private for-profit sites:

1. serve not more than 20% of the participants in the Program; and

2. expose Program participants to occupations for which there is high demand in the labor market;

(2) provide activities to enhance job skills, including basic skills, computer skills, occupational skills, and basic employability skills;

(3) provide career-exposure activities, including field trips, guest speakers, job shadowing, aptitude and interest assessment, and college fairs;

(4) provide sufficient oversight and monitoring of work sites to ensure a quality experience for each participant;

(5) submit a plan to the Director detailing the local area’s plan for summer activities; and

(6) submit an end-of-summer report.

(e) A local area’s allowable Program costs may include:

(1) wages paid to participants in the Program;

(2) the costs of supervision;

(3) the costs of materials and supplies related to the work provided;

(4) reasonable transportation costs to, from, and around the work site;

(5) related training costs; and

(6) reasonable administrative support costs, not exceeding 10% of the funding granted the local area.

(f) A participating youth shall be paid not less than the federal minimum wage for each hour worked.