BILL REQ. #:  S-0659.1 

Read first time 01/26/09.   Referred to Committee on Economic Development, Trade & Innovation.

     AN ACT Relating to the job skills program; and amending RCW 28C.04.410 and 28C.04.420.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 28C.04.410 and 1999 c 121 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout RCW 28C.04.390 and 28C.04.420.
     (1) "Applicant" means an educational institution which has made application for a job skills grant under RCW 28C.04.390 and 28C.04.420.
     (2) "Business and industry" means a private corporation, institution, firm, person, group, or association concerned with commerce, trades, manufacturing, or the provision of services within the state, or a public or nonprofit hospital licensed by the department of social and health services.
     (3) "Dislocated worker" means an individual who meets the definition of dislocated worker contained in P.L. 105-220, Sec. 101 on July 25, 1999.
     (4) "Educational institution" means a public secondary or postsecondary institution, an independent institution, or a private career school or college within the state authorized by law to provide a program of skills training or education beyond the secondary school level. Any educational institution receiving a job skills grant under RCW 28C.04.420 ((through 28C.04.480)) shall be free of sectarian control or influence as set forth in Article IX, section 4 of the state Constitution.
     (5) "Equipment" means tangible personal property which will further the objectives of the supported program and for which a definite value and evidence in support of the value have been provided by the donor.
     (6) "Financial support" means any thing of value which is contributed by business, industry, and others to an educational institution which is reasonably calculated to support directly the development and expansion of a particular program under RCW 28C.04.390 and 28C.04.420 and represents an addition to any financial support previously or customarily provided to such educational institutions by the donor. "Financial support" includes, but is not limited to, funds, equipment, facilities, faculty, and scholarships for matriculating students and trainees.
     (7) "Job skills grant" means funding that is provided to an educational institution by the ((commission)) college board for the development or significant expansion of a program under RCW 28C.04.390 and 28C.04.420.
     (8) "Job skills program" means a program of skills training or education separate from and in addition to existing vocational education programs and which:
     (a) Provides short-term training which has been designated for specific industries;
     (b) Provides training for prospective employees before a new plant opens or when existing industry expands;
     (c) Includes training and retraining for workers already employed by an existing industry or business where necessary to avoid dislocation or where upgrading of existing employees would create new vacancies for unemployed persons;
     (d) Serves areas with high concentrations of economically disadvantaged persons and high unemployment;
     (e) ((Serves areas with new and growing industries)) Promotes the growth of industry clusters;
     (f) Serves areas where there is a shortage of skilled labor to meet job demands; or
     (g) Promotes the location of new industry in areas affected by economic dislocation.
     (9) "Technical assistance" means professional and any other assistance provided by business and industry to an educational institution, which is reasonably calculated to support directly the development and expansion of a particular program and which represents an addition to any technical assistance previously or customarily provided to the educational institutions by the donor.
     (10) "College board" means the state board for community and technical colleges under chapter 28B.50 RCW.

Sec. 2   RCW 28C.04.420 and 1999 c 121 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     The college board may, subject to appropriation from the legislature or from funds made available from any other public or private source and pursuant to rules adopted by the college board with the advice of the workforce training customer advisory committee established in RCW 28C.04.390, provide job skills grants to educational institutions. The job skills grants shall be used exclusively for programs which are consistent with the job skills program. The college board shall work in collaboration with the workforce training customer advisory committee established in RCW 28C.04.390 to assure that:
     (1) The program is within the scope of the job skills program under this chapter and may reasonably be expected to succeed and thereby increase employment within the state;
     (2) Provision has been made to use any available alternative funding from local, state, and federal sources;
     (3) The job skills grant will only be used to cover the costs associated with the program;
     (4) The program will not unnecessarily duplicate existing programs and could not be provided by another educational institution more effectively or efficiently;
     (5) The program involves an area of skills training and education for which there is a demonstrable need;
     (6) The applicant has made provisions for the use of existing federal and state resources for student financial assistance;
     (7) The job skills grant is essential to the success of the program as the resources of the applicant are inadequate to attract the technical assistance and financial support necessary for the program from business and industry;
     (8) The program represents a collaborative partnership between business, industry, labor, educational institutions, and other partners, as appropriate;
     (9) The commitment of financial support from business and industry shall be equal to or greater than the amount of the requested job skills grant;
     (10) The job skills program gives priority to applications:
     (a) From firms in strategic industry clusters as identified by the state or local areas;
     (b) Proposing coordination with other cluster-based programs or initiatives including, but not limited to, industry skill panels, centers of excellence, innovation partnership zones, state-supported cluster growth grants, and local cluster-based economic development initiatives;
     (c) Proposing industry-based credentialing; and
     (d) Proposing increased capacity for educational institutions that can be made available to industry and students beyond the grant recipients;
     (11) Binding commitments have been made to the ((commission)) college board by the applicant for adequate reporting of information and data regarding the program to the ((commission)) college board, particularly information concerning the recruitment and employment of trainees and students, and including a requirement for an annual or other periodic audit of the books of the applicant directly related to the program, and for such control on the part of the ((commission)) college board as it considers prudent over the management of the program, so as to protect the use of public funds, including, in the discretion of the commission and without limitation, right of access to financial and other records of the applicant directly related to the programs; and
     (((11))) (12) A provision has been made by the applicant to work, in cooperation with the employment security department, to identify and screen potential trainees, and that provision has been made by the applicant for the participation as trainees of low-income persons including temporary assistance for needy families recipients, dislocated workers, and persons from minority and economically disadvantaged groups to participate in the program.
     Beginning October 1, 1999, and every two years thereafter, the college board shall provide the legislature and the governor with a report describing the activities and outcomes of the state job skills program.