Legislature(1995 - 1996)
1995-03-28 Senate Journal
Full Journal pdf1995-03-28 Senate Journal Page 0813 SB 142 SENATE BILL NO. 142 BY THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR, entitled: "An Act establishing the Alaska Human Resource Investment Council and transferring certain functions of other entities to the council; establishing a planning mechanism for employment training and other human resource investment needs; and providing for an effective date." was read the first time and referred to the State Affairs and Finance Committees. 1995-03-28 Senate Journal Page 0814 SB 142 Fiscal note published today from Office of the Governor. Zero fiscal notes published today from University of Alaska, Department of Education, Department of Community and Regional Affairs, Department of Labor, Department of Health and Social Services, Department of Commerce and Economic Development. Governor's transmittal letter dated March 24: Dear President Pearce: Under the authority of art. III, sec. 18, of the Alaska Constitution, I am transmitting a bill that will establish the Alaska Human Resource Investment Council as the lead state entity to plan and coordinate federal, state, and local employment training and human resource programs. This bill consolidates the functions of three existing councils and commissions into a single council located in the Governor's office to provide coordinated oversight of job training programs throughout the state to ensure effective training that leads to employment of Alaskans. This bill designs the Alaska Human Resource Investment Council (AHRIC) to meet the federal statutory requirements for a consolidated human resource investment council and is in response to anticipated changes that include the lump sum, block grant funding scenario presently being proposed in Congress. Twenty-one states have currently taken advantage of this option created under Title VII of the 1992 Job Training Partnership Act. It maximizes federal funds and avoids duplication of effort. The consolidation will increase efficiency and effectiveness of job training and vocational education efforts within the state by combining the existing staff and board members of the State Job Training Coordinating Council, the Employment Security Advisory Council and the Governor's Council on Vocational Education. It reduces the current roster of 38 board and commission members to a maximum of 26. This bill also envisions a key staff position to oversee the development of a collaborative strategic plan, facilitate the transitionary phase of the consolidation of the boards, and effect the merging of staff responsibilities in anticipation of major revisions in the Federal funding mechanisms for job training and vocational education. 1995-03-28 Senate Journal Page 0815 SB 142 This legislation will provide an economy of scale for the many advisory and oversight groups presently involved in job training, adult, and vocational education; eliminate state agency overlap in planning and data collection; increase the efficiency and effectiveness of existing training programs to meet the changing needs of Alaskan employers through private sector involvement; better prepare Alaskan workers for Alaskan jobs with targeted training programs and recommend policy incentives for employers to seek out and hire Alaskan workers. In addition, the AHRIC will use its resources to open more opportunities for self-sufficiency to those Alaskan families presently receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children in order to achieve our goal of putting our citizens presently receiving benefits back into the workforce with good jobs in the shortest time possible. The council will be made up of at least 15 percent representation from education, 15 percent representation from industry, and 15 percent representation from labor, as well as other representation that will bring valuable input to the human resources strategic planning process. The bill also dictates that a private sector majority will sit on this board to insure that employers and labor have dynamic involvement in designing effective programs. A full year of transition is proposed to insure the orderly transfer of functions from existing councils and commissions to AHRIC. The councils and their volunteer members will plan an orderly consolidation and contribute to the development of a long range strategic plan. The Governor's Office staff member will compile and facilitate this development. Thirteen additional state and federal programs may be considered during this period for inclusion under the advisory provisions of AHRIC. Enactment of this bill would enable the state to promote an efficient, effective, and integrated system of employment education and training programs and services. I urge your support of the bill. Sincerely, /s/ Tony Knowles Governor 1995-03-28 Senate Journal Page 0816 SB 142 Alaska Human Resource Investment Council Sectional Analysis Section 1 of this bill sets out the legislative findings and the purpose for formulating the AHRIC. The findings specifically address the importance of developing an integrated strategic planning process to look at the state's myriad training and educational programs in order to promote a most effective Alaskan work force that is prepared for Alaskan jobs. Section 2 directs the state Board of Education to consider the advice of the AHRIC regarding employment training needs and to advise the AHRIC in the development of vocational education programs. Section 3 makes a member of AHRIC a member of the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education, replacing a member of the Council on Vocational Education. The latter council, which is not created in state law, will be dissolved by governor's administrative order. Section 4 includes the AHRIC as a state board or commission whose membership is subject to the conflict of interest reporting requirements of AS 39.50. Section 5 establishes the AHRIC in the Office of the Governor and sets out the membership of the council. Membership will be reduced from 38 today to at least 23, and up to 26, representatives from state agencies, education, labor, industry, community organizations, and at least one representative with a knowledge of developmental disabilities. One to four additional, undesignated positions are provided to assure a private sector majority on the council and to assure regional and local representation. The lieutenant governor and specified commissioners are members of the council. The governor would appoint the other members of the council, who would serve for staggered four-year terms. Additional nonvoting members could be appointed to the council. The governor is to ensure that the individuals appointed to the council have the expertise needed to perform the functions of the council. Section 5 also establishes the AHRIC as the state planning and coordinating entity for certain state programs that are administered under a number of federal provisions. The functions of the AHRIC would include the facilitation of statewide human resources planning and the coordination of employment training and education programs. 1995-03-28 Senate Journal Page 0817 SB 142 The AHRIC would assume the duties and functions of the state councils that currently direct or advise the agencies that operate the federal programs. The AHRIC also would submit a biennial strategic plan to the governor and the legislature and monitor the implementation of the strategic plan. Subject to legislative appropriation, the budget for the council is to be drawn from money available to the programs that are coordinated by the council. Sections 6 through 15 provide statutory and session law changes for consistency with the shift of responsibilities to the AHRIC, including deletion of references to the State Job Training Coordinating Council. Section 15 would repeal statutory provisions that establish or refer to the Employment Security Advisory Council. Under sec. 22, the repeal would take effect January 1, 1996, after a transition period under sec. 16 during which functions will be transferred to the AHRIC. Other councils whose duties or functions are to be assumed by the AHRIC, including the State Job Training Coordinating Council, would be dissolved by administrative order as of January 1, 1996, since they are not established in state statute. As set out in sec. 16, during the transition period the boards and councils that oversee the federal and state program functions that would be assumed by the AHRIC would hold joint meetings to facilitate the transfer of duties. As specified in sec. 20, the transition provisions have an immediate effective date. Under sec. 21, the statutory provisions creating and transferring functions to the AHRIC take effect July 1, 1995. During this year of transition existing councils and commissions will continue to provide for the requirements of existing Federal accounting and reporting requirements in order to maximize our program revenues. In addition they will plan an orderly sunset of their responsibilities and empower the AHRIC to assume their duties with an effective date no later than July 1, 1996. Sections 18 and 19 set out two reporting requirements that would constitute the immediate tasks of the AHRIC. One report is to address the consolidation of state human resources programs and the other is to make recommendations on the role that the private industry councils, created under the federal Job Training Partnership Act, may play in the alliance of human resource programs. Both reports are to be prepared and submitted no later than July 1, 1996.