HLS 18RS-769 ORIGINAL
2018 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 364
BY REPRESENTATIVE JACKSON
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE: Establishes a workforce training pilot initiative to serve public
assistance recipients in certain parishes
1 AN ACT
2To enact Part III of Chapter 3 of Title 46 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, to be
3 comprised of R.S. 46:351 through 355, relative to public assistance programs; to
4 establish a workforce training pilot initiative to serve public assistance recipients in
5 certain parishes; to provide for interagency collaboration in administering the pilot
6 initiative; to provide for duties of secretary of the Department of Children and
7 Family Services, the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, and the state
8 superintendent of education; to provide for administrative rulemaking; and to
9 provide for related matters.
10Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
11 Section 1. Part III of Chapter 3 of Title 46 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950,
12comprised of R.S. 46:351 through 355, is hereby enacted to read as follows:
13 PART III. WORKFORCE TRAINING INITIATIVE
14 §351. Declaration
15 It is the policy of the state to encourage self-sufficiency so that Louisianians
16 may reduce dependence on public benefits to meet basic needs and become
17 economically self-reliant, and to provide key supports to those persons to help them
18 in achieving their workforce participation goals.
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1 §352. Definitions
2 As used in this Part, the following terms have the meaning ascribed to them
3 in this Section:
4 (1) "Departments" shall mean the following departments, collectively:
5 (a) The Department of Children and Family Services.
6 (b) The Louisiana Department of Health.
7 (c) The Louisiana Department of Education.
8 (2) "Participant" means a person who participates in the pilot initiative
9 provided for in this Part.
10 (3) "Pilot initiative" means the workforce training and education pilot
11 initiative provided for in this Part.
12 (4) "Public assistance" means any of the following:
13 (a) Cash benefits of the Family Independence Temporary Assistance
14 Program administered by the Department of Children and Family Services.
15 (b) Cash benefits of the Kinship Care Subsidy Program administered by the
16 Department of Children and Family Services.
17 (c) Nutrition assistance benefits of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
18 Program administered by the Department of Children and Family Services.
19 (d) Medical assistance pursuant to Title XIX of the Social Security Act
20 through the program commonly known as Medicaid administered by the Louisiana
21 Department of Health.
22 (e) Child care assistance through the Child Care Assistance Program
23 administered by the Louisiana Department of Education.
24 §353. Workforce training and education pilot initiative; creation; functions
25 A. The secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services, the
26 secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, and the state superintendent of
27 education shall collaborate to design and implement a workforce training and
28 education pilot initiative for public assistance recipients for the purpose of improving
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1 employment opportunities for those persons. The department heads shall administer
2 the pilot initiative in accordance with the provisions of this Part.
3 B. The departments shall establish the pilot initiative to operate and serve
4 participants in the following parishes:
5 (1) A parish with a population of more than twenty-seven thousand and less
6 than thirty thousand according to the latest federal decennial census.
7 (2) A parish with a population of more than one hundred forty thousand and
8 less than one hundred sixty thousand according to the latest federal decennial census.
9 C. The pilot initiative shall serve not more than one hundred participants per
10 parish in which it operates. Participation in the pilot initiative by public assistance
11 recipients shall be strictly voluntary.
12 D. Work supports and workforce education services provided by the pilot
13 initiative may include, without limitation, any of the following:
14 (a) Job referral services.
15 (b) Job support services.
16 (c) Career planning.
17 (d) Job training.
18 (e) Workforce readiness.
19 §354. Reporting
20 No later than twelve months after commencement of the pilot initiative, and
21 at least annually thereafter, the departments, jointly, shall submit a written report
22 providing a summary and evaluation of outcomes of the pilot initiative to the House
23 Committee on Health and Welfare and the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare.
24 §355. Rulemaking
25 The departments shall promulgate in accordance with the Administrative
26 Procedure Act all such rules as are necessary to implement the provisions of this
27 Part.
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DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 364 Original 2018 Regular Session Jackson
Abstract: Establishes a workforce training pilot initiative to serve public assistance
recipients in certain parishes.
Proposed law defines "public assistance", for purposes of proposed law, as any of the
following:
(1)Cash benefits of the Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program
administered by the Department of Children and Family Services.
(2)Cash benefits of the Kinship Care Subsidy Program administered by the Department
of Children and Family Services.
(3)Nutrition assistance benefits of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
administered by the Department of Children and Family Services.
(4)Medical assistance pursuant to Title XIX of the Social Security Act through the
program commonly known as Medicaid administered by the La. Department of
Health.
(5)Child care assistance through the Child Care Assistance Program administered by
the La. Department of Education.
Proposed law requires the secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services, the
secretary of the La. Department of Health, and the state superintendent of education to
collaborate to design and implement a workforce training and education pilot initiative in
accordance with proposed law for public assistance recipients for the purpose of improving
employment opportunities for those persons.
Proposed law requires the departments to establish the pilot initiative to operate and serve
participants in the following parishes:
(1)A parish with a population of more than 27,000 and less than 30,000 according to the
latest federal decennial census.
(2)A parish with a population of more than 140,000 and less than 160,000 according to
the latest federal decennial census.
Proposed law stipulates that the pilot initiative shall serve not more than 100 participants per
parish in which it operates, and that participation shall be strictly voluntary.
Proposed law provides that the work supports and workforce education services that the pilot
initiative features may include, without limitation, any of the following:
(1)Job referral services.
(2)Job support services.
(3)Career planning.
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(4)Job training.
(5)Workforce readiness.
Proposed law requires annual reports providing a summary and evaluation of the pilot
initiative's outcomes to the legislative committees on health and welfare.
(Adds R.S. 46:351-355)
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