HB925: Employment Commission; employment stabilization.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 60.2-113 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 60.2-113. Employment stabilization.
The Commission shall take all necessary steps through its appropriate divisions and with the advice of such advisory boards and committees as it may have to:
1. Establish a viable labor exchange system to promote maximum employment for the Commonwealth of Virginia with priority given to those workers drawing unemployment benefits;
2. Provide Virginia State Job Service services, as described in this title, according to the provisions of the Wagner-Peyser Act (29 U.S.C. 49f), as amended by the Workforce Investment Act;
3. Maintain a solvent trust fund financed through equitable employer taxes that provide temporary partial income replacement to involuntarily unemployed covered workers;
3.4.
Coordinate and conduct labor market information research studies, programs and
operations, including the development, storage, retrieval and dissemination of
information on the social and economic aspects of the Commonwealth and publish
data needed by employers, economic development, education and training
entities, government and other users in the public and private sectors;
4.5.
Determine and publish a list of jobs, trades, and professions for which a high
demand of qualified workers exists or is projected by the Commission. The
Commission shall consult with the Virginia Workforce Council in making such
determination. Such information shall be published biennially and disseminated
to employers; education and training entities, including public two-year and
four-year institutions of higher education; government agencies, including the
Department of Education and public libraries; and other users in the public and
private sectors;
5.6.
Prepare official short and long-range population projections for the
Commonwealth for use by the General Assembly and state agencies with programs
which involve or necessitate population projections;
6.7.
Encourage and assist in the adoption of practical methods of vocational
guidance, training and retraining; and
7.8.
Establish the Interagency Migrant Worker Policy Committee, comprised of representatives
from appropriate state agencies, including the Virginia Workers' Compensation
Commission, whose services and jurisdictions involve migrant and seasonal
farmworkers and their employees. The Committee shall coordinate its activities
with the Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers Board established in § 2.2-2407. All
agencies of the Commonwealth shall be required to cooperate with the Committee
upon request.