In This Issue
Important Dates
Legislation
Committee Assignments

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April 11, 2014   

State Policy Update  

The Education appropriations bill has passed the Senate and is now being worked on in the House. LSA's appropriation bill analysis has a helpful summary. See highlights in the Legislation section.

The Economic/Workforce Development appropriations bill has passed the House and is now being worked on in the Senate. There is also a helpful LSA summary for this bill.

Federal Policy Update
The U.S. Senate this week voted to extend emergency unemployment compensation. Learn more here.

The Workforce Data Quality Campaign released a report and is holding a webinar on April 22 about efforts in states to create data-sharing agreements with certification bodies and licensing agencies to better understand the attainment and value of selected non-degree credentials. Learn more here.

The National Skills Coalition published a special Washington Update with analysis of the president's FY 2015 budget requests, including key workforce and education requests.
Important Dates

April 22 

Target adjournment date (100th calendar day of session).

Legislation
Senate File 2347 (Formerly SSB 3213) Education appropriations bill. Funds the College Student Aid Commission, Department for the Blind, Department of Education, and State Board of Regents. Highlights and changes/new appropriations:
  • Appropriates a total of $40.3 million from the Skilled Worker and Job Creation Fund (SWJCF) for FY 2015. This is no change compared to estimated FY 2014.   
  • Appropriates $200,000 from the Skilled Worker and Job Creation Fund (SWJCF) appropriation to the Department of Education for a Workforce Preparation Outcome Reporting System. The SWJCF appropriation for the Workforce Training and Economic Development Funds at the community colleges is reduced by $200,000 to accommodate this new appropriation.  
  • Community Colleges General Aid is increased by $8 million.  
  • UNI Math and Science Collaborative: Requires UNI to work with community colleges to develop STEM professional development programs for community college instructors and STEM curriculum; requires that at least $500,000 of the General Fund appropriation for this collaborative be used to provide technology education opportunities to high school, career academy, and community college students through public-private partnerships. 
  • Adult Literacy for the Workforce Program: Requires $3.9 million of the Skilled Worker and Job Creation Fund appropriation to be allocated to the community colleges using the statutory formula for allocation of general aid. Permits the Department of Education to use up to $150,000 of the appropriation for implementation of adult education and literacy programs. Requires up to $1.5 million of the appropriation to be distributed as grants to the community colleges for purposes of adult basic education for students requiring instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL).  
  • $5 million for PACE (Pathways for Academic Career and Employment program) (no change from FY14) 
  • $2 million for Gap Tuition Assistance (no change) 
  • $1.5 million for Statewide Work-Based Learning Intermediary Network (no change) 
  • $5 million for Skilled Workforce Shortage Tuition Grants (no change)   

Sponsored by Appropriations. Read first time, placed on Appropriations calendar. Committee report, approving bill. Amendment S-5126 adopted. Amendment S-5130 to S-5126 filed and ruled out of order. Amendment S-5128 filed, lost. Amendment S-5129 filed. Amendment S-5127 filed, lost. Amendment S-5133 to S-5129 filed, adopted. Amendment S-5129 as amended, lost. Passed Senate, ayes 27, nays 22. Messaged to House. Read first time, referred to Appropriations. Passed committee. Committee report, recommending amendment and passage. Committee amendment H-8248 filed. 

 
Senate File 2251 (Formerly SF 2143) Relates to state child care assistance program eligibility and application provisions. The Senate's original bill revises the 28-hour-per-week employment requirement to apply to a combination of employment and participation at a satisfactory level in an approved training or education program for 28 hours per week in the aggregate; amends two of the waiting list requirements that are based upon income and employment for at least 28 hours per week or participation in an educational program; and other provisions. After it passed the Senate, the House amended the bill to narrow it to a pilot project for state child care assistance program eligibility requirements in Hamilton, Lee, Pottawattamie, and Scott counties, in which the program's eligibility requirements based upon income and employment for at least 28 hours per week or participation in an educational program are revised for two income eligibility groups (families with income at or below 100% poverty or 101-145% poverty). The 28-hour-per-week employment requirement is revised to apply to a combination of employment and participation at a satisfactory level in an approved training or education program for 28 hours per week in the aggregate. The House passed this amended bill and sent it back to the Senate. The Senate refused to accept the amendment,  and if the House insists on its amendment, a conference committee will be appointed to work out the differences.

Sponsored by Human Resources. Introduced, placed on calendar. Committee report, approving bill. Fiscal note. Passed Senate, ayes 48, nays none. Messaged to House. Read first time, referred to Human Resources. Subcommittee, Heaton, Costello, and Dawson. Passed subcommittee. Fiscal note. Committee report, recommending amendment and passage. Committee amendment H-8106 filed and adopted. Passed House, ayes 96, nays 2. Explanation of vote from absent member. Messaged to Senate with amendment.
Amendment S-5112 to S-5080 filed, lost. Senate refused to concur with S-5080. Messaged to House.

House File 2460 (Formerly HSB 683 and SSB 3212) Economic/Workforce Development budget bill. Makes FY 2015 appropriations to the Department of Cultural Affairs, Economic Development Authority, Iowa Workforce Development, Iowa Finance Authority, Public Employment Relations Board, Board of Regents and Regents institutions. Highlights:
  • Within the Economic Development Authority's appropriations: Notwithstanding other pending apprenticeship and job training program legislation, appropriates $3 million for the job training program and $2.75 million to the apprenticeship program.
  • $9,179,413 from the general fund to IWD for field offices (same as governor's proposal) 
    • $150,000 of that to State Library to license an online resource that prepares people to succeed in the workplace through improving jobs skills and vocational test-taking abilities
    • At least $1,130,602 of that for the operation of 3 satellite field offices projected by IWD to serve the most people from the offices in Decorah, Fort Madison, Iowa City, or Webster City (different from governor's proposal, which strikes this language)
  • $1,766,084 from Special Employment Security Contingency Fund to IWD for field offices
  • $400,000 from Unemployment Compensation Reserve Fund to IWD for field offices  
    • Total amount for IWD field offices: $11,345,497
  • $358,464 for an offender reentry program to provide offenders with employment skills; IWD to partner with Department of Corrections
  • $100,000 to IWD "to develop a long-term sustained program to train unemployed  and underemployed central Iowans with skills necessary toadvance to higher-paying jobs with full benefits." Requires IWD to begin a Request for Proposals process by Sept. 1, 2014, and to testify upon request of the joint economic development appropriations subcommittee about the expenditure of these funds.   
Sponsored by Appropriations. Introduced, placed on Appropriations calendar. Amendments filed; Amendments H-8193, H-8194,  H-8183 lost. Amendments H-8187, H-8195 adopted. Amendment H-8190 withdrawn. Passed House, ayes 97, nays 2. Secretary's report on correction in engrossment. Messaged to Senate. Read first time, referred to Appropriations. Committee report, recommending passage.

House File 2407 (Formerly HSB 541) Iowa Apprenticeship and Job Training Act. Makes changes to the job training program and fund under Code chapter 260F and makes appropriations. General difference from Senate bill regarding job training and apprenticeship programs is that the House version puts these programs under the Economic Development Authority, while the Senate version transfers to the Department of Education. (See SF 2317 above.) Sponsored by Economic Growth. Introduced, referred to Ways and Means. Subcommittee, Baltimore, Byrnes, and Thomas. Passed subcommittee. Fiscal note.

Senate File 2317 (Formerly SSB 3052) Relates to changes to the job training program and fund under Code chapter 260F and establishes an apprenticeship program under new Code chapter 260J, and makes appropriations. General difference from House version of Iowa Apprenticeship and Job Training Act is that the Senate version puts these job training and apprenticeship programs under the Department of Education instead of the Economic Development Authority (see HF 2407 below). Sponsored by Economic Growth. Introduced, placed on calendar. Economic Growth Committee report, approving bill. Referred to Appropriations. Subcommittee, Dotzler, Chapman, and Dvorsky.

Senate Study Bill 3198 Governor's proposed budget bill with FY 2015 appropriations to the Department of Cultural Affairs, Economic Development Authority, Public Employment Relations Board, and Iowa Workforce Development. Includes: $9,179,413 from the general fund to IWD for field offices; strikes language about allocating funds to operate three satellite field offices projected to serve the most people from the offices located in Decorah, Fort Madison, Iowa City, or Webster City. $1,627,084 from the Special Employment Security Contingency Fund and $633,000 from interest earned on the unemployment compensation reserve fund to IWD for field offices. $284,464 for an offender reentry program (partnership of IWD and Dept. of Corrections). $451,458 to IWD for an employee misclassification program (to enhance efforts to investigate employers than misclassify workers). 

Senate Study Bill 3167 Governor's proposed budget bill with FY 2015 appropriations for departments including Education, Workforce Development, and Economic Development Authority. Highlights: $5.5 million to community colleges for adult education and literacy programs; $5 million for Pathways for Academic Career and Employment (PACE) fund; $2 million for Gap Tuition Assistance Fund; $1.5 million for Statewide Work-Based Learning Intermediary Network Fund; $200,000 for a Workforce Preparation Outcome Reporting System; $100,000 to develop a long-term sustained program to train unemployed and underemployed central Iowans to advance to higher-paying jobs with full benefits. Subcommittee, Dvorsky, Chapman.

Senate File 2292 (Formerly SF 2076) Establishes an Iowa Employment Rides initiative in the Department of Transportation to provide funds to public transit systems for programs and services that provide employment transportation to Iowans. Appropriates $1 million per year for the next three fiscal years, to be distributed on a competitive grant basis. Sponsored by Transportation. Introduced, placed on calendar. Transportation Committee report, approving bill. Referred to Appropriations. Subcommittee, Mathis, Dvorsky, and Kapucian.

House File 2343 Establishes an Iowa Employment Rides Initiative in the Department of Transportation and makes an appropriation. Sponsored by Lundby, Staed, Gaskill, Kaufmann, Kearns, Murphy, Jacoby, Ourth, Thomas, Isenhart, Steckman, Forbes, Stutsman, Winckler, Wessel-Kroeschell, Byrnes, Moore, T. Olson, Thede, and Berry. Introduced, referred to Transportation. Subcommittee, Kaufmann, Landon, and Stutsman.

House File 2316 (Formerly HSB 613) Relates to workforce services for veterans. Appropriates $1 million to Iowa Workforce Development to fund research linking military occupational  education, training, and service to existing licensing requirements in Iowa and to support additional demand for workforce development  services for veterans. Also appropriates $1 million to Iowa Workforce Development to provide a grant in that amount to a nonprofit workforce services organization administered by a state agency to pay for expenses of marketing Iowa to veterans through public-private partnerships. Sponsored by Veterans Affairs. Introduced, referred to Appropriations. Subcommittee, Worthan, Deyoe, and Running-Marquardt.

House File 2224 (Formerly HSB 615) Requires reporting on certain educational credits awarded to veterans. Sponsored by Veterans Affairs. Introduced, referred to Education. Subcommittee, Stanerson, Hanson, Hanusa. Passed subcommittee. Committee report, recommending passage. Amendment H-8045 filed. Referred to Veterans Affairs.

House File 2199 (Formerly HSB 601) Conforms the voluntary shared work program under  the state unemployment insurance law to the requirements of  the federal Middle Class Tax  Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012. Sponsored by Labor. Introduced, placed on calendar. Fiscal note. Passed House, ayes 98, nays none. Explanation of vote. Messaged to Senate. Read first time, referred to Labor and Business Relations. Subcommittee, Brase, Anderson, and Dotzler. Committee report, recommending passage. Passed Senate, ayes 46, nays none. Reported correctly enrolled, signed by Speaker and President. Sent to and signed by Governor.
Committee Assignments
Click here to view members of workforce-related committees and their corresponding workforce development region.

This update is a bi-weekly publication intended to share information and resources regarding legislative activities, events, and bills related to workforce issues in Iowa. If you have questions or need more information, please contact Stacie Bendixen at sbendixen@sppg.com or 515-237-0338.