BILL REQ. #:  S-1366.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/06/09.   

     AN ACT Relating to coordinating workforce and economic development; amending RCW 43.330.090, 50.38.050, 28B.50.030, 28C.18.010, 28C.18.060, 28C.18.080, 43.162.020, and 43.330.080; adding a new section to chapter 28B.50 RCW; and adding a new section to chapter 28C.18 RCW.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 43.330.090 and 2007 c 228 s 201 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The department shall work with private sector organizations, industry and ((cluster)) sector associations, federal agencies, state agencies that use a ((cluster-based)) sector-based approach to service delivery, local governments, local associate development organizations, and higher education and training institutions in the development of industry ((cluster-based)) sector-based strategies to diversify the economy, facilitate technology transfer and diffusion, and increase value-added production. The industry ((clusters)) sectors targeted by the department may include, but are not limited to, aerospace, agriculture, food processing, forest products, marine services, health and biomedical, software, digital and interactive media, transportation and distribution, and microelectronics. The department shall, on a continuing basis, evaluate the potential return to the state from devoting additional resources to an industry ((cluster-based)) sector-based approach to economic development and identifying and assisting additional ((clusters)) sectors. ((The department shall use information gathered in each service delivery region in formulating its industry cluster-based strategies and shall assist local communities in identifying regional industry clusters and developing industry cluster-based strategies.))
     (2) The department's sector-based strategies shall include, but not be limited to, cluster-based strategies that focus on assisting regional industry sectors and related firms and institutions that meet the definition of an industry cluster in this section and based on criteria identified by the working group established in this chapter.
     (3)(a) The department shall promote, market, and encourage growth in the production of films and videos, as well as television commercials within the state; to this end the department is directed to assist in the location of a film and video production studio within the state.
     (b) The department may, in carrying out its efforts to encourage film and video production in the state, solicit and receive gifts, grants, funds, fees, and endowments, in trust or otherwise, from tribal, local, or other governmental entities, as well as private sources, and may expend the same or any income therefrom for the encouragement of film and video production. All revenue received for such purposes shall be deposited into the film and video promotion account created in RCW 43.330.092.
     (((3))) (4) In assisting in the development of regional and statewide industry cluster-based strategies, the department's activities shall include, but are not limited to:
     (a) Facilitating regional focus group discussions and conducting studies to identify industry clusters, appraise the current information linkages within a cluster, and identify issues of common concern within a cluster;
     (b) Supporting industry and cluster associations, publications of association and cluster directories, and related efforts to create or expand the activities of industry and cluster associations;
     (c) Administering a competitive grant program to fund economic development activities designed to further regional cluster growth. In administering the program, the department shall work with an industry cluster advisory committee with equal representation from the economic development commission, the workforce training and education coordinating board, the state board for community and technical colleges, the employment security department, business, and labor.
     (i) The industry cluster advisory committee shall recommend criteria for evaluating applications for grant funds and recommend applicants for receipt of grant funds. Criteria shall include not duplicating the purpose or efforts of industry skill panels.
     (ii) Applicants must include organizations from at least two counties and participants from the local business community. Eligible organizations include, but are not limited to, local governments, economic development councils, chambers of commerce, federally recognized Indian tribes, workforce development councils, and educational institutions.
     (iii) Applications must evidence financial participation of the partner organizations.
     (iv) Eligible activities include the formation of cluster economic development partnerships, research and analysis of economic development needs of the cluster, the development of a plan to meet the economic development needs of the cluster, and activities to implement the plan.
     (v) Priority shall be given to applicants ((which)) that complement industry skill panels and will use the grant funds to build linkages and joint projects((, to develop common resources and common training, and to develop common research and development projects or facilities)).
     (((v))) (vi) The maximum amount of a grant is one hundred thousand dollars.
     (((vi))) (vii) A maximum of one hundred thousand dollars total can go to King, Pierce, Kitsap, and Snohomish counties combined.
     (((vii))) (viii) No more than ten percent of funds received for the grant program may be used by the department for administrative costs.
     (((4))) (5) As used in ((subsection (3) of this section)) this chapter, "industry cluster" means a geographic concentration of ((interdependent competitive firms that do business with each other. "Industry cluster" also includes firms that sell inside and outside of the geographic region as well as support firms that supply raw materials, components, and business services)) interconnected companies in a single industry, related businesses in other industries, including suppliers and customers, and associated institutions, including government and education.

Sec. 2   RCW 50.38.050 and 1993 c 62 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:
     The department shall have the following duties:
     (1) Oversight and management of a statewide comprehensive labor market and occupational supply and demand information system, including development of a five-year employment forecast for state and labor market areas;
     (2) Produce local labor market information packages for the state's counties, including special studies and job impact analyses in support of state and local employment, training, education, and job creation programs, especially activities that prevent job loss, reduce unemployment, and create jobs;
     (3) Coordinate with the office of financial management and the office of the forecast council to improve employment estimates by enhancing data on corporate officers, improving business establishment listings, expanding sample for employment estimates, and developing business entry/exit analysis relevant to the generation of occupational and economic forecasts; ((and))
     (4) In cooperation with the office of financial management, produce long-term industry and occupational employment forecasts. These forecasts shall be consistent with the official economic and revenue forecast council biennial economic and revenue forecasts; and
     (5) Analyze labor market and economic data, including the use of input-output models, for the purpose of identifying industry clusters and strategic industry clusters that meet the criteria identified by the working group convened by the economic development commission and the workforce training and education coordinating board under chapter 43.330 RCW.

Sec. 3   RCW 28B.50.030 and 2007 c 277 s 301 are each amended to read as follows:
     As used in this chapter, unless the context requires otherwise, the term:
     (1) "System" shall mean the state system of community and technical colleges, which shall be a system of higher education.
     (2) "Board" shall mean the workforce training and education coordinating board.
     (3) "College board" shall mean the state board for community and technical colleges created by this chapter.
     (4) "Director" shall mean the administrative director for the state system of community and technical colleges.
     (5) "District" shall mean any one of the community and technical college districts created by this chapter.
     (6) "Board of trustees" shall mean the local community and technical college board of trustees established for each college district within the state.
     (7) "Occupational education" shall mean that education or training that will prepare a student for employment that does not require a baccalaureate degree, and education and training leading to an applied baccalaureate degree.
     (8) "K-12 system" shall mean the public school program including kindergarten through the twelfth grade.
     (9) "Common school board" shall mean a public school district board of directors.
     (10) "Community college" shall include those higher education institutions that conduct education programs under RCW 28B.50.020.
     (11) "Technical college" shall include those higher education institutions with the sole mission of conducting occupational education, basic skills, literacy programs, and offering on short notice, when appropriate, programs that meet specific industry needs. The programs of technical colleges shall include, but not be limited to, continuous enrollment, competency-based instruction, industry-experienced faculty, curriculum integrating vocational and basic skills education, and curriculum approved by representatives of employers and labor. For purposes of this chapter, technical colleges shall include Lake Washington Vocational-Technical Institute, Renton Vocational-Technical Institute, Bates Vocational-Technical Institute, Clover Park Vocational Institute, and Bellingham Vocational-Technical Institute.
     (12) "Adult education" shall mean all education or instruction, including academic, vocational education or training, basic skills and literacy training, and "occupational education" provided by public educational institutions, including common school districts for persons who are eighteen years of age and over or who hold a high school diploma or certificate. However, "adult education" shall not include academic education or instruction for persons under twenty-one years of age who do not hold a high school degree or diploma and who are attending a public high school for the sole purpose of obtaining a high school diploma or certificate, nor shall "adult education" include education or instruction provided by any four year public institution of higher education.
     (13) "Dislocated forest product worker" shall mean a forest products worker who: (a)(i) Has been terminated or received notice of termination from employment and is unlikely to return to employment in the individual's principal occupation or previous industry because of a diminishing demand for his or her skills in that occupation or industry; or (ii) is self-employed and has been displaced from his or her business because of the diminishing demand for the business' services or goods; and (b) at the time of last separation from employment, resided in or was employed in a rural natural resources impact area.
     (14) "Forest products worker" shall mean a worker in the forest products industries affected by the reduction of forest fiber enhancement, transportation, or production. The workers included within this definition shall be determined by the employment security department, but shall include workers employed in the industries assigned the major group standard industrial classification codes "24" and "26" and the industries involved in the harvesting and management of logs, transportation of logs and wood products, processing of wood products, and the manufacturing and distribution of wood processing and logging equipment. The commissioner may adopt rules further interpreting these definitions. For the purposes of this subsection, "standard industrial classification code" means the code identified in RCW 50.29.025(3).
     (15) "Dislocated salmon fishing worker" means a finfish products worker who: (a)(i) Has been terminated or received notice of termination from employment and is unlikely to return to employment in the individual's principal occupation or previous industry because of a diminishing demand for his or her skills in that occupation or industry; or (ii) is self-employed and has been displaced from his or her business because of the diminishing demand for the business's services or goods; and (b) at the time of last separation from employment, resided in or was employed in a rural natural resources impact area.
     (16) "Salmon fishing worker" means a worker in the finfish industry affected by 1994 or future salmon disasters. The workers included within this definition shall be determined by the employment security department, but shall include workers employed in the industries involved in the commercial and recreational harvesting of finfish including buying and processing finfish. The commissioner may adopt rules further interpreting these definitions.
     (17) "Rural natural resources impact area" means:
     (a) A nonmetropolitan county, as defined by the 1990 decennial census, that meets three of the five criteria set forth in subsection (18) of this section;
     (b) A nonmetropolitan county with a population of less than forty thousand in the 1990 decennial census, that meets two of the five criteria as set forth in subsection (18) of this section; or
     (c) A nonurbanized area, as defined by the 1990 decennial census, that is located in a metropolitan county that meets three of the five criteria set forth in subsection (18) of this section.
     (18) For the purposes of designating rural natural resources impact areas, the following criteria shall be considered:
     (a) A lumber and wood products employment location quotient at or above the state average;
     (b) A commercial salmon fishing employment location quotient at or above the state average;
     (c) Projected or actual direct lumber and wood products job losses of one hundred positions or more;
     (d) Projected or actual direct commercial salmon fishing job losses of one hundred positions or more; and
     (e) An unemployment rate twenty percent or more above the state average. The counties that meet these criteria shall be determined by the employment security department for the most recent year for which data is available. For the purposes of administration of programs under this chapter, the United States post office five-digit zip code delivery areas will be used to determine residence status for eligibility purposes. For the purpose of this definition, a zip code delivery area of which any part is ten miles or more from an urbanized area is considered nonurbanized. A zip code totally surrounded by zip codes qualifying as nonurbanized under this definition is also considered nonurbanized. The office of financial management shall make available a zip code listing of the areas to all agencies and organizations providing services under this chapter.
     (19) "Applied baccalaureate degree" means a baccalaureate degree awarded by a college under RCW 28B.50.810 for successful completion of a program of study that is:
     (a) Specifically designed for individuals who hold an associate of applied science degree, or its equivalent, in order to maximize application of their technical course credits toward the baccalaureate degree; and
     (b) Based on a curriculum that incorporates both theoretical and applied knowledge and skills in a specific technical field.
     (20) "Qualified institutions of higher education" means:
     (a) Washington public community and technical colleges;
     (b) Private career schools that are members of an accrediting association recognized by rule of the higher education coordinating board for the purposes of chapter 28B.92 RCW; and
     (c) Washington state apprenticeship and training council-approved apprenticeship programs.
     (21) "Center of excellence" means a community or technical college designated by the college board as a statewide leader in industry-specific, community and technical college workforce education and training.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   A new section is added to chapter 28B.50 RCW to read as follows:
     The college board, in consultation with business, industry, labor, the workforce training and education coordinating board, the department of community, trade, and economic development, the employment security department, and community and technical colleges, shall designate centers of excellence and allocate funds to existing and new centers of excellence based on a competitive basis.
     Eligible applicants for the program established under this section include community and technical colleges. Priority shall be given to applicants that have an established education and training program serving the targeted industry and that have in their home district or region an industry cluster with the same targeted industry at its core.
     It is the role of centers of excellence to employ strategies to: Create educational efficiencies; build a diverse, competitive workforce for strategic industries; maintain an institutional reputation for innovation and responsiveness; develop innovative curriculum and means of delivering education and training; act as brokers of information and resources related to community and technical college education and training for a targeted industry; and serve as partners with workforce development councils, associate development organizations, and other workforce and economic development organizations.
     Examples of strategies include but are not limited to: Sharing curriculum and other instructional resources, to ensure cost savings to the system; delivering collaborative certificate and degree programs; and holding statewide summits, seminars, conferences, and workshops on industry trends and best practices in community and technical college education and training.

Sec. 5   RCW 28C.18.010 and 2008 c 103 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this title.
     (1) "Board" means the workforce training and education coordinating board.
     (2) "Director" means the director of the workforce training and education coordinating board.
     (3) "Training system" means programs and courses of secondary vocational education, technical college programs and courses, community college vocational programs and courses, private career school and college programs and courses, employer-sponsored training, adult basic education programs and courses, programs and courses funded by the federal workforce investment act, programs and courses funded by the federal vocational act, programs and courses funded under the federal adult education act, publicly funded programs and courses for adult literacy education, and apprenticeships, and programs and courses offered by private and public nonprofit organizations that are representative of communities or significant segments of communities and provide job training or adult literacy services.
     (4) "Workforce skills" means skills developed through applied learning that strengthen and reinforce an individual's academic knowledge, critical thinking, problem solving, and work ethic and, thereby, develop the employability, occupational skills, and management of home and work responsibilities necessary for economic independence.
     (5) "Vocational education" means organized educational programs offering a sequence of courses which are directly related to the preparation or retraining of individuals in paid or unpaid employment in current or emerging occupations requiring other than a baccalaureate or advanced degree. Such programs shall include competency-based applied learning which contributes to an individual's academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning, and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, general employability skills, and the occupational-specific skills necessary for economic independence as a productive and contributing member of society. Such term also includes applied technology education.
     (6) "Adult basic education" means instruction designed to achieve mastery of skills in reading, writing, oral communication, and computation at a level sufficient to allow the individual to function effectively as a parent, worker, and citizen in the United States, commensurate with that individual's actual ability level, and includes English as a second language and preparation and testing service for the general education development exam.
     (7) "Industry skill panel" means a regional partnership of business, labor, and education leaders that identifies skill gaps in a key economic cluster and enables the industry and public partners to respond to and be proactive in addressing workforce skill needs.
     (8) "Workforce development council" means a local workforce investment board as established in P.L. 105-220 Sec. 117.

Sec. 6   RCW 28C.18.060 and 2008 c 212 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     The board, in cooperation with the operating agencies of the state training system and private career schools and colleges, shall:
     (1) Concentrate its major efforts on planning, coordination evaluation, policy analysis, and recommending improvements to the state's training system;
     (2) Advocate for the state training system and for meeting the needs of employers and the workforce for workforce education and training;
     (3) Establish and maintain an inventory of the programs of the state training system, and related state programs, and perform a biennial assessment of the vocational education, training, and adult basic education and literacy needs of the state; identify ongoing and strategic education needs; and assess the extent to which employment, training, vocational and basic education, rehabilitation services, and public assistance services represent a consistent, integrated approach to meet such needs;
     (4) Develop and maintain a state comprehensive plan for workforce training and education, including but not limited to, goals, objectives, and priorities for the state training system, and review the state training system for consistency with the state comprehensive plan. In developing the state comprehensive plan for workforce training and education, the board shall use, but shall not be limited to: Economic, labor market, and populations trends reports in office of financial management forecasts; joint office of financial management and employment security department labor force, industry employment, and occupational forecasts; the results of scientifically based outcome, net-impact and cost-benefit evaluations; the needs of employers as evidenced in formal employer surveys and other employer input; and the needs of program participants and workers as evidenced in formal surveys and other input from program participants and the labor community;
     (5) In consultation with the higher education coordinating board, review and make recommendations to the office of financial management and the legislature on operating and capital facilities budget requests for operating agencies of the state training system for purposes of consistency with the state comprehensive plan for workforce training and education;
     (6) Provide for coordination among the different operating agencies and components of the state training system at the state level and at the regional level;
     (7) Develop a consistent and reliable database on vocational education enrollments, costs, program activities, and job placements from publicly funded vocational education programs in this state;
     (8)(a) Establish standards for data collection and maintenance for the operating agencies of the state training system in a format that is accessible to use by the board. The board shall require a minimum of common core data to be collected by each operating agency of the state training system;
     (b) Develop requirements for minimum common core data in consultation with the office of financial management and the operating agencies of the training system;
     (9) Establish minimum standards for program evaluation for the operating agencies of the state training system, including, but not limited to, the use of common survey instruments and procedures for measuring perceptions of program participants and employers of program participants, and monitor such program evaluation;
     (10) Every two years administer scientifically based outcome evaluations of the state training system, including, but not limited to, surveys of program participants, surveys of employers of program participants, and matches with employment security department payroll and wage files. Every five years administer scientifically based net-impact and cost-benefit evaluations of the state training system;
     (11) In cooperation with the employment security department, provide for the improvement and maintenance of quality and utility in occupational information and forecasts for use in training system planning and evaluation. Improvements shall include, but not be limited to, development of state-based occupational change factors involving input by employers and employees, and delineation of skill and training requirements by education level associated with current and forecasted occupations;
     (12) Provide for the development of common course description formats, common reporting requirements, and common definitions for operating agencies of the training system;
     (13) Provide for effectiveness and efficiency reviews of the state training system;
     (14) In cooperation with the higher education coordinating board, facilitate transfer of credit policies and agreements between institutions of the state training system, and encourage articulation agreements for programs encompassing two years of secondary workforce education and two years of postsecondary workforce education;
     (15) In cooperation with the higher education coordinating board, facilitate transfer of credit policies and agreements between private training institutions and institutions of the state training system;
     (16) Develop policy objectives for the workforce investment act, P.L. 105-220, or its successor; develop coordination criteria for activities under the act with related programs and services provided by state and local education and training agencies; and ensure that entrepreneurial training opportunities are available through programs of each local workforce investment board in the state;
     (17) Make recommendations to the commission of student assessment, the state board of education, and the superintendent of public instruction, concerning basic skill competencies and essential core competencies for K-12 education. Basic skills for this purpose shall be reading, writing, computation, speaking, and critical thinking, essential core competencies for this purpose shall be English, math, science/technology, history, geography, and critical thinking. The board shall monitor the development of and provide advice concerning secondary curriculum which integrates vocational and academic education;
     (18) Establish and administer programs for marketing and outreach to businesses and potential program participants;
     (19) Facilitate the location of support services, including but not limited to, child care, financial aid, career counseling, and job placement services, for students and trainees at institutions in the state training system, and advocate for support services for trainees and students in the state training system;
     (20) Facilitate private sector assistance for the state training system, including but not limited to: Financial assistance, rotation of private and public personnel, and vocational counseling;
     (21) Facilitate the development of programs for school-to-work transition that combine classroom education and on-the-job training, including entrepreneurial education and training, in industries and occupations without a significant number of apprenticeship programs;
     (22) Include in the planning requirements for local workforce investment boards a requirement that the local workforce investment boards specify how entrepreneurial training is to be offered through the one-stop system required under the workforce investment act, P.L. 105-220, or its successor;
     (23) Encourage and assess progress for the equitable representation of racial and ethnic minorities, women, and people with disabilities among the students, teachers, and administrators of the state training system. Equitable, for this purpose, shall mean substantially proportional to their percentage of the state population in the geographic area served. This function of the board shall in no way lessen more stringent state or federal requirements for representation of racial and ethnic minorities, women, and people with disabilities;
     (24) Participate in the planning and policy development of governor set-aside grants under P.L. 97-300, as amended;
     (25) Administer veterans' programs, licensure of private vocational schools, the job skills program, and the Washington award for vocational excellence;
     (26) Allocate funding from the state job training trust fund;
     (27) Work with the director of community, trade, and economic development and the economic development commission to ensure coordination ((between)) among workforce training priorities, the long-term economic development strategy of the economic development commission, and ((that department's)) economic development and entrepreneurial development efforts, including but not limited to assistance to industry clusters;
     (28) Conduct research into workforce development programs designed to reduce the high unemployment rate among young people between approximately eighteen and twenty-four years of age. In consultation with the operating agencies, the board shall advise the governor and legislature on policies and programs to alleviate the high unemployment rate among young people. The research shall include disaggregated demographic information and, to the extent possible, income data for adult youth. The research shall also include a comparison of the effectiveness of programs examined as a part of the research conducted in this subsection in relation to the public investment made in these programs in reducing unemployment of young adults. The board shall report to the appropriate committees of the legislature by November 15, 2008, and every two years thereafter. Where possible, the data reported to the legislative committees should be reported in numbers and in percentages;
     (29) Adopt rules as necessary to implement this chapter.
     The board may delegate to the director any of the functions of this section.

Sec. 7   RCW 28C.18.080 and 1997 c 369 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The state comprehensive plan for workforce training and education shall be updated every two years and presented to the governor and the appropriate legislative policy committees. Following public hearings, the legislature shall, by concurrent resolution, approve or recommend changes to the initial plan and the updates. The plan shall then become the state's workforce training policy unless legislation is enacted to alter the policies set forth in the plan.
     (2) The comprehensive plan shall include workforce training role and mission statements for the workforce development programs of operating agencies represented on the board and sufficient specificity regarding expected actions by the operating agencies to allow them to carry out actions consistent with the comprehensive plan.
     (3) Operating agencies represented on the board shall have operating plans for their workforce development efforts that are consistent with the comprehensive plan and that provide detail on implementation steps they will take to carry out their responsibilities under the plan. Each operating agency represented on the board shall provide an annual progress report to the board.
     (4) The comprehensive plan shall include recommendations to the legislature and the governor on the modification, consolidation, initiation, or elimination of workforce training and education programs in the state.
     (5) The comprehensive plan shall ((address how the state's workforce development system will meet the needs of employers hiring for industrial projects of statewide significance)) identify the strategic industry clusters targeted by the workforce development system. In identifying the strategic clusters, the board shall consult with the economic development commission to identify clusters that meet the criteria identified by the working group convened by the economic development commission and the workforce training and education coordinating board under RCW 43.330.280.
     (6) The board shall report to the appropriate legislative policy committees by December 1st of each year on its progress in implementing the comprehensive plan and on the progress of the operating agencies in meeting their obligations under the plan.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 8   A new section is added to chapter 28C.18 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Workforce development councils, in partnership with local elected officials, shall develop and maintain a local unified plan for the workforce development system including, but not limited to, the local plan required by P.L. 105-220, Title I. The unified plan shall include a strategic plan that assesses local employment opportunities and skill needs, the present and future workforce, the current workforce development system, information on financial resources, diversity, goals, objectives, and strategies for the local workforce development system, and a system-wide financial strategy for implementing the plan. Local workforce development councils shall submit their strategic plans to the board for review and to the governor for approval.
     (2) The strategic plan shall clearly articulate the connection between workforce and economic development efforts in the local area including the area industry clusters and the strategic clusters the community is targeting for growth. The plan shall include, but is not limited to:
     (a) Data on current and projected employment opportunities in the local area;
     (b) Identification of workforce investment needs of existing businesses and businesses considering location in the region, with special attention to industry clusters;
     (c) Identification of educational, training, employment, and support service needs of jobseekers and workers in the local area, including individuals with disabilities and other underrepresented talent sources;
     (d) Analysis of the industry demand, potential labor force supply, and educational, employment, and workforce support available to businesses and jobseekers in the region; and
     (e) Collaboration with associate development organizations in regional planning efforts involving combined strategies around workforce development and economic development policies and programs. Combined planning efforts shall include, but not be limited to, assistance to industry clusters in the area.
     (3) The board shall work with workforce development councils to develop implementation and funding strategies for purposes of this section.

Sec. 9   RCW 43.162.020 and 2007 c 232 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
     The Washington state economic development commission shall:
     (1) Concentrate its major efforts on planning, coordination, evaluation, policy analysis, and recommending improvements to the state's economic development system using, but not limited to, the "Next Washington" plan and the global competitiveness council recommendations;
     (2) Develop and maintain on a biennial basis a state comprehensive plan for economic development, including but not limited to goals, objectives, and priorities for the state economic development system; identify the elements local associate development organizations must include in their countywide economic development plans; and review the state system for consistency with the state comprehensive plan. The plan shall include the industry clusters in the state and the strategic clusters targeted by the commission for economic development efforts. The commission shall consult with the workforce training and education coordinating board and include labor market and economic information by the employment security department in developing the list of clusters and strategic clusters that meet the criteria identified by the working group convened by the economic development commission and the workforce training and education coordinating board under chapter 43.330 RCW. In developing the state comprehensive plan for economic development, the commission shall use, but may not be limited to: Economic, labor market, and populations trend reports in office of financial management forecasts; the annual state economic climate report prepared by the economic climate council; joint office of financial management and employment security department labor force, industry employment, and occupational forecasts; the results of scientifically based outcome evaluations; the needs of industry associations, industry clusters, businesses, and employees as evidenced in formal surveys and other input;
     (3) Establish and maintain an inventory of the programs of the state economic development system and related state programs; perform a biennial assessment of the ongoing and strategic economic development needs of the state; and assess the extent to which the economic development system and related programs represent a consistent, coordinated, efficient, and integrated approach to meet such needs; and
     (4) Produce a biennial report to the governor and the legislature on progress by the commission in coordinating the state's economic development system and meeting the other obligations of this chapter, as well as include recommendations for any statutory changes necessary to enhance operational efficiencies or improve coordination.
     The commission may delegate to the executive director any of the functions of this section.

Sec. 10   RCW 43.330.080 and 2007 c 249 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
      The department shall contract with county-designated associate development organizations to increase the support for and coordination of community and economic development services in communities or regional areas. The organizations contracted with in each community or regional area shall be broadly representative of community and economic interests. The organization shall be capable of identifying key economic and community development problems, developing appropriate solutions, and mobilizing broad support for recommended initiatives. The contracting organization shall work with and include local governments, local chambers of commerce, workforce development councils, port districts, labor groups, institutions of higher education, community action programs, and other appropriate private, public, or nonprofit community and economic development groups. The scope of services delivered under these contracts shall include two broad areas of work:
     (1) Direct assistance, including business planning, to companies who need support to stay in business, expand, or relocate to Washington from out of state or other countries. Assistance includes:
     (a) Working with the appropriate partners, including but not limited to, local governments, workforce development ((organizations)) councils, port districts, community and technical colleges and higher education institutions, export assistance providers, the Washington manufacturing services, the Washington state quality award((,)) council, small business assistance programs, and other federal, state, and local programs to facilitate the alignment of planning efforts and the seamless delivery of business support services in the county;
     (b) Providing information on state and local permitting processes, tax issues, and other essential information for operating, expanding, or locating a business in Washington;
     (c) Marketing Washington and local areas as excellent locations to expand or relocate a business and positioning Washington as a globally competitive place to grow business, which may include developing and executing regional plans to attract companies from out of state;
     (d) Working with businesses on site location and selection assistance;
     (e) Providing business retention and expansion services, including business outreach and monitoring efforts to identify and address challenges and opportunities faced by businesses; and
     (f) ((Participate [Participating])) Participating in economic development system-wide discussions regarding gaps in business start-up assistance in Washington; and
     (2) Support for regional economic research and regional planning efforts to implement target industry sector strategies and other economic development strategies, including cluster-based strategies, that support increased living standards and increase foreign direct investment throughout Washington. Activities include:
     (a) Participation in regional planning efforts with workforce development councils involving ((combined)) coordinated strategies around workforce development and economic development policies and programs. Coordinated planning efforts shall include, but not be limited to, assistance to industry clusters in the region;
     (b) Participation between the contracting organization ((shall participate with)) and the state board for community and technical colleges as created in RCW 28B.50.050, and any community and technical colleges in providing for the coordination of the job skills training program and the customized training program within its region;
     (((b))) (c) Collecting and reporting data as specified by the contract with the department for statewide systemic analysis. The department shall consult with the Washington state economic development commission in the establishment of such uniform data as is needed to conduct a statewide systemic analysis of the state's economic development programs and expenditures. In cooperation with other local, regional, and state planning efforts, contracting organizations may provide insight into the needs of target industry clusters, business expansion plans, early detection of potential relocations or layoffs, training needs, and other appropriate economic information;
     (((c))) (d) In conjunction with other governmental jurisdictions and institutions, participate in the development of a countywide economic development plan, consistent with the state comprehensive plan for economic development developed by the Washington state economic development commission.