AWI PROGRAMS

Workforce Investment Act

FINAL WORKFORCE INNOVATION ACT OF 2000, CS/SB 2050: 
SUMMARY AS OF 5/30/00, signed into law as 
Chapter 2000-165 Laws of Florida

Senate Select Committee on Workforce Innovation Process:

* Chaired by Jim King, members at http://www.flsenate.gov/Committees/index.cfm?Tab=committees 

* Multiple meetings November 1999 - March 2000; filed bill on 3/7/00; passed on 5/5/00
* Signed into law by Governor Bush on 5/30/00, enacted into law as Chapter 2000-165, Laws of Florida

Strategies to Address Issues:

1. Consolidates Workforce Policy and Oversight
   * Combines Workforce and WAGES Boards at state and local levels; Requires 5 organized labor representatives on State Board; (Note: 21 of 24 Regions already have combined boards)
   * Establishes unified planning for primary "integrated" Workforce programs; clarifies relationships on collaborated programs
   * Maintains standing committees on First Jobs/First Wages, Better Jobs/Better Wages and High Skills/High Wages, at state and regional levels
   * Requires WFI to develop an extensive Strategic Plan, including workforce marketing components funded at $250K. Requires WFI to develop a transition plan for the transfer of duties, staff and authority required by this legislation.
   * Requires a competitive process where Regional Workforce Development Boards select eligible service providers as One-Stop operators. RWDBs also required to set up the same 3 councils as WFI (First/First, Better/Better and High/High)

   
   

2. Realigns Workforce Functions & Administration
   * Consolidates and transfers administrative/fiscal/information-services/direct-services workforce functions and Unemployment Compensation benefits, tax and appeals functions from DLES to a newly formed "Agency for Workforce Innovation" within the Department of Management Services, with administrative and direct services performed under agreements/MOUs (Memoranda of Understanding) with the WFI and the 24 Regional Workforce Development Boards responsible for the One-Stop systems. Staff currently at DMS providing WAGES fiscal/contract services will be incorporated into the new Agency for Workforce Innovation (AWI). The transferred DLES and DMS employees retain full state employee status.
   * Requires AWI to contract with Department of Revenue for tax collection services
   

3. Integrates and Simplifies Funding
   * Combines Workforce related funding streams and allocates to RWDBs (Table A of the Committee Report shows a total of $488 Million in Workforce related "integrated" funds)
   

4. Connects the Workforce System and Business Community
   * Authorizes funding for innovative economic development initiatives and incentives through the regional workforce development boards, similar to former WAGES Employment Projects, but funding at $5 Million (VETOED)
   * Establishes a "Small Business Workforce Service Initiative" through regional workforce development boards, providing human relations services ($500K appropriation VETOED)
   * Emphasizes local business and economic development needs in occupational forecasting processes
   * Increases Incumbent Worker Training Grant allotment from $633K to $2 million
   * Authorizes Quick Response Training to be used for supplemental-skills upgrades, includes Brownfields in the priority list along with Enterprise Zones, and increases Quick Response Training funds to $6 million
   

5. Improves Workforce System Service Delivery
   * Enhances the one-stop delivery system to provide service to all customers including:
   * Screening, assessment and integrated case management
   * Cost allocation for shared services
   * Empowerment of one-stop system managers
   * Electronic one-stop services including access through the Internet and remote facilities such as libraries
   * Requires a fair and competitive process and safeguards against unfair self-referral if a service provider is selected as a One-Stop Operator.
   * Encourages use staffing agencies in matching the unemployed and underemployed to jobs.
   * Creates a workforce training institute and web-based training modules for all workforce development system partners ($200K)
   

6. Connects Education to Economic Development
   * Implements a post-secondary initiative to increase the number of graduates in high-tech and high-skill post-secondary programs, including:
   * Careers for Florida's Future ($12 million appropriation VETOED)
   * Improvement of state university curriculum relevance
   

7. Strengthens Florida's Working Poor Families
   * Creates new TANF diversion groups eligible for:
   * Child care at 185% of poverty level
   * Transportation up to 200% of poverty level
   * Education and training up to 200% of poverty level
   * Up-front diversion payment amount of up to $1000
   * Relocation Assistance
   * TANF-funded Individual Training Accounts (ITAs) for WAGES participants and "Working Poor", up to 200% poverty level
   * Youth programs (internships, work/study programs, etc.)
   * Cash assistance "severance benefit" of $1000 lump-sum
   * GED pursuit for cash assistance applicants
   * GED and adult education counted as work activity
   * Restricted time limit extension for certain TANF cash assistance recipients for up to 20% of average case load
   

8. Provides Information Essential to Workforce Florida Success
   * Implements an integrated management information system to support one-stop service delivery, including common intake, case management, tracking and reporting ($10 million)
   * Establishes an Internet-based job matching and labor market information system Implement Debit/Smart card technology for ITAs, RITAs, Transportation, Child Care, and other support services; to be compatible with existing Food Stamp EBT system

PROPOSED NEW OR INCREASED WORKFORCE FUNDING

TOTALS*: $6.25 Million General Revenue
               $35.20 Million TANF
                 $2 Million WIA

*These totals reflect only new or significantly increased items, not the basic allocations of WIA and TANF funds for basic local and state-level operations.
 

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