Bill Text: NJ A5033 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes public-private partnerships to develop artificial intelligence job training.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-11-14 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Science, Innovation and Technology Committee [A5033 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A5033-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman REGINALD W. ATKINS
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes public-private partnerships to develop artificial intelligence job training.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing public-private partnerships to provide job training for skills related to artificial intelligence and supplementing P.L.1992, c.43 (C.34:15D-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. As used in this act:
"AI" means artificial intelligence, the development of software and hardware and the end-use application of technologies that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, and generative artificial intelligence, which generates new content in response to user inputs of data.
"Artificial intelligence industry" means an occupation involving the development of hardware and software and the end use application of technologies that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence.
"Authority" means the New Jersey Economic Development Authority established pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1974, c.80 (C.34:1B-4).
"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development.
"Department" means the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
"Public-private partnership agreement" means an agreement entered into by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development and a private entity pursuant to section 2 of this act for the purpose of permitting a private entity to assume full financial and administrative responsibility for the development, design, delivery, marketing, and implementation of training and retraining services relevant to AI-industry skills.
2. a. The commissioner or the commissioner's designee may enter into a contract with a private entity, pursuant to the provisions of this act, to be referenced as a public-private partnership agreement, that permits the private entity to assume full financial and administrative responsibility for the development of training and retraining services related to AI. These services shall serve the purpose of providing retraining for displaced workers and advancing the AI-related skillset of the State's workforce, ensuring that it stays competitive in the evolving technology market.
b. Any public-private partnership agreement entered into by the department and a private entity in accordance with this section shall establish an advisory council to support and guide the work of the partnership. The membership of the advisory council shall be at the sole discretion of the commissioner.
c. The advisory council shall submit an annual written report to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1964, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1) the Legislature, which shall analyze the program and outline progress toward the training and goals of the private-public partnership.
d. Unless otherwise set forth herein, a private entity that assumes financial and administrative responsibility for the creation of AI training programs pursuant to this section shall not be subject to the procurement and contracting requirements applicable to the department for which the project is completed.
e. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a private entity that assumes financial and administrative responsibility for the creation of AI training programs pursuant to this section shall not be subject to prevailing wage requirements as determined by the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development pursuant to P.L.1963, c.150 (C.34:11-56.25 et seq.) and P.L.2005, c.379 (C.34:11-56.58 et seq.).
3. a. All projects proposed in accordance with this act shall be submitted to the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development for review and approval. Project proposals shall, at a minimum, include the anticipated fee structure for the State and, where applicable, the cost per trainee; the expected duration of training; the areas of expertise and qualifications for each instructor; and the proposed location for the training. Training may be delivered remotely at the discretion of the provider.
b. The commissioner shall determine any additional criteria required for the review and approval process.
c. The commissioner, in consultation with the advisory council and the Economic Development Authority, shall determine any necessary administrative processes to support the dissemination of program details, submission process, and schedule for the review and approval process.
4. The commissioner shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the State Employment and Training Commission established pursuant to section 5 of P.L.1989, c.293 (C.34:15C-2) or any other appropriate department, commission, or agency in developing the strategy related to the development and deployment of the training course.
5. This act shall take effect on
the 30th day next following enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill enables the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development to establish public-private partnerships to develop and advance AI workforce training. The training will have a dual purpose of retraining workers displaced by AI and providing training in AI skills for active workers to enable the workforce to remain competitive in evolving AI technology.
The public-private partnerships will enable the private entity to assume full financial and administrative responsibility for the development of training and retraining services related to AI in exchange for not being subject to certain procurement and prevailing wage criteria.
The department will establish methods of publicizing the program, establish criteria for evaluating the proposals, and define the various administrative requirements. In addition, the department will establish an advisory council to provide targeted feedback on the progress of the program and insight on how that training can be improved.
