HB1041: Workforce Council; reduces membership, Executive Committee shall review & recommend grant proposals.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That ? 2.2-2669 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

? 2.2-2669. Virginia Workforce Council; purpose; membership; terms; compensation and expenses; staff.

A. The Virginia Workforce Council (the Council) is established as a policy council, within the meaning of ? 2.2-2100, in the executive branch of state government. The purpose of the Council shall be to assist the Governor in meeting workforce training needs in the Commonwealth.

B. The Council shall consist of 29 27 members as follows:

1. The Council shall include two members of the House of Delegates to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates; and two members of the Senate to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules. Legislative members shall serve terms coincident with their terms of office and may be reappointed for successive terms.

2. The Governor or his designee; the Secretaries of Commerce and Trade, Education, [ and ] [ Health and Human Resources ] [ , and ] Technology; the Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System; the Commissioner of the Virginia Employment Commission; and the president of the Virginia AFL-CIO shall serve as members.

3. The Governor shall appoint members as follows: one mayor and one chairperson of a county board of supervisors; one representative of labor in addition to the president of the Virginia AFL-CIO; and 15 14 nonlegislative citizen members representing the business community, to include the presidents of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and the Virginia Manufacturer's Association, one representative of proprietary employment training schools, one representative of health care employers or the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, [ one representative of technology employers, ] and the remaining members who are business owners, chief executive officers, chief operating officers, chief financial officers, senior managers or other business executives or employers with optimum policy-making or hiring authority and who shall represent diverse regions of the state, to include urban, suburban, and rural areas, at least two of whom shall be members of local workforce investment boards. Nonlegislative citizen members may be nonresidents of the Commonwealth.

Members appointed in accordance with this subdivision shall serve four-year terms, subject to the pleasure of the Governor, and may be reappointed.

C. If one person appointed to fill one of the enumerated positions in subsection B also qualifies to fill any other of the enumerated positions, such person may, at the discretion of the Governor, be deemed to fill any or all of the enumerated positions for which such person qualifies.

D. The Governor shall select a chairman and vice-chairman from among the 15 14 members representing the business community appointed in accordance with subdivision 3 of subsection B.

E. The Council shall meet upon the call of the chair or the Governor.

E F. Compensation and reimbursement of expenses of the members shall be as follows:

1. Legislative members appointed in accordance with subdivision B 1 shall receive such compensation and reimbursement of expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as provided in ?? 2.2-2813, 2.2-2825, and 30-19.12.

2. Members of the Council appointed in accordance with subdivision B 2 shall not receive compensation but shall be reimbursed for all reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as provided in ?? 2.2-2813 and 2.2-2825.

3. Members of the Council appointed in accordance with subdivision B 3 shall not receive compensation but shall be reimbursed for all reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as provided in ?? 2.2-2813 and 2.2-2825.

Funding for the costs of compensation and expenses of the members shall be provided from federal funds received under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-220, as amended).

F G. The Office of the Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System shall provide strategic guidance and subordinate staff support to the Council. The subordinate staff of the Council shall be independent of any other state agency that provides workforce services.

H. The Executive Committee of the Virginia Workforce Council shall review and make recommendations to the Governor for grant proposals for funds expended under the Governor?s discretionary allocation allowable under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-220, as amended).

I. The Council shall prepare by October 1, 2010, a report detailing reforms of ? 2.2-2670 necessary to ensure that Council resources and services will aid local workforce investment boards, state agencies of the Commonwealth, private and non-profit sector education and training institutions, and government educational institutions achieve:

1. Measurable improvements in (i) employment; (ii) employment retention; (iii) competency-based and industry-certified skills certification; (iv) Career Readiness Certificate achievement as outlined in ? 2.2-2674.01; (v) integration with secondary education institutions? Work Readiness Skills program; (vi) integration with the Virginia Community College Middle College program; and (vii) Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) educational opportunities for women, minorities, and youth;

2. Steps necessary to begin implementation of a Work Ready Community Certification program pilot project; and

3. Initiatives to increase the number of private and non-profit training vendors serving the Virginia Workforce Network.

J. The Council shall create a Military Transition Assistance Committee of private sector hiring managers and military personnel representing government and non-profit military transition services. The Military Transition Assistance Committee shall advise the Governor through the Virginia Workforce Council on reforms necessary to: (i) connect more employers to transitioning military personnel and trailing spouses through Transition Assistance Programs and (ii) better integrate the Veterans Employment Representatives and Disabled Veterans Outreach Program into all Virginia Workforce Centers.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That ? 2.2-2669 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

? 2.2-2669. Virginia Workforce Council; purpose; membership; terms; compensation and expenses; staff.

A. The Virginia Workforce Council (the Council) is established as a policy council, within the meaning of ? 2.2-2100, in the executive branch of state government. The purpose of the Council shall be to assist the Governor in meeting workforce training needs in the Commonwealth.

B. The Council shall consist of 29 27 members as follows:

1. The Council shall include two members of the House of Delegates to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates; and two members of the Senate to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules. Legislative members shall serve terms coincident with their terms of office and may be reappointed for successive terms.

2. The Governor or his designee; the Secretaries of Commerce and Trade, Education, and Health and Human Resources Technology; the Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System; the Commissioner of the Virginia Employment Commission; and the president of the Virginia AFL-CIO shall serve as members.

3. The Governor shall appoint members as follows: one mayor and one chairperson of a county board of supervisors; one representative of labor in addition to the president of the Virginia AFL-CIO; and 15 14 nonlegislative citizen members representing the business community, to include the presidents of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and the Virginia Manufacturer's Association, one representative of proprietary employment training schools, one representative of health care employers or the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, and the remaining members who are business owners, chief executive officers, chief operating officers, chief financial officers, senior managers or other business executives or employers with optimum policy-making or hiring authority and who shall represent diverse regions of the state, to include urban, suburban, and rural areas, at least two of whom shall be members of local workforce investment boards. Nonlegislative citizen members may be nonresidents of the Commonwealth.

Members appointed in accordance with this subdivision shall serve four-year terms, subject to the pleasure of the Governor, and may be reappointed.

C. If one person appointed to fill one of the enumerated positions in subsection B also qualifies to fill any other of the enumerated positions, such person may, at the discretion of the Governor, be deemed to fill any or all of the enumerated positions for which such person qualifies.

D. The Governor shall select a chairman and vice-chairman from among the 15 14 members representing the business community appointed in accordance with subdivision 3 of subsection B.

E. The Council shall meet upon the call of the chair or the Governor.

E F. Compensation and reimbursement of expenses of the members shall be as follows:

1. Legislative members appointed in accordance with subdivision B 1 shall receive such compensation and reimbursement of expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as provided in ?? 2.2-2813, 2.2-2825, and 30-19.12.

2. Members of the Council appointed in accordance with subdivision B 2 shall not receive compensation but shall be reimbursed for all reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as provided in ?? 2.2-2813 and 2.2-2825.

3. Members of the Council appointed in accordance with subdivision B 3 shall not receive compensation but shall be reimbursed for all reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as provided in ?? 2.2-2813 and 2.2-2825.

Funding for the costs of compensation and expenses of the members shall be provided from federal funds received under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-220, as amended).

F G. The Office of the Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System shall provide strategic guidance and subordinate staff support to the Council. The subordinate staff of the Council shall be independent of any other state agency that provides workforce services.

H.  The Executive Committee of the Virginia Workforce Council shall review and make recommendations to the Governor for grant proposals for funds expended under the Governor?s discretionary allocation allowable under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-220, as amended).

I. The Council shall prepare by October 1, 2010, a report detailing reforms of ? 2.2-2670 necessary to ensure that Council resources and services will aid local workforce investment boards, state agencies of the Commonwealth, private and non-profit sector education and training institutions, and government educational institutions achieve:

1. Measurable improvements in (i) employment; (ii) employment retention; (iii) competency-based and industry-certified skills certification; (iv) Career Readiness Certificate achievement as outlined in ? 2.2-2674.01; (v) integration with secondary education institutions? Work Readiness Skills program; (vi) integration with the Virginia Community College Middle College program; and (vii) Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) educational opportunities for women, minorities and youth;

2. Steps necessary to begin implementation of a Work Ready Community Certification program pilot project; and

3. Initiatives to increase the number of private and non-profit training vendors serving the Virginia Workforce Network.

J. The Council shall create a Military Transition Assistance Committee of private sector hiring managers and military personnel representing government and non-profit military transition services. The Military Transition Assistance Committee shall advise the Governor through the Virginia Workforce Council on reforms necessary to: (i) connect more employers to transitioning military personnel and trailing spouses through Transition Assistance Programs; and (ii) better integrate the Veterans Employment Representatives and Disabled Veterans Outreach Program into all Virginia Workforce Centers.