GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1997

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 18*

Short Title:  Job Training Study.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Representatives Howard; Shubert, Baker, Davis, Gardner, Capps, Watson, Rayfield, and Morris.
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Referred to:  Commerce.
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February 3, 1997

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO CREATE A LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION ON JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS TO REORGANIZE THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM IN NORTH CAROLINA.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  (a) The General Assembly intends to reorganize its workforce development system to improve the delivery of job training programs and services in North Carolina.
(b)	There is created a Legislative Study Commission on Job Training Programs.  The purpose of the Commission is to review State and federally funded job training programs and services currently in existence to determine the feasibility of eliminating or consolidating those which are duplicative, inefficient, or ineffective in carrying out their purposes and activities.
(c)	The Commission shall consist of six members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, at least three of whom shall be members of the House of Representatives, and six members appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, at least three of whom shall be members of the Senate.  The Speaker shall designate one Representative as cochair and the President Pro Tempore shall designate one Senator as cochair.  Vacancies on the Commission shall be filled by the same appointing officer who made the initial appointment.  The Commission shall expire upon delivering its final report to the 1997 General Assembly (1998 Regular Session).
The Commission, while in the discharge of official duties, may exercise all powers provided for under the provisions of G.S. 120-19 and G.S. 120-19.1 through G.S. 120-19.4.  The Commission may meet at any time upon the joint call of the cochairs.  The Commission may meet in the Legislative Building or the Legislative Office Building.  The Commission may contract for professional, clerical, or consultant services as provided by G.S. 120-32.02.
The Legislative Services Commission, through the Legislative Administrative Officer, shall assign professional staff to assist the Commission in its work.  The House of Representatives' and the Senate's Supervisors of Clerks shall assign clerical staff to the Commission, and the expenses relating to the clerical employees shall be borne by the Commission.  Members of the Commission shall receive subsistence and travel expenses at the rates set forth in G.S. 120-3.1, 138-5, or 138-6, as appropriate.
(d)	The Commission shall have the following powers and duties:
(1)	To review State and federal laws, rules, and regulations pertaining to job training programs to determine the purpose of each program, the population served, and each program's annual outcomes in terms of type of training received, work search efforts, and job placement;
(2)	To ascertain as far as possible the intention of the United States Congress with respect to continued funding of federally mandated job training programs and any changes in funding formulae;
(3)	To review the amount of State and federal dollars appropriated for each job training program conducted in this State and to review federal requirements for continuous federal funding of the programs;
(4)	To review the number of different State agencies that administer State and federal job training programs, the number of persons employed to implement each job training program, and the amount of State dollars needed annually to implement the program;
(5)	To determine whether federally funded job training programs in this State may lawfully be abolished or reduced in size by the General Assembly, and the impact of such reduction or elimination;
(6)	To conduct public hearings to receive citizen, State agency, and local government comment and experience with the job training programs;
(7)	To conduct other studies or activities to aid the Commission in carrying out its purpose and duties, including reviewing reorganization and consolidation efforts in other states; and
(8)	To ensure program evaluation and accountability for all workforce development programs and to create a comprehensive statewide focus on workforce development.
(e)	The Commission shall report to the 1997 General Assembly (1998 Regular Session), the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations, and the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee not later than May 1, 1998.  The report shall identify each job training program operating in the State and recommend whether each program should be expanded, continued without change, abolished, consolidated with another program, or otherwise modified, including implementation components.
(f)	All State departments and agencies and local governments and their subdivisions shall furnish the Commission with any information in their possession or available to them.
(g)	Notwithstanding G.S. 96-5(f), there is appropriated from the Worker Training Trust Fund to the General Assembly the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for the 1997-98 fiscal year to implement this section.
Section 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.