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: Representative Shanks

HOUSE BILL NO. 932

AN ACT TO REENACT SECTIONS 37-153-1 THROUGH 37-153-15, 1
MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH ARE THE MISSISSIPPI COMPREHENSIVE 2
WORKFORCE TRAINING AND EDUCATION CONSOLIDATION ACT OF 2004; TO 3
AMEND SECTION 37-153-17, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO EXTEND THE 4
DATE OF THE REPEALER ON THE MISSISSIPPI COMPREHENSIVE WORKFORCE 5
TRAINING AND EDUCATION CONSOLIDATION ACT OF 2004; AND FOR RELATED 6
PURPOSES. 7
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 8
SECTION 1. Section 37-153-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 9
reenacted as follows: 10
37-153-1. This article shall be known and may be cited as 11
the "Mississippi Comprehensive Workforce Training and Education 12
Consolidation Act of 2004." 13
SECTION 2. Section 37-153-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 14
reenacted as follows: 15
37-153-3. It is the intent of the Legislature by the passage 16
of Chapter 572, Laws of 2004, to establish one (1) comprehensive 17
workforce development system in the State of Mississippi that is 18
focused on achieving results, using resources efficiently and 19
ensuring that workers and employers can easily access needed 20
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services. This system shall reflect a consolidation of the 21
Mississippi Workforce Development Advisory Council and the 22
Mississippi State Workforce Investment Act Board. The purpose of 23
Chapter 572, Laws of 2004, is to provide workforce activities, 24
through a statewide system that maximizes cooperation among state 25
agencies, that increase the employment, retention and earnings of 26
participants, and increase occupational skill attainment by 27
participants and as a result, improve the quality of the 28
workforce, reduce welfare dependency and enhance the productivity 29
and competitiveness of the State of Mississippi. 30
SECTION 3. Section 37-153-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 31
reenacted as follows: 32
37-153-5. For purposes of this article, the following words 33
and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed in this 34
section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: 35
(a) "State board" or "board" means the Mississippi 36
State Workforce Investment Board. 37
(b) "District councils" means the Local Workforce 38
Development Councils. 39
(c) "Local workforce investment board" means the board 40
that oversees the workforce development activities of local 41
workforce areas under the federal Workforce Investment Act. 42
(d) "Office" means the Mississippi Office of Workforce 43
Development, housed at the Department of Finance and 44
Administration. 45
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SECTION 4. Section 37-153-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 46
reenacted as follows: 47
37-153-7. (1) There is created the Mississippi Office of 48
Workforce Development and the Mississippi State Workforce 49
Investment Board, which shall serve as the advisory board for the 50
office. The Mississippi State Workforce Investment Board shall be 51
composed of thirty-one (31) voting members, of which a majority 52
shall be representatives of business and industry in accordance 53
with the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, or any 54
successive acts. 55
(2) The members of the State Workforce Investment Board 56
shall include: 57
(a) The Governor, or his designee; 58
(b) Nineteen (19) members, appointed by the Governor, 59
of whom: 60
(i) A majority shall be representatives of 61
businesses in the state, who: 62
1. Are owners of businesses, chief executives 63
or operating officers of businesses, or other business executives 64
or employers with optimum policymaking or hiring authority, and 65
who, in addition, may be members of a local board described in 66
Section 3122(b)(2)(A)(i) of the federal Workforce Innovation and 67
Opportunity Act. At least two (2) of the members appointed under 68
this item 1. shall be small business owners, chief executives or 69
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operating officers of businesses with less than fifty (50) 70
employees; 71
2. Represent businesses, including small 72
businesses, or organizations representing businesses, which 73
provide employment opportunities that, at a minimum, include 74
high-quality, work-relevant training and development in 75
high-demand industry sectors or occupations in the state; and 76
3. Are appointed from among individuals 77
nominated by state business organizations and business trade 78
associations; 79
(ii) Not less than twenty percent (20%) shall 80
consist of representatives of the workforce within the state, 81
which: 82
1. Includes labor organization 83
representatives who have been nominated by state labor 84
federations; 85
2. Includes a labor organization member or 86
training director from an apprenticeship program in the state, 87
which shall be a joint labor-management apprenticeship program if 88
such a program exists in the state; 89
3. May include representatives of 90
community-based organizations, including organizations serving 91
veterans or providing or supporting competitive, integrated 92
employment for individuals with disabilities, who have 93
demonstrated experience and expertise in addressing employment, 94
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training or education needs of individuals with barriers to 95
employment; and 96
4. May include representatives of 97
organizations, including organizations serving out-of-school 98
youth, who have demonstrated experience or expertise in addressing 99
the employment, training or education needs of eligible youth; 100
(iii) The balance shall include government 101
representatives, including the lead state officials with primary 102
responsibility for core programs, and chief elected officials 103
(collectively representing both cities and counties, where 104
appropriate); 105
(c) Two (2) representatives of businesses in the state 106
appointed by the Lieutenant Governor; 107
(d) Two (2) representatives of businesses in the state 108
appointed by the Governor from a list of three (3) recommendations 109
from the Speaker of the House; and 110
(e) The following state officials or their designees: 111
(i) The Executive Director of the Mississippi 112
Department of Employment Security; 113
(ii) The Executive Director of the Department of 114
Rehabilitation Services; 115
(iii) The State Superintendent of Public 116
Education; 117
(iv) The Executive Director of the Mississippi 118
Development Authority; 119
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(v) The Executive Director of the Mississippi 120
Community College Board; 121
(vi) The President of the Community College 122
Association; and 123
(vii) The Commissioner of Higher Education. 124
(f) One (1) senator, appointed by the Lieutenant 125
Governor, and one (1) representative, appointed by the Speaker of 126
the House, shall serve on the state board in a nonvoting capacity. 127
(g) The Governor may appoint additional members if 128
required by the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, 129
or any successive acts. 130
(h) Members of the board shall serve a term of four (4) 131
years, and shall not serve more than three (3) consecutive terms. 132
(i) The membership of the board shall reflect the 133
diversity of the State of Mississippi. 134
(j) The Governor shall designate the Chairman of the 135
Mississippi State Workforce Investment Board from among the 136
business and industry voting members of the board, and a quorum of 137
the board shall consist of a majority of the voting members of the 138
board. 139
(k) The voting members of the board who are not state 140
employees shall be entitled to reimbursement of their reasonable 141
expenses in the manner and amount specified in Section 25-3-41 and 142
shall be entitled to receive per diem compensation as authorized 143
in Section 25-3-69. 144
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(3) Members of the state board may be recalled by their 145
appointing authority for cause, including a felony conviction, 146
fraudulent or dishonest acts or gross abuse of discretion, failure 147
to meet board member qualifications, or chronic failure to attend 148
board meetings. 149
(4) The Mississippi Department of Employment Security shall 150
establish limits on administrative costs for each portion of 151
Mississippi's workforce development system consistent with the 152
federal Workforce Investment Act or any future federal workforce 153
legislation. 154
(5) The Mississippi State Workforce Investment Board shall 155
have the following duties, which are intended to be consistent 156
with the scope of duties provided in the federal Workforce 157
Innovation and Opportunity Act, amendments and successor 158
legislation to this act, and other relevant federal law: 159
(a) Through the office, develop and submit to the 160
Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the House a strategic 161
plan for an integrated state workforce development system that 162
aligns resources and structures the system to more effectively and 163
efficiently meet the demands of Mississippi's employers and job 164
seekers. This plan will comply with the federal Workforce 165
Investment Act of 1998, as amended, the federal Workforce 166
Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 and amendments and 167
successor legislation to these acts; 168
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(b) Assist the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and 169
Speaker of the House in the development and continuous improvement 170
of the statewide workforce investment system that shall include: 171
(i) Development of linkages in order to assure 172
coordination and nonduplication among programs and activities; and 173
(ii) Review local workforce development plans that 174
reflect the use of funds from the federal Workforce Investment 175
Act, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, the Wagner-Peyser 176
Act and the amendment or successor legislation to the acts, and 177
the Mississippi Comprehensive Workforce Training and Education 178
Consolidation Act; 179
(c) Recommend to the office the designation of local 180
workforce investment areas as required in Section 116 of the 181
federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and the Workforce 182
Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014. There shall be four (4) 183
workforce investment areas that are generally aligned with the 184
planning and development district structure in Mississippi. 185
Planning and development districts will serve as the fiscal agents 186
to manage Workforce Investment Act funds, oversee and support the 187
local workforce investment boards aligned with the area and the 188
local programs and activities as delivered by the one-stop 189
employment and training system. The planning and development 190
districts will perform this function through the provisions of the 191
county cooperative service districts created under Sections 192
19-3-101 through 19-3-115; however, planning and development 193
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districts currently performing this function under the Interlocal 194
Cooperation Act of 1974, Sections 17-13-1 through 17-13-17, may 195
continue to do so; 196
(d) Assist the Governor in the development of an 197
allocation formula for the distribution of funds for adult 198
employment and training activities and youth activities to local 199
workforce investment areas; 200
(e) Recommend comprehensive, results-oriented measures 201
that shall be applied to all of Mississippi's workforce 202
development system programs; 203
(f) Assist the Governor in the establishment and 204
management of a one-stop employment and training system conforming 205
to the requirements of the federal Workforce Investment Act of 206
1998 and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, as 207
amended, recommending policy for implementing the Governor's 208
approved plan for employment and training activities and services 209
within the state. In developing this one-stop career operating 210
system, the Mississippi State Workforce Investment Board, in 211
conjunction with local workforce investment boards, shall: 212
(i) Design broad guidelines for the delivery of 213
workforce development programs; 214
(ii) Identify all existing delivery agencies and 215
other resources; 216
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(iii) Define appropriate roles of the various 217
agencies to include an analysis of service providers' strengths 218
and weaknesses; 219
(iv) Determine the best way to utilize the various 220
agencies to deliver services to recipients; and 221
(v) Develop a financial plan to support the 222
delivery system that shall, at a minimum, include an 223
accountability system; 224
(g) To provide authority, in accordance with any 225
executive order of the Governor, for developing the necessary 226
collaboration among state agencies at the highest level for 227
accomplishing the purposes of this article; 228
(h) To monitor the effectiveness of the workforce 229
development centers and WIN job centers; 230
(i) To advise the Governor, public schools, community 231
and junior colleges and institutions of higher learning on 232
effective school-to-work transition policies and programs that 233
link students moving from high school to higher education and 234
students moving between community colleges and four-year 235
institutions in pursuit of academic and technical skills training; 236
(j) To work with industry to identify barriers that 237
inhibit the delivery of quality workforce education and the 238
responsiveness of educational institutions to the needs of 239
industry; 240
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(k) To provide periodic assessments on effectiveness 241
and results of the overall Mississippi comprehensive workforce 242
development system and district councils; 243
(l) Develop broad statewide development goals, 244
including a goal to raise the state's labor force participation 245
rate; 246
(m) Perform a comprehensive review of Mississippi's 247
workforce development efforts, including the amount spent and 248
effectiveness of programs supported by state or federal money; and 249
(n) To assist the Governor in carrying out any other 250
responsibility required by the federal Workforce Investment Act of 251
1998, as amended and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, 252
successor legislation and amendments. 253
(6) The Mississippi State Workforce Investment Board shall 254
coordinate all training programs and funds within its purview, 255
consistent with the federal Workforce Investment Act, Workforce 256
Innovation and Opportunity Act, amendments and successor 257
legislation to these acts, and other relevant federal law. 258
Each state agency director responsible for workforce training 259
activities shall advise the Mississippi Office of Workforce 260
Development and the State Workforce Investment Board of 261
appropriate federal and state requirements. Each state agency, 262
department and institution shall report any monies received for 263
workforce training activities or career and technical education 264
and a detailed itemization of how those monies were spent to the 265
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state board. The board shall compile the data and provide a 266
report of the monies and expenditures to the Chairs of the House 267
and Senate Appropriations Committee, the Chair of the House 268
Workforce Development Committee and the Chair of the Senate 269
Economic and Workforce Development Committee by October 1 of each 270
year. Each such state agency director shall remain responsible 271
for the actions of his agency; however, each state agency and 272
director shall work cooperatively to fulfill the state's goals. 273
(7) The State Workforce Investment Board shall establish an 274
executive committee, which shall consist of the following State 275
Workforce Investment Board members: 276
(a) The Chair of the State Workforce Investment Board; 277
(b) Two (2) business representatives currently serving 278
on the state board selected by the Governor; 279
(c) The two (2) business representatives currently 280
serving on the state board appointed by the Lieutenant Governor; 281
(d) The two (2) business representatives currently 282
serving on the state board appointed by the Governor from a list 283
of three (3) recommendations from the Speaker of the House; 284
(e) The two (2) legislators, who shall serve in a 285
nonvoting capacity, one (1) of whom shall be appointed by the 286
Lieutenant Governor from the membership of the Mississippi Senate 287
and one (1) of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House 288
of Representatives from the membership of the Mississippi House of 289
Representatives. 290
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(8) The executive committee shall select an executive 291
director of the Office of Workforce Development, with the advice 292
and consent of a majority of the State Workforce Investment Board. 293
The executive committee shall seek input from economic development 294
organizations across the state when selecting the executive 295
director. The executive director shall: 296
(a) Be a person with extensive experience in 297
development of economic, human and physical resources, and 298
promotion of industrial and commercial development. The executive 299
director shall have a bachelor's degree from a state-accredited 300
institution and no less than eight (8) years of professional 301
experience related to workforce or economic development; 302
(b) Perform the functions necessary for the daily 303
operation and administration of the office, with oversight from 304
the executive committee and the State Workforce Investment Board, 305
to fulfill the duties of the state board as described in Chapter 306
476, Laws of 2020; 307
(c) Hire staff needed for the performance of his or her 308
duties under Chapter 476, Laws of 2020. The executive director, 309
with approval from the executive committee, shall set the 310
compensation of any hired employees from any funds made available 311
for that purpose; 312
(d) Enter any part of the Mississippi Community College 313
Board, individual community and junior colleges, or other 314
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workforce training facilities operated by the state or its 315
subdivisions; 316
(e) Serve at the will and pleasure of the executive 317
committee; 318
(f) Promulgate rules and regulations, subject to 319
oversight by the executive committee, not inconsistent with this 320
article, as may be necessary to enforce the provisions in Chapter 321
476, Laws of 2020; and 322
(g) Perform any other actions he or she, in 323
consultation with the executive committee, deems necessary to 324
fulfill the duties under Chapter 476, Laws of 2020. 325
(9) The office shall file an annual and a quarterly report 326
with the Governor, Secretary of State, President of the Senate, 327
Speaker of the House, Chairman of the House Workforce Development 328
Committee and Chairman of the Senate Economic and Workforce 329
Development Committee. The annual report shall be filed not later 330
than October 1 of each year regarding all funds approved by the 331
office to be expended on workforce training during the prior 332
calendar year. The quarterly and annual reports shall include: 333
(a) Information on the performance of the Mississippi 334
Workforce Enhancement Training Fund and the Mississippi Works 335
Fund, in terms of adding value to the local and state economy, the 336
contribution to future growth of the state economy, and movement 337
toward state goals, including increasing the labor force 338
participation rate; 339
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(b) With respect to specific workforce training 340
projects: 341
(i) The location of the training; 342
(ii) The amount allocated to the project; 343
(iii) The purpose of the project; 344
(iv) The specific business entity that is the 345
beneficiary of the project; 346
(v) The number of employees intended to be trained 347
and actually trained, if applicable, in the course of the project; 348
and 349
(vi) The types of funds used for the project; 350
(c) With respect to the grants that have been awarded 351
under the Mississippi K-12 Workforce Development Grant Program 352
created in Section 37-153-221: 353
(i) The entity that was awarded the grant; 354
(ii) The amount allocated to the grant; 355
(iii) The purpose of the grant; 356
(iv) How the grant has been used since it was 357
awarded; and 358
(d) With respect to the office's authority to select 359
tools and resources, including necessary online platforms and 360
similar systems in furtherance of the mission of the office: 361
(i) The policies that the office has adopted or 362
amended on the process for the selection of tools and resources, 363
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including necessary online platforms and similar systems in 364
furtherance of the mission of the office; 365
(ii) The eligible entities that the office 366
determined may provide services, such as companies, nonprofit 367
organizations, or other similar groups; 368
(iii) Any tools and resources, including necessary 369
online platforms and similar systems in furtherance of the mission 370
of the office, that have been selected by the office; and 371
(iv) What entity received the benefit of the tools 372
and resources that were selected. 373
(e) All information concerning a proposed project which 374
is provided to the executive director shall be kept confidential. 375
Except as provided in subsections (13) and (14), such 376
confidentiality shall not limit disclosure under the Mississippi 377
Public Records Act of 1983 of records describing the nature, 378
quantity, cost or other pertinent information related to the 379
activities of, or services performed using, the Mississippi 380
Workforce Enhancement Training Fund or the Mississippi Works Fund. 381
(10) In addition to other powers and duties provided in this 382
section, the Office of Workforce Development shall also have the 383
following powers and duties: 384
(a) Direct access to accounting and banking statements 385
for all funds under its direction to ensure accurate and efficient 386
management of funds and to improve internal control; 387
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(b) The ability to enter into nondisclosure agreements 388
to effectively support economic development activities and the 389
proprietary nature of customized training for existing and new 390
industry; 391
(c) To adopt and promulgate such rules and regulations 392
as may be necessary or desirable for the purpose of implementing 393
the Mississippi K-12 Workforce Development Grant Program created 394
in Section 37-153-221; 395
(d) To receive contributions, donations, gifts, 396
bequests of money, other forms of financial assistance and 397
property, equipment, materials or manpower from persons, 398
foundations, trust funds, corporations, organizations and other 399
sources, public or private, made to the office, and may expend or 400
use the same in accordance with the conditions prescribed by the 401
donor, provided that no such condition is contrary to any 402
provision of law; 403
(e) To contract with state agencies, governing 404
authorities or economic and workforce development entities for 405
shared programmatic efforts and support service or joint 406
employment of personnel in order to further the office's purposes; 407
(f) To determine, subject to appropriation, the need 408
for and, if desired, the selection of tools and resources, 409
including necessary online platforms and similar systems in 410
furtherance of the mission of the office, through processes 411
established in policies adopted by the office that are deemed to 412
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be practical, feasible and in the public interest. These 413
processes shall outline eligible entities that may provide such 414
services, such as companies, nonprofit organizations, or other 415
similar groups and shall ensure the office determines metrics for 416
success, including deliverables as required by the office; 417
(g) To implement the career coaching program provided 418
for in Section 37-73-3; 419
(h) To provide career coaches with access to technology 420
to develop customized career pathways and connect students with 421
postsecondary and employment opportunities matching their skills 422
and interests; and 423
(i) To implement and oversee programs providing support 424
to community and junior colleges for training needs that may arise 425
when new businesses locate in Mississippi, to include providing 426
support to existing industries that may lose employees as a result 427
of the new business. 428
Through December 31, 2026, the provisions of Section 27-104-7 429
related to rental agreements or leasing of real property for the 430
purpose of conducting agency business shall not apply to the 431
office. 432
(11) Nothing in Chapter 476, Laws of 2020 [Senate Bill No. 433
2564] shall void or otherwise interrupt any contract, lease, grant 434
or other agreement previously entered into by the State Workforce 435
Investment Board, Mississippi Community College Board, individual 436
community or junior colleges, or other entities. 437
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(12) Any records of the office which contain client 438
information from the Mississippi Development Authority or local 439
economic development entities concerning development projects 440
shall be exempt from the provisions of the Mississippi Public 441
Records Act of 1983 for a period of two (2) years after receipt of 442
the information by the office. Confidential client information as 443
described in this section shall not include the information which 444
must be disclosed by the certified applicant related to a 445
qualified economic development project in the annual report 446
described in Section 57-1-759. 447
(13) Confidential client information in public records held 448
by the office shall be exempt from the provisions of the 449
Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983 during any period of review 450
and negotiation on a project proposal facilitated by the 451
Mississippi Development Authority or local economic development 452
entities and for a period of thirty (30) days after approval, 453
disapproval or abandonment of the proposal not to exceed one (1) 454
year. 455
SECTION 5. Section 37-153-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 456
reenacted as follows: 457
37-153-9. (1) In accordance with the federal Workforce 458
Investment Act of 1998, there shall be established, for each of 459
the four (4) state workforce areas prescribed in Section 37-153-3 460
(2)(c), a local workforce investment board to set policy for the 461
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portion of the state workforce investment system within the local 462
area and carry out the provisions of the Workforce Investment Act. 463
(2) Each community college district shall have an affiliated 464
District Workforce Development Council. The district council 465
shall be composed of a diverse group of fifteen (15) persons 466
appointed by the board of trustees of the affiliated public 467
community or junior college. The members of each district council 468
shall be selected from persons recommended by the chambers of 469
commerce, employee groups, industrial foundations, community 470
organizations and local governments located in the community 471
college district of the affiliated community college with one (1) 472
appointee being involved in basic literacy training. However, at 473
least eight (8) members of each district council shall be chief 474
executive officers, plant managers that are representatives of 475
employers in that district or service sector executives. The 476
District Workforce Development Council affiliated with each 477
respective community or junior college shall advise the president 478
of the community or junior college on the operation of its 479
workforce development center/one-stop center. 480
The Workforce Development Council shall have the following 481
advisory duties: 482
(a) To develop an integrated and coordinated district 483
workforce investment strategic plan that: 484
(i) Identifies workforce investment needs through 485
job and employee assessments of local business and industry; 486
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(ii) Sets short-term and long-term goals for 487
industry-specific training and upgrading and for general 488
development of the workforce; and 489
(iii) Provides for coordination of all training 490
programs, including ABE/High School Equivalency Diploma, Skills 491
Enhancement and Industrial Services, and shall work 492
collaboratively with the State Literacy Resource Center; 493
(b) To coordinate and integrate delivery of training as 494
provided by the workforce development plan; 495
(c) To assist business and industry management in the 496
transition to a high-powered, quality organization; 497
(d) To encourage continuous improvement through 498
evaluation and assessment; and 499
(e) To oversee development of an extensive marketing 500
plan to the employer community. 501
SECTION 6. Section 37-153-11, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 502
reenacted as follows: 503
37-153-11. (1) There are created workforce development 504
centers to provide assessment, training and placement services to 505
individuals needing retraining, training and upgrading for small 506
business and local industry. Each workforce development center 507
shall be affiliated with a separate public community or junior 508
college district and shall coordinate with the Office of Workforce 509
Development. 510
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(2) Each workforce development center shall be staffed and 511
organized locally by the affiliated community college. The 512
workforce development center shall serve as staff to the 513
affiliated district council. 514
(3) Each workforce development center, working in concert 515
with its affiliated district council, shall offer and arrange 516
services to accomplish the purposes of this article, including, 517
but not limited to, the following: 518
(a) For individuals needing training and retraining: 519
(i) Recruiting, assessing, counseling and 520
referring to training or jobs; 521
(ii) Preemployment training for those with no 522
experience in the private enterprise system; 523
(iii) Basic literacy skills training and high 524
school equivalency education; 525
(iv) Vocational and technical training, full-time 526
or part-time; and 527
(v) Short-term skills training for educationally 528
and economically disadvantaged adults in cooperation with 529
federally established employment and training programs; 530
(b) For specific small businesses, industries or firms 531
within the district: 532
(i) Job analysis, testing and curriculum 533
development; 534
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(ii) Development of specific long-range training 535
plans; 536
(iii) Industry or firm-related preemployment 537
training; 538
(iv) Workplace basic skills and literacy training; 539
(v) Customized skills training; 540
(vi) Assistance in developing the capacity for 541
total quality management training; 542
(vii) Technology transfer information and referral 543
services to business of local applications of new research in 544
cooperation with the University Research Center, the state's 545
universities and other laboratories; and 546
(viii) Development of business plans; 547
(c) For public schools within the district technical 548
assistance to secondary schools in curriculum coordination, 549
development of tech prep programs, instructional development and 550
resource coordination; and 551
(d) For economic development, a local forum and 552
resource center for all local industrial development groups to 553
meet and promote regional economic development. 554
(4) Each workforce development center shall compile and make 555
accessible to the Office of Workforce Development and Mississippi 556
State Workforce Investment Board necessary information for use in 557
evaluating outcomes of its efforts and in improving the quality of 558
programs at each community college, and shall include information 559
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on literacy initiatives. Each workforce development center shall, 560
through an interagency management information system, maintain 561
records on new small businesses, placement, length of time on the 562
job after placement and wage rates of those placed in a form 563
containing such information as established by the state council. 564
(5) The Mississippi Community College Board is authorized to 565
designate one or more workforce development centers at the request 566
of affiliated community or junior colleges to provide skills 567
training to individuals to enhance their ability to be employed in 568
the motion picture industry in this state. 569
SECTION 7. Section 37-153-13, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 570
reenacted as follows: 571
37-153-13. The Mississippi Community College Board, in 572
collaboration with the Office of Workforce Development, is 573
designated as the primary support agency to the workforce 574
development centers. The Mississippi Community College Board, in 575
collaboration with the Office of Workforce Development, may 576
exercise the following powers: 577
(a) To provide the workforce development centers the 578
assistance necessary to accomplish the purposes of this article; 579
(b) To provide the workforce development centers 580
consistent standards and benchmarks to guide development of the 581
local workforce development system and to provide a means by which 582
the outcomes of local services can be measured; 583
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(c) To develop the staff capacity to provide, broker or 584
contract for the provision of technical assistance to the 585
workforce development centers, including, but not limited to: 586
(i) Training local staff in methods of recruiting, 587
assessment and career counseling; 588
(ii) Establishing rigorous and comprehensive local 589
preemployment training programs; 590
(iii) Developing local institutional capacity to 591
deliver total quality management training; 592
(iv) Developing local institutional capacity to 593
transfer new technologists into the marketplace; 594
(v) Expanding the Skills Enhancement Program and 595
improving the quality of adult literacy programs; and 596
(vi) Developing data for strategic planning; 597
(d) To collaborate with the Mississippi Development 598
Authority, Office of Workforce Development, individual community 599
and junior colleges, and other economic development and 600
educational organizations and political subdivisions to increase 601
the economic development potential and the state's labor force 602
participation rate; 603
(e) To administer presented and approved certification 604
programs by the community colleges for tax credits and partnership 605
funding for corporate training; 606
(f) To create and maintain an evaluation team that 607
examines which kinds of curricula and programs and what forms of 608
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quality control of training are most productive so that the 609
knowledge developed at one (1) institution of education can be 610
transferred to others; 611
(g) To develop internal capacity to provide services 612
and to contract for services from universities and other providers 613
directly to local institutions; 614
(h) To develop and administer an incentive 615
certification program; 616
(i) To develop and hire staff and purchase equipment 617
necessary to accomplish the goals set forth in this section; and 618
(j) To collaborate, partner and contract for services 619
with community-based organizations and disadvantaged businesses in 620
the delivery of workforce training and career information 621
especially to youth, as defined by the federal Workforce 622
Investment Act, and to those adults who are in low income jobs or 623
whose individual skill levels are so low as to be unable initially 624
to be aided by a workforce development center. Community-based 625
organizations and disadvantaged businesses must meet 626
performance-based certification requirements set by the 627
Mississippi Community College Board, in collaboration with the 628
Office of Workforce Development. 629
SECTION 8. Section 37-153-15, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 630
reenacted as follows: 631
37-153-15. (1) As used in this article: 632
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(a) The words "industry certification" mean a process 633
through which students are assessed by an independent, third-party 634
certifying entity using predetermined standards for knowledge, 635
skills and competencies, resulting in the award of a credential 636
that is nationally recognized and must be at least one (1) of the 637
following: 638
(i) Within an industry that addresses a critical 639
local, regional or statewide economic need; 640
(ii) Linked to an occupation that is included in 641
the State Department of Employment Security's occupations in 642
high-demand list; or 643
(iii) Linked to an occupation that is identified 644
as emerging. 645
(b) The words "qualifying industry certification" mean 646
an industry certification that is linked to an occupation with 647
wages of at least seventy percent (70%) of the median state income 648
unless the industry certification is stackable to another 649
postsecondary or professional credential which is linked to an 650
occupation which meets the wage criterion. 651
(2) The State Workforce Investment Board shall provide the 652
State Board of Education annually with a list of qualifying 653
industry certifications. If the occupations identified in the 654
list are not substantially the same as those occupations 655
identified in the prior year, the State Board of Education shall 656
provide reasonable notice of the changes to school districts. 657
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(3) Beginning in fiscal year 2019-2020 and subject to 658
available funding, the Department of Education shall pay a career 659
and technical education incentive grant to the public school for 660
each student enrolled in the public school who earns a qualifying 661
industry certification. The amount per student for the career and 662
technical education incentive grant shall be Six Hundred Dollars 663
($600.00). If the statewide sum of the career and technical 664
education incentive grants awarded pursuant to this section 665
exceeds the amount of available funds appropriated for the grants, 666
the grants per student shall be reduced proportionately to cover 667
all eligible grants under this section. Any costs accrued during 668
one (1) fiscal year may be claimed and reimbursed in the following 669
fiscal year. 670
(4) The grants may be used for qualifying industry 671
certification examination fees, professional development for 672
teachers in career and technical education programs under this 673
section, student instructional support for programs that lead to 674
qualifying industry certifications, or to increase access to 675
qualifying industry certifications. Any grants awarded under this 676
section may not be used to supplant funds provided for the basic 677
operation of the career and technical education programs. 678
(5) On or before October 1 of each year, the Department of 679
Education, working in collaboration with the Office of Workforce 680
Development and any other entities as necessary, shall submit a 681
report to the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of 682
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ST: MS Comprehensive Workforce Training and
Education Consolidation Act of 2004; extend
repealer on.
the House of Representatives, the Chairmen of the House and Senate 683
Education Committees, the Chairman of the House Workforce 684
Development Committee and the Chairman of the Senate Economic and 685
Workforce Development Committee on the following: 686
(a) The number of students who enrolled in a career and 687
technical education course or program that leads to a qualifying 688
industry certification. 689
(b) The number of students who earned a qualifying 690
industry certification by certification. 691
(c) The amount of career and technical education 692
incentive grants awarded by the school. 693
(d) The amount of career and technical education 694
incentive grants awarded per student. 695
(e) Aggregated demographic data on the students who 696
earned a qualifying industry certification, including the 697
qualifying industry certifications earned by rural and urban 698
students. 699
SECTION 9. Section 37-153-17, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 700
amended as follows: 701
37-153-17. Sections 37-153-1, 37-153-3, 37-153-5, 37-153-7, 702
37-153-9, 37-153-11, 37-153-13 and 37-153-15 shall stand repealed 703
on July 1, * * * 2029. 704
SECTION 10. This act shall take effect and be in force from 705
and after July 1, 2026. 706