2022 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE BILL NO. 282
BY SENATOR JACKSON
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact Part III of Chapter 3 of Title 46 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of
3 1950, comprised of R.S. 46:351 through 356, relative to public assistance programs;
4 to establish a workforce training initiative to serve public assistance recipients; to
5 provide for interagency collaboration in administering the program; to provide for
6 an advisory board; to provide for an initial service area followed by a statewide
7 extension of the program; to provide for duties of the executive director of the
8 Louisiana Workforce Commission, the secretary of the Department of Children and
9 Family Services, the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, the state
10 superintendent of education, and the president of the Louisiana Community and
11 Technical College System with respect to the program; to provide for administrative
12 rulemaking; to provide for an effective date; and to provide for related matters.
13 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
14 Section 1. Part III of Chapter 3 of Title 46 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950,
15 comprised of R.S. 46:351 through 356, is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
16 PART III. WORKFORCE TRAINING INITIATIVE
17 §351. Declaration
18 A. It is the policy of this state to encourage self-sufficiency so that
19 Louisianians residents of Louisiana may reduce dependence on public benefits to
20 meet basic needs and become economically self-reliant, and to provide key supports
21 to those persons residents to help them in achieving their workforce participation
22 goals.
23 B. In order to promote inclusive leadership, ensure equal access to
ACT No. 506
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1 professional growth opportunities, and achieve the goals and objectives of the
2 initiative established by Act 271 of the 2018 Regular Session, it is imperative to
3 encourage participation by the public in the design of the program and to
4 implement the program in collaboration with an advisory board comprising a
5 diverse membership.
6 §352. Definitions
7 As used in this Part, the following terms have the meaning ascribed to them
8 in this Section definitions apply:
9 (1) "Participant" means a person who participates in the pilot initiative
10 provided for in this Part.
11 (2) "Pilot initiative" means the workforce training and education pilot
12 initiative provided for in this Part.
13 (3)(1) "Public assistance" means any of the following:
14 (a) Cash benefits of the Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program
15 administered by the Department of Children and Family Services.
16 (b) Cash benefits of the Kinship Care Subsidy Program administered by the
17 Department of Children and Family Services.
18 (c)(b) Nutrition assistance benefits of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
19 Program administered by the Department of Children and Family Services.
20 (d)(c) Medical assistance pursuant to Title XIX of the Social Security Act
21 through the program commonly known as Medicaid administered by the Louisiana
22 Department of Health.
23 (e)(d) Child care assistance through the Child Care Assistance Program
24 administered by the Louisiana Department of Education.
25 (4)(2) "State partners" shall mean means the following state entities,
26 collectively:
27 (a) The Louisiana Workforce Commission.
28 (b) The Department of Children and Family Services.
29 (c) The Louisiana Department of Health.
30 (d) The Louisiana Department of Education.
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1 (e) The Louisiana Community and Technical College System.
2 §353. Workforce training and education pilot initiative; creation; advisory board;
3 functions
4 A.(1) Subject to any applicable requirements and limitations of federal law
5 and regulation, the secretary of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, the secretary
6 of the Department of Children and Family Services, the secretary of the Louisiana
7 Department of Health, the state superintendent of education, and the president of the
8 Louisiana Community and Technical College System shall collaborate to design and
9 implement there is hereby established a workforce training and education pilot
10 initiative for public assistance recipients for the purpose of improving employment
11 opportunities and promoting workforce advancement. The secretary of the Louisiana
12 Workforce Commission shall lead coordination of the pilot initiative. The heads of
13 the state partners in collaboration with an advisory board shall administer the pilot
14 initiative in accordance with the provisions of this Part. The advisory board shall
15 consist of the following members:
16 (a) The secretary of the Louisiana Workforce Commission or his
17 designee.
18 (b) The secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services or
19 his designee.
20 (c) The secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health or his designee.
21 (d) The state superintendent of education or his designee.
22 (e) The president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College
23 System or his designee.
24 (f) A representative of Together Louisiana.
25 (g) The president of the National Association for the Advancement of
26 Colored People (NAACP), Louisiana State Conference, or his designee.
27 (h) The president of the Louisiana AFL-CIO or his designee.
28 (i) The president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry
29 or his designee.
30 (j) The state senator for Senate District 34.
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1 (k) Two individuals appointed by the state senator for Senate District 34.
2 (l) The state representatives for House Districts 16, 17, 21, 26, and 40.
3 (m) The state network director for Unite Louisiana or his designee.
4 (n)The executive director of 232-Help/Louisiana 211 or his designee.
5 (2)(a) The state senator for Senate District 34 shall serve as the chair of
6 the advisory board. Upon approval of the chair, the membership of the advisory
7 board may be increased to include a representative of any interested party.
8 (b) The members of the advisory board shall serve without
9 compensation, except per diem or expense reimbursement to which they may
10 be individually entitled as a member of their respective constituent
11 organization.
12 (c) The state partners shall provide staff support as needed by the
13 advisory board.
14 (d) The advisory board shall meet upon the call of the chair and may
15 meet as frequently as necessary for the timely performance of its duties. The
16 advisory board shall meet in any parish served by the initiative or in East Baton
17 Rouge Parish.
18 (2)(3)(a) The state partners in collaboration with the advisory board shall
19 design the pilot initiative's operations and system of services in such a manner as to
20 facilitate replication allow implementation of the program in all regions parishes
21 of the state upon review of the program with an evaluation demonstrating
22 successful performance.
23 (b) Prior to the design and implementation of the initiative, the advisory
24 board shall conduct meetings for the purpose of receiving public input
25 regarding the program. The first meeting shall be called by the chair no later
26 than August 31, 2022.
27 (c) The advisory board may work with the local human service districts
28 and authorities for assistance with the design and implementation of the
29 initiative.
30 B.(1) The state partners shall establish the pilot initiative to program shall
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1 initially operate and serve participants in the following regions parishes:
2 (a) The service area of Local Workforce Development Area No. 40.
3 Concordia.
4 (b) The service area of the Franklin Parish Consortium. East Carroll.
5 (c) The service area of the Ouachita Parish Workforce Investment Board.
6 Madison.
7 (d) Morehouse.
8 (e) Ouachita.
9 (f) Richland.
10 (g) St. Landry.
11 (h) Tensas.
12 (2) If agreed to by the head of each state partner, the partners may expand the
13 The geographic service area of the pilot initiative may be expanded beyond the
14 regions parishes specified in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection after an evaluation
15 utilizing performance outcome driven data and information regarding
16 participant experience. The state partners and advisory board may work with
17 the local human service districts and authorities for assistance with expansion
18 of the initiative.
19 C. Participation in the pilot initiative by public assistance recipients shall be
20 strictly voluntary.
21 D. Work supports and workforce education services provided by the pilot
22 initiative may include, without limitation, any of the following:
23 (1) Job referral services.
24 (2) Job skills development.
25 (3) Job support services.
26 (4) Career planning.
27 (5) Job training.
28 (6) Workforce readiness.
29 (7) Apprenticeship programs.
30 (8) Vocational education.
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1 (9) Basic education.
2 (10) Educational certificates.
3 (11) Supportive services.
4 §354. Administration; interagency agreements; participant forms; program
5 promotion
6 A. The state partners shall enter into any memoranda of understanding,
7 cooperative endeavors, or other types of agreements between and among the partners
8 as may be and with the local human service districts and authorities necessary
9 to administer the pilot initiative.
10 B.(1) The state partners shall promulgate and issue such any forms as are
11 necessary to inform prospective participants of the pilot initiative's purpose and
12 functions, and use of the 2-1-1 referral system to obtain participants' consent to
13 participate in the pilot initiative.
14 (2) Unless prohibited by federal law or regulation, each state partner shall
15 share with the other state partners, on a schedule to be mutually determined by the
16 state partners, the names and contact information of persons who have provided
17 consent to participate in the pilot initiative.
18 C. The state partners and the advisory board shall collaborate to promote
19 the pilot initiative among their respective the clients of the state partners, business
20 groups and organizations, community-based groups and organizations, faith-based
21 groups and organizations, and the public generally. The state partners and
22 advisory board may work with the local human service districts and authorities
23 to promote the initiative throughout the area of service.
24 §355. Reporting
25 No later than twelve months after commencement of the pilot initiative, and
26 at least annually thereafter, the state partners, jointly, shall submit a written report
27 providing a summary and evaluation of outcomes of the pilot initiative to the
28 advisory board, the House and Senate committees on labor and industrial relations,
29 and to the House and Senate committees on health and welfare.
30 §356. Rulemaking
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1 The secretary of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, the secretary of the
2 Department of Children and Family Services, the secretary of the Louisiana
3 Department of Health, the state superintendent of education, and the president of the
4 Louisiana Community and Technical College System shall promulgate all such rules
5 in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act as are necessary to implement
6 the provisions of this Part.
7 Section 2. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
8 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
9 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
10 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
11 effective on the day following such approval.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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