MS Comprehensive Workforce Training and Education Consolidation Act of 2004; extend repealer on.

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To: Workforce Development
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representatives Bell (21st), Hall

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
HOUSE BILL NO. 1401

AN ACT TO REENACT SECTIONS 37-153-1 THROUGH 37-153-7 AND 1
37-153-15, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH ARE THE MISSISSIPPI 2
COMPREHENSIVE WORKFORCE TRAINING AND EDUCATION CONSOLIDATION ACT 3
OF 2004; TO AMEND SECTION 37-153-17, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 4
EXTEND THE DATE OF THE REPEALER ON THE MISSISSIPPI COMPREHENSIVE 5
WORKFORCE TRAINING AND EDUCATION CONSOLIDATION ACT OF 2004; TO 6
AMEND REENACTED SECTIONS 37-153-5, 37-153-7 AND 37-153-15, 7
MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE AGENCY NOMENCLATURE AND 8
CERTAIN REPORTING DEADLINES AND TO EXTEND THE DATE GRANTING AN 9
EXEMPTION TO THE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD FROM THE REQUIREMENTS 10
OF THE PUBLIC PROCUREMENT REVIEW BOARD FROM CERTAIN PURCHASES; TO 11
REPEAL SECTION 37-153-9, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH REQUIRES 12
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A LOCAL WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD IN EACH OF 13
THE FOUR WORKFORCE AREAS OF THE STATE; TO REPEAL SECTIONS 14
37-153-11 AND 37-153-13, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH REQUIRE 15
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ONE-STOP CAREER CENTERS AFFILIATED WITH THE 16
COMMUNITY AND JUNIOR COLLEGES AND DESIGNATES THE MISSISSIPPI 17
COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD AS THE PRIMARY SUPPORT AGENCY TO THE 18
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CENTERS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 19
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 20
SECTION 1. Section 37-153-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 21
reenacted as follows: 22
37-153-1. This article shall be known and may be cited as 23
the "Mississippi Comprehensive Workforce Training and Education 24
Consolidation Act of 2004." 25
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SECTION 2. Section 37-153-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 26
reenacted as follows: 27
37-153-3. It is the intent of the Legislature by the passage 28
of Chapter 572, Laws of 2004, to establish one (1) comprehensive 29
workforce development system in the State of Mississippi that is 30
focused on achieving results, using resources efficiently and 31
ensuring that workers and employers can easily access needed 32
services. This system shall reflect a consolidation of the 33
Mississippi Workforce Development Advisory Council and the 34
Mississippi State Workforce Investment Act Board. The purpose of 35
Chapter 572, Laws of 2004, is to provide workforce activities, 36
through a statewide system that maximizes cooperation among state 37
agencies, that increase the employment, retention and earnings of 38
participants, and increase occupational skill attainment by 39
participants and as a result, improve the quality of the 40
workforce, reduce welfare dependency and enhance the productivity 41
and competitiveness of the State of Mississippi. 42
SECTION 3. Section 37-153-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 43
reenacted and amended as follows: 44
37-153-5. For purposes of this article, the following words 45
and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed in this 46
section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: 47
(a) "State board" or "board" means the Mississippi 48
State Workforce Investment Board. 49
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(b) "District councils" means the Local Workforce 50
Development Councils. 51
(c) "Local workforce investment board" means the board 52
that oversees the workforce development activities of local 53
workforce areas under the federal Workforce * * * Innovation 54
Opportunity Act. 55
(d) "Office" means the Mississippi Office of Workforce 56
Development, housed at the Department of * * * Employment 57
Security. 58
SECTION 4. Section 37-153-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 59
reenacted and amended as follows: 60
37-153-7. (1) There is created the Mississippi Office of 61
Workforce Development and the Mississippi State Workforce 62
Investment Board, which shall serve as the advisory board for the 63
office. The Mississippi State Workforce Investment Board shall be 64
composed of thirty-one (31) voting members, of which a majority 65
shall be representatives of business and industry in accordance 66
with the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, or any 67
successive acts. 68
(2) The members of the State Workforce Investment Board 69
shall include: 70
(a) The Governor, or his designee; 71
(b) Nineteen (19) members, appointed by the Governor, 72
of whom: 73
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(i) A majority shall be representatives of 74
businesses in the state, who: 75
1. Are owners of businesses, chief executives 76
or operating officers of businesses, or other business executives 77
or employers with optimum policymaking or hiring authority, and 78
who, in addition, may be members of a local board described in 79
Section 3122(b)(2)(A)(i) of the federal Workforce Innovation and 80
Opportunity Act. At least two (2) of the members appointed under 81
this item 1. shall be small business owners, chief executives or 82
operating officers of businesses with less than fifty (50) 83
employees; 84
2. Represent businesses, including small 85
businesses, or organizations representing businesses, which 86
provide employment opportunities that, at a minimum, include 87
high-quality, work-relevant training and development in 88
high-demand industry sectors or occupations in the state; and 89
3. Are appointed from among individuals 90
nominated by state business organizations and business trade 91
associations; 92
(ii) Not less than twenty percent (20%) shall 93
consist of representatives of the workforce within the state, 94
which: 95
1. Includes labor organization 96
representatives who have been nominated by state labor 97
federations; 98
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2. Includes a labor organization member or 99
training director from an apprenticeship program in the state, 100
which shall be a joint labor-management apprenticeship program if 101
such a program exists in the state; 102
3. May include representatives of 103
community-based organizations, including organizations serving 104
veterans or providing or supporting competitive, integrated 105
employment for individuals with disabilities, who have 106
demonstrated experience and expertise in addressing employment, 107
training or education needs of individuals with barriers to 108
employment; and 109
4. May include representatives of 110
organizations, including organizations serving out-of-school 111
youth, who have demonstrated experience or expertise in addressing 112
the employment, training or education needs of eligible youth; 113
(iii) The balance shall include government 114
representatives, including the lead state officials with primary 115
responsibility for core programs, and chief elected officials 116
(collectively representing both cities and counties, where 117
appropriate); 118
(c) Two (2) representatives of businesses in the state 119
appointed by the Lieutenant Governor; 120
(d) Two (2) representatives of businesses in the state 121
appointed by the Governor from a list of three (3) recommendations 122
from the Speaker of the House; and 123
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(e) The following state officials or their designees: 124
(i) The Executive Director of the Mississippi 125
Department of Employment Security; 126
(ii) The Executive Director of the Department of 127
Rehabilitation Services; 128
(iii) The State Superintendent of Public 129
Education; 130
(iv) The Executive Director of the Mississippi 131
Development Authority; 132
(v) The Executive Director of the Mississippi 133
Community College Board; 134
(vi) The President of the Community College 135
Association; and 136
(vii) The Commissioner of Higher Education. 137
(f) One (1) senator, appointed by the Lieutenant 138
Governor, and one (1) representative, appointed by the Speaker of 139
the House, shall serve on the state board in a nonvoting capacity. 140
(g) The Governor may appoint additional members if 141
required by the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, 142
or any successive acts. 143
(h) Members of the board shall serve a term of four (4) 144
years, and shall not serve more than three (3) consecutive terms. 145
(i) The membership of the board shall reflect the 146
diversity of the State of Mississippi. 147
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(j) The Governor shall designate the Chairman of the 148
Mississippi State Workforce Investment Board from among the 149
business and industry voting members of the board, and a quorum of 150
the board shall consist of a majority of the voting members of the 151
board. 152
(k) The voting members of the board who are not state 153
employees shall be entitled to reimbursement of their reasonable 154
expenses in the manner and amount specified in Section 25-3-41 and 155
shall be entitled to receive per diem compensation as authorized 156
in Section 25-3-69. 157
(3) Members of the state board may be recalled by their 158
appointing authority for cause, including a felony conviction, 159
fraudulent or dishonest acts or gross abuse of discretion, failure 160
to meet board member qualifications, or chronic failure to attend 161
board meetings. 162
(4) The Mississippi Department of Employment Security shall 163
establish limits on administrative costs for each portion of 164
Mississippi's workforce development system consistent with the 165
federal Workforce Investment Act or any future federal workforce 166
legislation. 167
(5) The Mississippi State Workforce Investment Board shall 168
have the following duties, which are intended to be consistent 169
with the scope of duties provided in the federal Workforce 170
Innovation and Opportunity Act, amendments and successor 171
legislation to this act, and other relevant federal law: 172
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(a) Through the office, develop and submit to the 173
Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the House a strategic 174
plan for an integrated state workforce development system that 175
aligns resources and structures the system to more effectively and 176
efficiently meet the demands of Mississippi's employers and job 177
seekers. This plan will comply with the federal Workforce 178
Investment Act of 1998, as amended, the federal Workforce 179
Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 and amendments and 180
successor legislation to these acts; 181
(b) Assist the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and 182
Speaker of the House in the development and continuous improvement 183
of the statewide workforce investment system that shall include: 184
(i) Development of linkages in order to assure 185
coordination and nonduplication among programs and activities; and 186
(ii) Review local workforce development plans that 187
reflect the use of funds from the federal Workforce Investment 188
Act, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, the Wagner-Peyser 189
Act and the amendment or successor legislation to the acts, and 190
the Mississippi Comprehensive Workforce Training and Education 191
Consolidation Act; 192
(c) Recommend to the office the designation of local 193
workforce investment areas as required in Section 116 of the 194
federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and the Workforce 195
Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014. There shall be four (4) 196
workforce investment areas that are generally aligned with the 197
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planning and development district structure in Mississippi. 198
Planning and development districts will serve as the fiscal agents 199
to manage Workforce * * * Innovation Opportunity Act funds, 200
oversee and support the local workforce investment boards aligned 201
with the area and the local programs and activities as delivered 202
by the one-stop employment and training system. The planning and 203
development districts will perform this function through the 204
provisions of the county cooperative service districts created 205
under Sections 19-3-101 through 19-3-115; however, planning and 206
development districts currently performing this function under the 207
Interlocal Cooperation Act of 1974, Sections 17-13-1 through 208
17-13-17, may continue to do so; 209
(d) Assist the Governor in the development of an 210
allocation formula for the distribution of funds for adult 211
employment and training activities and youth activities to local 212
workforce investment areas; 213
(e) Recommend comprehensive, results-oriented measures 214
that shall be applied to all of Mississippi's workforce 215
development system programs; 216
(f) Assist the Governor in the establishment and 217
management of a one-stop employment and training system conforming 218
to the requirements of the federal Workforce Investment Act of 219
1998 and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, as 220
amended, recommending policy for implementing the Governor's 221
approved plan for employment and training activities and services 222
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within the state. In developing this one-stop career operating 223
system, the Mississippi State Workforce Investment Board, in 224
conjunction with local workforce investment boards, shall: 225
(i) Design broad guidelines for the delivery of 226
workforce development programs; 227
(ii) Identify all existing delivery agencies and 228
other resources; 229
(iii) Define appropriate roles of the various 230
agencies to include an analysis of service providers' strengths 231
and weaknesses; 232
(iv) Determine the best way to utilize the various 233
agencies to deliver services to recipients; and 234
(v) Develop a financial plan to support the 235
delivery system that shall, at a minimum, include an 236
accountability system; 237
(g) To provide authority, in accordance with any 238
executive order of the Governor, for developing the necessary 239
collaboration among state agencies at the highest level for 240
accomplishing the purposes of this article; 241
(h) To monitor the effectiveness of the workforce 242
development centers and WIN job centers; 243
(i) To advise the Governor, public schools, community 244
and junior colleges and institutions of higher learning on 245
effective school-to-work transition policies and programs that 246
link students moving from high school to higher education and 247
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students moving between community colleges and four-year 248
institutions in pursuit of academic and technical skills training; 249
(j) To work with industry to identify barriers that 250
inhibit the delivery of quality workforce education and the 251
responsiveness of educational institutions to the needs of 252
industry; 253
(k) To provide periodic assessments on effectiveness 254
and results of the overall Mississippi comprehensive workforce 255
development system and district councils; 256
(l) Develop broad statewide development goals, 257
including a goal to raise the state's labor force participation 258
rate; 259
(m) Perform a comprehensive review of Mississippi's 260
workforce development efforts, including the amount spent and 261
effectiveness of programs supported by state or federal money; and 262
(n) To assist the Governor in carrying out any other 263
responsibility required by the federal Workforce Investment Act of 264
1998, as amended and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, 265
successor legislation and amendments. 266
(6) The Mississippi State Workforce Investment Board shall 267
coordinate all training programs and funds within its purview, 268
consistent with the federal Workforce Investment Act, Workforce 269
Innovation and Opportunity Act, amendments and successor 270
legislation to these acts, and other relevant federal law. 271
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Each state agency director responsible for workforce training 272
activities shall advise the Mississippi Office of Workforce 273
Development and the State Workforce Investment Board of 274
appropriate federal and state requirements. Each state agency, 275
department and institution shall report any monies received for 276
workforce training activities or career and technical education 277
and a detailed itemization of how those monies were spent to the 278
state board. The board shall compile the data and provide a 279
report of the monies and expenditures to the Chairs of the House 280
and Senate Appropriations Committee, the Chair of the House 281
Workforce Development Committee and the Chair of the Senate 282
Economic and Workforce Development Committee by * * * November 1 283
of each year. Each such state agency director shall remain 284
responsible for the actions of his agency; however, each state 285
agency and director shall work cooperatively to fulfill the 286
state's goals. 287
(7) The State Workforce Investment Board shall establish an 288
executive committee, which shall consist of the following State 289
Workforce Investment Board members: 290
(a) The Chair of the State Workforce Investment Board; 291
(b) Two (2) business representatives currently serving 292
on the state board selected by the Governor; 293
(c) The two (2) business representatives currently 294
serving on the state board appointed by the Lieutenant Governor; 295
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(d) The two (2) business representatives currently 296
serving on the state board appointed by the Governor from a list 297
of three (3) recommendations from the Speaker of the House; 298
(e) The two (2) legislators, who shall serve in a 299
nonvoting capacity, one (1) of whom shall be appointed by the 300
Lieutenant Governor from the membership of the Mississippi Senate 301
and one (1) of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House 302
of Representatives from the membership of the Mississippi House of 303
Representatives. 304
(8) The executive committee shall select an executive 305
director of the Office of Workforce Development, with the advice 306
and consent of a majority of the State Workforce Investment Board. 307
The executive committee shall seek input from economic development 308
organizations across the state when selecting the executive 309
director. The executive director shall: 310
(a) Be a person with extensive experience in 311
development of economic, human and physical resources, and 312
promotion of industrial and commercial development. The executive 313
director shall have a bachelor's degree from a state-accredited 314
institution and no less than eight (8) years of professional 315
experience related to workforce or economic development; 316
(b) Perform the functions necessary for the daily 317
operation and administration of the office, with oversight from 318
the executive committee and the State Workforce Investment Board, 319
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to fulfill the duties of the state board as described in Chapter 320
476, Laws of 2020; 321
(c) Hire staff needed for the performance of his or her 322
duties under Chapter 476, Laws of 2020. The executive director, 323
with approval from the executive committee, shall set the 324
compensation of any hired employees from any funds made available 325
for that purpose; 326
(d) Enter any part of the Mississippi Community College 327
Board, individual community and junior colleges, or other 328
workforce training facilities operated by the state or its 329
subdivisions; 330
(e) Serve at the will and pleasure of the executive 331
committee; 332
(f) Promulgate rules and regulations, subject to 333
oversight by the executive committee, not inconsistent with this 334
article, as may be necessary to enforce the provisions in Chapter 335
476, Laws of 2020; and 336
(g) Perform any other actions he or she, in 337
consultation with the executive committee, deems necessary to 338
fulfill the duties under Chapter 476, Laws of 2020. 339
(9) The office shall file an annual and a quarterly report 340
with the Governor, Secretary of State, President of the Senate, 341
Speaker of the House, Chairman of the House Workforce Development 342
Committee and Chairman of the Senate Economic and Workforce 343
Development Committee. The annual report shall be filed not later 344
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than November 1 of each year regarding all funds approved by the 345
office to be expended on workforce training during the prior 346
calendar year. The quarterly and annual reports shall include: 347
(a) Information on the performance of the Mississippi 348
Workforce Enhancement Training Fund and the Mississippi Works 349
Fund, in terms of adding value to the local and state economy, the 350
contribution to future growth of the state economy, and movement 351
toward state goals, including increasing the labor force 352
participation rate; 353
(b) With respect to specific workforce training 354
projects: 355
(i) The location of the training; 356
(ii) The amount allocated to the project; 357
(iii) The purpose of the project; 358
(iv) The specific business entity that is the 359
beneficiary of the project; 360
(v) The number of employees intended to be trained 361
and actually trained, if applicable, in the course of the project; 362
and 363
(vi) The types of funds used for the project; 364
(c) With respect to the grants that have been awarded 365
under the Mississippi K-12 Workforce Development Grant Program 366
created in Section 37-153-221: 367
(i) The entity that was awarded the grant; 368
(ii) The amount allocated to the grant; 369
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(iii) The purpose of the grant; 370
(iv) How the grant has been used since it was 371
awarded; and 372
(d) With respect to the office's authority to select 373
tools and resources, including necessary online platforms and 374
similar systems in furtherance of the mission of the office: 375
(i) The policies that the office has adopted or 376
amended on the process for the selection of tools and resources, 377
including necessary online platforms and similar systems in 378
furtherance of the mission of the office; 379
(ii) The eligible entities that the office 380
determined may provide services, such as companies, nonprofit 381
organizations, or other similar groups; 382
(iii) Any tools and resources, including necessary 383
online platforms and similar systems in furtherance of the mission 384
of the office, that have been selected by the office; and 385
(iv) What entity received the benefit of the tools 386
and resources that were selected. 387
(e) All information concerning a proposed project which 388
is provided to the executive director shall be kept confidential. 389
Except as provided in subsections (13) and (14), such 390
confidentiality shall not limit disclosure under the Mississippi 391
Public Records Act of 1983 of records describing the nature, 392
quantity, cost or other pertinent information related to the 393
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activities of, or services performed using, the Mississippi 394
Workforce Enhancement Training Fund or the Mississippi Works Fund. 395
(10) In addition to other powers and duties provided in this 396
section, the Office of Workforce Development shall also have the 397
following powers and duties: 398
(a) Direct access to accounting and banking statements 399
for all funds under its direction to ensure accurate and efficient 400
management of funds and to improve internal control; 401
(b) The ability to enter into nondisclosure agreements 402
to effectively support economic development activities and the 403
proprietary nature of customized training for existing and new 404
industry; 405
(c) To adopt and promulgate such rules and regulations 406
as may be necessary or desirable for the purpose of implementing 407
the Mississippi K-12 Workforce Development Grant Program created 408
in Section 37-153-221; 409
(d) To receive contributions, donations, gifts, 410
bequests of money, other forms of financial assistance and 411
property, equipment, materials or manpower from persons, 412
foundations, trust funds, corporations, organizations and other 413
sources, public or private, made to the office, and may expend or 414
use the same in accordance with the conditions prescribed by the 415
donor, provided that no such condition is contrary to any 416
provision of law; 417
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(e) To contract with state agencies, governing 418
authorities or economic and workforce development entities for 419
shared programmatic efforts and support service or joint 420
employment of personnel in order to further the office's purposes; 421
(f) To determine, subject to appropriation, the need 422
for and, if desired, the selection of tools and resources, 423
including necessary online platforms and similar systems in 424
furtherance of the mission of the office, through processes 425
established in policies adopted by the office that are deemed to 426
be practical, feasible and in the public interest. These 427
processes shall outline eligible entities that may provide such 428
services, such as companies, nonprofit organizations, or other 429
similar groups and shall ensure the office determines metrics for 430
success, including deliverables as required by the office; 431
(g) To implement the career coaching program provided 432
for in Section 37-73-3; 433
(h) To provide career coaches with access to technology 434
to develop customized career pathways and connect students with 435
postsecondary and employment opportunities matching their skills 436
and interests; and 437
(i) To implement and oversee programs providing support 438
to community and junior colleges for training needs that may arise 439
when new businesses locate in Mississippi, to include providing 440
support to existing industries that may lose employees as a result 441
of the new business. 442
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Through December 31, * * * 2028, the provisions of Section 443
27-104-7 related to rental agreements * * *, the leasing of real 444
property, or the purchase of personal or professional services for 445
the purpose of conducting agency business shall not apply to the 446
office. 447
(11) Nothing in Chapter 476, Laws of 2020 [Senate Bill No. 448
2564] shall void or otherwise interrupt any contract, lease, grant 449
or other agreement previously entered into by the State Workforce 450
Investment Board, Mississippi Community College Board, individual 451
community or junior colleges, or other entities. 452
(12) Any records of the office which contain client 453
information from the Mississippi Development Authority or local 454
economic development entities concerning development projects 455
shall be exempt from the provisions of the Mississippi Public 456
Records Act of 1983 for a period of two (2) years after receipt of 457
the information by the office. Confidential client information as 458
described in this section shall not include the information which 459
must be disclosed by the certified applicant related to a 460
qualified economic development project in the annual report 461
described in Section 57-1-759. 462
(13) Confidential client information in public records held 463
by the office shall be exempt from the provisions of the 464
Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983 during any period of review 465
and negotiation on a project proposal facilitated by the 466
Mississippi Development Authority or local economic development 467
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entities and for a period of thirty (30) days after approval, 468
disapproval or abandonment of the proposal not to exceed one (1) 469
year. 470
SECTION 5. Section 37-153-15, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 471
reenacted and amended as follows: 472
37-153-15. (1) As used in this article: 473
(a) The words "industry certification" mean a process 474
through which students are assessed by an independent, third-party 475
certifying entity using predetermined standards for knowledge, 476
skills and competencies, resulting in the award of a credential 477
that is nationally recognized and must be at least one (1) of the 478
following: 479
(i) Within an industry that addresses a critical 480
local, regional or statewide economic need; 481
(ii) Linked to an occupation that is included in 482
the * * * Office of Workforce Development's Priority Occupation 483
List or identified by the State Workforce Investment Board; or 484
(iii) Linked to an occupation that is identified 485
as emerging. 486
(b) The words "qualifying industry certification" mean 487
an industry certification that is linked to an occupation with 488
wages of at least seventy percent (70%) of the median state income 489
unless the industry certification is stackable to another 490
postsecondary or professional credential which is linked to an 491
occupation which meets the wage criterion. 492
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(2) The State Workforce Investment Board shall provide the 493
State Board of Education annually with a list of qualifying 494
industry certifications. If the occupations identified in the 495
list are not substantially the same as those occupations 496
identified in the prior year, the State Board of Education shall 497
provide reasonable notice of the changes to school districts. 498
(3) Beginning in fiscal year 2019-2020 and subject to 499
available funding, the Department of Education shall pay a career 500
and technical education incentive grant to the public school for 501
each student enrolled in the public school who earns a qualifying 502
industry certification. The amount per student for the career and 503
technical education incentive grant shall be Six Hundred Dollars 504
($600.00). If the statewide sum of the career and technical 505
education incentive grants awarded pursuant to this section 506
exceeds the amount of available funds appropriated for the grants, 507
the grants per student shall be reduced proportionately to cover 508
all eligible grants under this section. Any costs accrued during 509
one (1) fiscal year may be claimed and reimbursed in the following 510
fiscal year. 511
(4) The grants may be used for qualifying industry 512
certification examination fees, professional development for 513
teachers in career and technical education programs under this 514
section, student instructional support for programs that lead to 515
qualifying industry certifications, * * * to increase access to 516
qualifying industry certifications, or to purchase equipment 517
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necessary for programs that lead to qualifying industry 518
certifications. Any grants awarded under this section may not be 519
used to supplant funds provided for the basic operation of the 520
career and technical education programs. 521
(5) On or before * * * November 1 of each year, the 522
Department of Education, working in collaboration with the Office 523
of Workforce Development and any other entities as necessary, 524
shall submit a report to the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, 525
the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Chairmen of the 526
House and Senate Education Committees, the Chairman of the House 527
Workforce Development Committee and the Chairman of the Senate 528
Economic and Workforce Development Committee on the following: 529
(a) The number of students who enrolled in a career and 530
technical education course or program that leads to a qualifying 531
industry certification. 532
(b) The number of students who earned a qualifying 533
industry certification by certification. 534
(c) The amount of career and technical education 535
incentive grants awarded by the school. 536
(d) The amount of career and technical education 537
incentive grants awarded per student. 538
(e) Aggregated demographic data on the students who 539
earned a qualifying industry certification, including the 540
qualifying industry certifications earned by rural and urban 541
students. 542
H. B. No. 1401 *HR43/R2033CS* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R2033CS
PAGE 23 (RKM\KP)
ST: MS Comprehensive Workforce Training and
Education Consolidation Act of 2004; extend
repealer on.
SECTION 6. Section 37-153-17, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 543
amended as follows: 544
37-153-17. Sections 37-153-1, 37-153-3, 37-153-5, 37-153-7 545
and 37-153-15 shall stand repealed on July 1, * * * 2029. 546
SECTION 7. Section 37-153-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, which 547
requires the establishment of a local workforce investment board 548
in each of the four (4) workforce areas of the state, is repealed. 549
SECTION 8. Sections 37-153-11 and 37-153-13, Mississippi 550
Code of 1972, which require the establishment of One-Stop Career 551
Centers affiliated with the community and junior colleges and 552
designates the Mississippi Community College Board as the primary 553
support agency to the workforce development centers, are repealed. 554
SECTION 9. This act shall take effect and be in force from 555
and after July 1, 2026. 556