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CS/SB 2050:
SUMMARY AS OF 5/30/00, signed into law as
Chapter 2000-165 Laws of Florida
Senate Select Committee
on Workforce Innovation Process:
· Chaired
by Jim King, members at http://www.leg.state.fl.us/senate/committees/
· Multiple
meetings November 1999 - March 2000; filed bill on 3/7/00;
passed on 5/5/00
· Signed
into law by Governor Bush on 5/30/00, enacted into law as Chapter
2000-165, Laws of Florida
Strategies to Address Issues:
1. Consolidates Workforce Policy and Oversight
· Combines
Workforce and WAGES Boards at state and local levels; Requires
5 organized labor representatives on State Board; (Note: 21
of 24 Regions already have combined boards)
· Establishes
unified planning for primary "integrated" Workforce
programs; clarifies relationships on collaborated programs
· Maintains
standing committees on First Jobs/First Wages, Better Jobs/Better
Wages and High Skills/High Wages, at state and regional levels
· Requires
WFI to develop an extensive Strategic Plan, including workforce
marketing components funded at $250K. Requires WFI to develop
a transition plan for the transfer of duties, staff and authority
required by this legislation.
· Requires
a competitive process where Regional Workforce Development
Boards select eligible service providers as One-Stop operators. RWDBs
also required to set up the same 3 councils as WFI (First/First,
Better/Better and High/High)
2. Realigns Workforce Functions & Administration
· Consolidates
and transfers administrative/fiscal/information-services/direct-services
workforce functions and Unemployment Compensation benefits,
tax and appeals functions from DLES to a newly formed "Agency
for Workforce Innovation" within the Department of Management
Services, with administrative and direct services performed
under agreements/MOUs (Memoranda of Understanding) with the
WFI and the 24 Regional Workforce Development Boards responsible
for the One-Stop systems. Staff currently at DMS providing
WAGES fiscal/contract services will be incorporated into
the new Agency for Workforce Innovation (AWI). The transferred
DLES and DMS employees retain full state employee status.
· Requires
AWI to contract with Department of Revenue for tax collection
services
3. Integrates and Simplifies Funding
· Combines
Workforce related funding streams and allocates to RWDBs
(Table A of the Committee Report shows a total of $488
Million in Workforce related "integrated" funds)
4. Connects the Workforce System and Business Community
· Authorizes
funding for innovative economic development initiatives
and incentives through the regional workforce development
boards, similar to former WAGES Employment Projects, but
funding at $5 Million (VETOED)
· Establishes
a "Small Business Workforce Service Initiative" through regional
workforce development boards, providing human relations services
($500K appropriation VETOED)
· Emphasizes
local business and economic development needs in occupational
forecasting processes
· Increases
Incumbent Worker Training Grant allotment from $633K to $2
million
· Authorizes
Quick Response Training to be used for supplemental-skills
upgrades, includes Brownfields in the priority list along
with Enterprise Zones, and increases Quick Response Training
funds to $6 million
5. Improves Workforce System Service Delivery
· Enhances
the one-stop delivery system to provide service to all
customers including:
Ø Screening,
assessment and integrated case management
Ø Cost
allocation for shared services
Ø Empowerment
of one-stop system managers
Ø Electronic
one-stop services including access through the Internet
and remote facilities such as libraries
· Requires
a fair and competitive process and safeguards against unfair
self-referral if a service provider is selected as a One-Stop
Operator.
· Encourages
use staffing agencies in matching the unemployed and underemployed
to jobs.
· Creates
a workforce training institute and web-based training modules
for all workforce development system partners ($200K)
6. Connects Education to Economic Development
· Implements
a post-secondary initiative to increase the number of graduates
in high-tech and high-skill post-secondary programs, including:
Ø Careers
for Florida’s Future ($12 million appropriation VETOED)
Ø Improvement
of state university curriculum relevance
7. Strengthens Florida’s Working Poor Families
· Creates
new TANF diversion groups eligible for:
Ø Child
care at 185% of poverty level
Ø Transportation
up to 200% of poverty level
Ø Education
and training up to 200% of poverty level
Ø Up-front
diversion payment amount of up to $1000
· Relocation
Assistance
· TANF-funded
Individual Training Accounts (ITAs) for WAGES participants
and "Working Poor", up to 200% poverty level
· Youth
programs (internships, work/study programs, etc.)
· Cash
assistance "severance benefit" of $1000 lump-sum
· GED
pursuit for cash assistance applicants
· GED
and adult education counted as work activity
· Restricted
time limit extension for certain TANF cash assistance recipients
for up to 20% of average case load
8. Provides Information Essential to Workforce Florida
Success
· Implements
an integrated management information system to support
one-stop service delivery, including common intake, case
management, tracking and reporting ($10 million)
· Establishes
an Internet-based job matching and labor market information
system Implement Debit/Smart card technology for ITAs, RITAs,
Transportation, Child Care, and other support services; to
be compatible with existing Food Stamp EBT system
PROPOSED
NEW OR INCREASED WORKFORCE FUNDING
Local Economic Development Projects
$5 Million TANF VETOED Marketing of Florida Employment
Opportunities 250K General Revenue
Small Business Human Resources
500K General Revenue VETOED
Workforce Training Institute
200K TANF
"Careers for Florida's Future"
12 Million General Revenue VETOED
Diversion - Working Poor
8 Million TANF VETOED
Workforce Information System
10 Million TANF
Incumbent Worker Training - State
Grants
2 Million WIA
Quick Response Training
6 Million General Revenue
Took Kit for Economic Development
(SB 460)
25 Million TANF
TOTALS*:
$6.25 Million General Revenue
$35.20 Million TANF
$2 Million WIA
*These totals reflect only new or significantly increased
items, not the basic allocations of WIA and TANF funds for
basic local and state-level operations.
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