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ENROLLED
ACT No. 8562026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 951
BY REPRESENTATIVE BAMBURG
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 23:1514(D)(4) and 39:1554(T) and to enact R.S. 23:2065(A)(12)
3 through (17) and 2092(A)(3) and R.S. 36:308(E), relative to a business workforce
4 solutions program; to create the Office of Business Workforce Solutions within
5 Louisiana Works; to provide for duties and functions of the Louisiana Workforce
6 Investment Council in conjunction with the Office of Business Workforce Solutions;
7 to create the Business Workforce Committee; to exclude the Office of Business
8 Workforce Solutions from the state procurement code; to provide for the purposes
9 and functions of the Office of Business Workforce Solutions; and to provide for
10 related matters.
11 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
12 Section 1. R.S. 23:1514(D)(4) is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S.
13 23:2065(A)(12) through (17) and 2092(A)(3) are hereby enacted to read as follows:
14 §1514. Worker training fund; purpose; training programs; eligibility criteria;
15 program administration
16 * * *
17 D.
18 * * *
19 (4) No more than ten percent of such amounts appropriated to the fund by the
20 state legislature shall be used for the payment of expenses incurred for the
21 administration of this account. Expenses related to employer outreach and
22 engagement of the program are not considered administrative.
23 * * *
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1 §2065. Council duties and functions
2 A. The council shall do all of the following:
3 * * *
4 (12) Provide oversight to ensure the state's workforce programs and
5 resources are aligned to meet employer and labor market needs.
6 (13) Work to integrate other state agencies and workforce initiatives into a
7 coordinated system.
8 (14) Oversee the coordination of training programs and workforce funding
9 statewide.
10 (15) Ensure cooperation among agencies engaged in workforce training.
11 (16) Through the Business Workforce Committee, recommend performance
12 metrics for the Office of Business Workforce Solutions.
13 (17) Ensure that outcomes are result-oriented and tied to employer needs.
14 * * *
15 §2092. Organizational structure of standing committees
16 A.
17 * * *
18 (3)(a) The Business Workforce Committee shall be a committee of the
19 council.
20 (b) The Business Workforce Committee shall be composed of seven
21 members, with a majority of the members being business representatives and one
22 member being the secretary of Louisiana Economic Development, or their designees.
23 (c) The Business Workforce Committee shall do all of the following:
24 (i) Serve as the advisory committee to the Office of Business Workforce
25 Solutions.
26 (ii) Provide input on the annual plan of work of the Office of Business
27 Workforce Solutions.
28 (iii) Recommend candidates for the assistant secretary position within the
29 Office of Business Workforce Solutions to the secretary of Louisiana Works, which
30 shall be forwarded to the governor by the secretary for consideration.
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1 (iv) Recommend performance metrics for the assistant secretary.
2 (v) Report annually to the council on the Office of Business Workforce
3 Solutions' results.
4 * * *
5 Section 2. R.S. 36:308(E) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
6 §308. Offices; purposes and functions
7 * * *
8 E.(1) The Office of Business Workforce Solutions herein referred to as "the
9 office" shall perform the functions of the state relating to business-related workforce
10 services, providing both strategy and coordination of state, regional, and local
11 workforce service providers across the state. The office shall manage business-
12 related programs including Business Services, the Incumbent Worker Training
13 Program, and federal funding related to layoff aversion and response, as well as other
14 business-related programs and funding administered by Louisiana Works to be
15 determined at the discretion of the secretary.
16 (2) The office shall perform all of the following functions of the state:
17 (a) Assisting businesses in accessing training resources and identifying
18 sources of talent from all local and statewide programs.
19 (b) Reviewing and mapping existing workforce programs statewide across
20 all agencies, schools, postsecondary education, apprenticeships, training programs,
21 nonprofits, and local and regional partners.
22 (c) Coordinating state agencies to ensure high quality, integrated regional
23 workforce solutions are provided and taking into account the separate roles and
24 responsibilities of each agency.
25 (d) Coordinating workforce services on a statewide and regional basis.
26 (e) Managing federal and state workforce development funds to support
27 business needs in high-demand, high-salary jobs and priority industry sectors.
28 (f) Aligning state and regional workforce development services with state
29 and regional economic development goals.
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1 (g) Building customized workforce solutions for new and existing
2 companies, in partnership with state departments, educational institutions, and other
3 governmental and nongovernmental institutions and organizations.
4 (h) Assisting businesses in building talent pipelines through middle school
5 career exposure, high school internship and apprenticeship, registered
6 apprenticeship, college internships, and pre-employment recruitment and training.
7 (i) Developing industry-specific training partnerships.
8 (j) Expanding work-based learning including apprenticeship programs.
9 (k) Promulgating rules and regulations.
10 (l) Providing financial oversight of workforce development programs.
11 (m) Developing operational policies subject to oversight from the secretary
12 and the Business Workforce Committee.
13 (n) Entering into contracts and agreements.
14 (o) Accepting grants, donations, and other funding resources.
15 (p) Coordinating with economic development organizations, agencies, and
16 education providers.
17 (q) Providing regular workforce development reports including performance
18 data and economic impact analysis.
19 (r) Entering into non-disclosure agreements when it involves proprietary or
20 confidential information related to economic development projects.
21 (s) Linking talent development to business recruitment, retention, and
22 expansion.
23 Section 3. R.S. 39:1554(T) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
24 §1554. Application of this Chapter
25 * * *
26 T.(1) This Chapter shall not apply to Louisiana Economic Development;
27 however, Louisiana Economic Development shall be required to continue as a
28 LaGov agency and shall adopt procurement provisions pursuant to rules adopted in
29 accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act. The rules created by Louisiana
30 Economic Development pursuant to this Subsection shall be subject to the approval
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1 of the commissioner of administration before they are sent to committees required
2 for review of agency rules in R.S. 49:966(B)(1). In addition, the House Committee
3 on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance shall also have authority
4 for review of agency rules as provided in R.S. 49:950 et seq.
5 (2) At the discretion of the secretary of Louisiana Works, this Chapter shall
6 not apply to the Office of Business Workforce Solutions within Louisiana Works;
7 however, the Office of Business Workforce Solutions shall be required to continue
8 as an office within Louisiana Works and shall adopt procurement provisions
9 pursuant to rules adopted in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act. The
10 rules created by the Office of Business Workforce Solutions pursuant to this
11 Subsection shall be subject to the approval of the commissioner of administration
12 before the rules are sent to committees required by R.S. 49:966(B)(1). In addition,
13 the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance shall
14 have the authority to review any rules in accordance with R.S. 49:950 et seq.
15 * * *
16 Section 4. It is the intent of the legislature to create a new office within Louisiana
17 Works, which shall be known as the Office of Business Workforce Solutions, for the purpose
18 of performing functions of the state relating to business workforce solutions under the
19 guidance and oversight of the secretary of Louisiana Works. The Office of Business
20 Workforce Solutions shall serve as the primary office for business-related workforce
21 solutions and development, managing funding and programs, and providing both strategy
22 and coordination of state, regional, and local workforce service providers across the state.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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