HLS 18RS-1601 ORIGINAL
2018 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 735 (Substitute for House Bill No. 364 by Representative Jackson)
BY REPRESENTATIVE JACKSON
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE: Establishes a workforce training pilot initiative to serve public
assistance recipients in certain regions
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 356, relative to public assistance programs; to
4 establish a workforce training pilot initiative to serve public assistance recipients in
5 certain regions; to provide for interagency collaboration in administering the pilot
6 initiative; to provide for duties of the executive director of the Louisiana Workforce
7 Commission, the secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services, the
8 secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, and the state superintendent of
9 education with respect to the pilot initiative; to provide for administrative
10 rulemaking; and to provide for related matters.
11Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
12 Section 1. Part III of Chapter 3 of Title 46 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950,
13comprised of R.S. 46:351 through 356, is hereby enacted to read as follows:
14 PART III. WORKFORCE TRAINING INITIATIVE
15 §351. Declaration
16 It is the policy of this state to encourage self-sufficiency so that Louisianians
17 may reduce dependence on public benefits to meet basic needs and become
18 economically self-reliant, and to provide key supports to those persons to help them
19 in achieving their workforce participation goals.
20 §352. Definitions
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1 As used in this Part, the following terms have the meaning ascribed to them
2 in this Section:
3 (1) "Departments" shall mean the following departments, collectively:
4 (a) The Louisiana Workforce Commission.
5 (b) The Department of Children and Family Services.
6 (c) The Louisiana Department of Health.
7 (d) 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.(1) Subject to any applicable requirements and limitations of federal law
26 and regulation, the executive director of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, the
27 secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services, the secretary of the
28 Louisiana Department of Health, and the state superintendent of education shall
29 collaborate to design and implement a workforce training and education pilot
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1 initiative for public assistance recipients for the purpose of improving employment
2 opportunities and promoting workforce advancement. The executive director of the
3 Louisiana Workforce Commission shall lead coordination of the pilot initiative. The
4 heads of the departments shall administer the pilot initiative in accordance with the
5 provisions of this Part.
6 (2) The departments shall design the pilot initiative's operations and system
7 of services in such a manner as to facilitate replication of the program in all regions
8 of the state.
9 B.(1) The departments shall establish the pilot initiative to operate and serve
10 participants in the following regions:
11 (a) The service area of the Fourth Planning District Consortium.
12 (b) The service area of the Franklin Parish Consortium.
13 (c) The service area of the Ouachita Parish Workforce Investment Board.
14 (2) If agreed to by the head of each department, the departments may expand
15 the geographic service area of the pilot initiative beyond the regions specified in
16 Paragraph (1) of this Subsection.
17 C. Participation in the pilot initiative by public assistance recipients shall be
18 strictly voluntary.
19 D. Work supports and workforce education services provided by the pilot
20 initiative may include, without limitation, any of the following:
21 (1) Job referral services.
22 (2) Job skills development.
23 (3) Job support services.
24 (4) Career planning.
25 (5) Job training.
26 (6) Workforce readiness.
27 §354. Administration; interagency agreements; participant forms; program
28 promotion
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1 A. The departments shall enter into any memoranda of understanding,
2 cooperative endeavors, or other types of agreements between and among the
3 departments as may be necessary to administer the pilot initiative.
4 B. The departments shall promulgate and issue such forms as are necessary
5 to inform prospective participants of the pilot initiative's purpose and functions, and
6 to obtain participants' consent to participate in the pilot initiative.
7 C. The departments shall collaborate to promote the pilot initiative among
8 their respective clients, business groups and organizations, community-based groups
9 and organizations, faith-based groups and organizations, and the public generally.
10 §355. Reporting
11 No later than twelve months after commencement of the pilot initiative, and
12 at least annually thereafter, the departments, jointly, shall submit a written report
13 providing a summary and evaluation of outcomes of the pilot initiative to the House
14 and Senate committees on labor and industrial relations and to the House and Senate
15 committees on health and welfare.
16 §356. Rulemaking
17 The executive director of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, the secretary
18 of the Department of Children and Family Services, the secretary of the Louisiana
19 Department of Health, and the state superintendent of education shall promulgate all
20 such rules in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act as are necessary to
21 implement the provisions of this Part.
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 735 Original 2018 Regular Session Jackson
Abstract: Establishes a workforce training pilot initiative to serve public assistance
recipients in certain regions.
Proposed law defines "public assistance", for purposes of proposed law, as any of the
following:
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(1)Cash benefits of the Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program
administered by the Dept. of Children and Family Services.
(2)Cash benefits of the Kinship Care Subsidy Program administered by the Dept. of
Children and Family Services.
(3)Nutrition assistance benefits of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
administered by the Dept. 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. Dept. of Health.
(5)Child care assistance through the Child Care Assistance Program administered by
the La. Dept. of Education.
Proposed law requires the executive director of the La. Workforce Commission, the
secretary of the Dept. of Children and Family Services, the secretary of the La. Dept. of
Health, and the state superintendent of education to collaborate to design and implement a
workforce training and education pilot initiative for public assistance recipients. Provides
that the initiative's purposes are to improve employment opportunities for and promote
workforce advancement.
Proposed law provides that the executive director of the La. Workforce Commission shall
lead coordination of the pilot initiative.
Proposed law requires the departments collaborating in the pilot initiative to design the
initiative's operations and system of services in such a manner as to facilitate replication of
the program in all regions of the state.
Proposed law requires the departments to establish the pilot initiative to operate and serve
participants in the following regions:
(1)The service area of the Fourth Planning District Consortium (Acadia, Evangeline,
Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, and Vermilion parishes).
(2)The service area of the Franklin Parish Consortium (Caldwell, East Carroll, Franklin,
Jackson, Madison, Morehouse, Richland, Tensas, Union, and West Carroll parishes).
(3)The service area of the Ouachita Parish Workforce Investment Board (Ouachita
parish).
Proposed law provides that, if agreed to by the head of each department, the departments
may expand the geographic service area of the pilot initiative beyond the regions specified
above.
Proposed law stipulates that participation in the pilot initiative shall be strictly voluntary.
Proposed law provides that work supports and workforce education services provided by the
pilot initiative may include, without limitation, any of the following:
(1)Job referral services.
(2)Job skills development.
(3)Job support services.
(4)Career planning.
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(5)Job training.
(6)Workforce readiness.
Proposed law requires the departments collaborating in the pilot initiative to do all of the
following:
(1)Enter into any memoranda of understanding, cooperative endeavors, or other types
of agreements between and among the departments as may be necessary to
administer the initiative.
(2)Promulgate and issue such forms as are necessary to inform prospective participants
of the initiative's purpose and functions, and to obtain participants' consent to
participate in the initiative.
(3)Collaborate to promote the initiative among their respective clients, business groups
and organizations, community-based groups and organizations, faith-based groups
and organizations, and the public generally.
Proposed law requires annual reports providing a summary and evaluation of the pilot
initiative's outcomes to the legislative committees on labor and industrial relations, and to
the legislative committees on health and welfare.
(Adds R.S. 46:351-356)
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