HLS 23RS-3535 ORIGINAL
2023 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 137
BY REPRESENTATIVE FREIBERG
CONGRESS: Memorializes Congress to grant states optional flexibility through the
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to integrate and improve service delivery
of federally funded assistance programs
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions as are necessary to grant
3 states optional flexibility through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act in
4 order to integrate and improve service delivery of federally funded assistance
5 programs, create cost efficiencies, and strategically allocate resources to support
6 state needs and workforce priorities.
7 WHEREAS, the federal government funds a multitude of social services,
8employment, and job training programs that are, in turn, administered by state and local
9agencies and entities within that state; and
10 WHEREAS, one example of these social services, employment, and job training
11programs funded by the federal government is the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity
12Act (WIOA); and
13 WHEREAS, according to the United States Department of Labor, the WIOA was
14created for the purposes of strengthening and improving our nation's public workforce
15system by aiding American citizens, particularly young Americans and Americans with
16significant barriers to employment, in finding high-quality jobs and careers and assisting
17employers in hiring and retaining skilled workers; and
18 WHEREAS, according to the United States Census Bureau, in 2021, approximately
19twenty percent of the people in Louisiana lived in poverty; and
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HCR NO. 137
1 WHEREAS, according to an article published by the Urban Institute in April, one
2of Louisiana's largest spending areas per capita is public welfare, which the state spends
3almost three thousand dollars per capita; and
4 WHEREAS, some of these social services, employment, and job training programs,
5such as WIOA, funded by the federal government and utilized by states and localities are
6intended to assist under-served people; and
7 WHEREAS, despite efforts over the years to deliver services to beneficiaries in a
8coordinated manner, many individuals in Louisiana in need of services and support struggle
9to navigate fragmented, complex delivery systems and leverage social services programs to
10achieve positive outcomes such as employment and self-sufficiency; and
11 WHEREAS, according to an article published by the American Enterprise Institute
12in August 2020, Utah's legislative auditor conducted a legislative audit in 1992 of Utah's
13twenty-three workforce programs, which was administered by six agencies; and
14 WHEREAS, according to that audit, it was revealed that there was "system
15fragmentation that made it difficult for Utah residents to access key services, particularly
16those from disadvantaged backgrounds"; and
17 WHEREAS, the article also mentioned how "over the past two decades, Utah has
18developed a particularly innovative approach in its efforts to integrate workforce,
19employment, and training programs"; and
20 WHEREAS, one of the innovative approaches Utah has taken is by tasking Utah's
21Department of Workforce Services to integrate these federally funded programs and deliver
22multiple services through "one door", allowing individuals to work with a single caseworker
23who provides support with applying for qualifying programs, reviewing education, skills,
24and living needs, and assisting in accessing job training, education, and workforce programs;
25and
26 WHEREAS, this "one door" policy utilized by Utah has systemically reduced the
27fragmentation that has hampered these programs' effectiveness for decades, and such a
28policy serves as a model for other states to emulate; and
29 WHEREAS, as a result of these efforts and approaches, in the wake of the
30coronavirus pandemic and shutdowns, Utah was one of the first states in the nation to
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1rebound to pre-pandemic employment levels and the state also recovered with employment
2growth of nearly five percent by April 2022; and
3 WHEREAS, since the "one door" policy has proven to be such a success for Utah,
4all states should have the flexibility to implement the "one door" policy in order to give
5citizens one door out of poverty and into opportunity.
6 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
7memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions as are necessary to grant states
8optional flexibility through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act in order to
9integrate and improve service delivery of federally funded assistance programs, create cost
10efficiencies, and strategically allocate resources to support state needs and workforce
11priorities.
12 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
13presiding officers of the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Congress of the
14United States of America and to each member of the Louisiana congressional delegation.
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)]
HCR 137 Original 2023 Regular Session Freiberg
Memorializes the U.S. Congress to take such actions as are necessary to grant states optional
flexibility through the WIOA in order to integrate and improve service delivery of federally
funded assistance programs, create cost efficiencies, and strategically allocate resources to
support state needs and workforce priorities.
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