(Workforce) Workforce Development and Jobs

HB 838 Professions, occupations, and trades; applicant's criminal history.

Chief patron: McClellan

Summary as introduced:
Regulation of professions, occupations, and trades; criminal history. Provides that questions related to an applicant's criminal history on any application for licensure, certification, registration, or authority shall be limited to those crimes that constitute a barrier to licensure, certification, registration, or authority by the applicable regulatory board or to employment in the profession, trade, or occupation for which a license, certification, registration, or authority is sought.

01/19/16 House: Assigned C & L sub: Subcommittee #1
01/19/16 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB838)
01/26/16 House: Subcommittee recommends continuing to 2017
01/28/16 House: Continued to 2017 in Commerce and Labor
12/01/16 House: Left in Commerce and Labor

HB 1500 Budget Bill.

Chief patron: Jones

Summary as introduced:
Budget Bill. Amends Chapter 780, 2016 Acts of Assembly.

02/15/17 House: House acceded to request
02/15/17 House: Conferees appointed by House
02/15/17 House: Delegates: Jones, Cox, Landes, O'Bannon, Greason, Torian
02/15/17 Senate: Conferees appointed by Senate
02/15/17 Senate: Senators: Norment, Hanger, Saslaw, Howell, Newman, Ruff, Wagner

HB 1592 Comprehensive community colleges; academic credit.

Chief patron: James

Summary as introduced:

Comprehensive community colleges; academic credit. Requires the State Board for Community Colleges to require each comprehensive community college to develop policies and procedures for awarding academic credit to enrolled students who have successfully completed a state-approved registered apprenticeship credential. This bill is identical to SB 999.

02/15/17 House: Signed by Speaker
02/17/17 Senate: Signed by President
02/17/17 House: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on 2/17/17
02/17/17 Governor: Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, February 24, 2017
02/21/17 Governor: Approved by Governor-Chapter 130 (effective 7/1/17)

HB 1708 Standards of Accreditation; industry certification credentials obtained by high school students.

Chief patron: Filler-Corn

Summary as passed House:

Board of Education; standards of accreditation; industry certification credentials obtained by high school students. Requires the Board of Education (the Board) to consider for inclusion in the student outcome measures included in the Standards of Accreditation the number of industry certification credentials, as defined by the Board, obtained by high school students.

02/20/17 Senate: Reconsideration of Senate passage agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N)
02/20/17 Senate: Passed Senate with amendment (40-Y 0-N)
02/21/17 House: Placed on Calendar
02/21/17 House: Senate amendment agreed to by House (97-Y 0-N)
02/21/17 House: VOTE: ADOPTION (97-Y 0-N)

HB 1814 Worker retraining and telework expenses; extends sunset date for tax credits.

Chief patron: Ware

Summary as passed:

Tax credits for worker retraining and telework expenses. Extends from taxable years prior to January 1, 2018, to taxable years prior to January 1, 2022, the sunset date for the worker retraining tax credit and transfers the certification of eligible worker retraining programs from the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority. The bill also extends from taxable years prior to January 1, 2017, to taxable years prior to January 1, 2022, the sunset date for the telework expenses tax credit. This bill is identical to SB 1576.

02/16/17 House: Signed by Speaker
02/17/17 Senate: Signed by President
02/17/17 House: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on 2/17/17
02/17/17 Governor: Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, February 24, 2017
02/20/17 House: Impact statement from TAX (HB1814ER)

HB 1841 Virginia Veteran Entrepreneurship Grant Program and Fund.

Chief patron: Stolle

Summary as introduced:
Virginia Veteran Entrepreneurship Grant Program and Fund. Establishes the Virginia Veteran Entrepreneurship Grant Program and Fund to provide grants to eligible providers of educational, training, or other services to veterans in the areas of starting their own business, purchasing a franchise, or other entrepreneurial endeavors and to assist such service providers in offering resources to veterans for the start-up of new veteran-owned business operations in the Commonwealth. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2019, and provides that if the Program and Fund are not reauthorized by the General Assembly, moneys in the Fund shall revert to the general fund.

01/19/17 House: Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 0-N)
01/19/17 House: Subcommittee recommends referring to Committee on Appropriations
01/24/17 House: Reported from General Laws (22-Y 0-N)
01/24/17 House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations
02/08/17 House: Left in Appropriations

HB 1959 Student internships; tax credit to an employer for each intern hired.

Chief patron: Yancey

Summary as introduced:
Worker retraining tax credit; student internships; College Savings Plan contributions. Provides a $1,000 tax credit to an employer for each intern hired as part of a qualified internship program. The bill defines "qualified internship program" as an internship in which the student works at least 20 hours per week for at least 10 weeks; the intern receives at least minimum wage; the intern receives training that enhances job-related skills; and such training is in the field of electrical work, engineering, manufacturing, or mechanical work. An employer would be required to obtain approval of its internship program from a school division or community college of the Commonwealth and the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity.

The bill also provides a credit of 30 percent of the value of any matching contribution made by the employer, up to $1,000, for a student intern's contribution to his Virginia College Savings Plan.

01/10/17 House: Referred to Committee on Finance
01/19/17 House: Assigned Finance sub: Subcommittee #3
01/19/17 House: Impact statement from TAX (HB1959)
01/27/17 House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
02/07/17 House: Left in Finance

HB 1980 Virginia Employment Commission; jobs reports.

Chief patron: Poindexter

Summary as introduced:
Virginia Employment Commission; jobs reports. Requires the Virginia Employment Commission to state, in any public report providing data on the number of jobs created or filled in the Commonwealth, whether the jobs are permanent full-time positions. If the jobs are not permanent full-time positions, the Commission shall set out the number of those jobs that are permanent full-time positions and those that are not.

01/10/17 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/17 17102620D
01/10/17 House: Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor
01/22/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB1980)
01/24/17 House: Tabled in Commerce and Labor

HB 2075 Commercial driver's license; instruction in comprehensive community colleges.

Chief patron: Wilt

Summary as passed House:

Commercial driver's license instruction; comprehensive community colleges. Allows comprehensive community colleges in the Virginia Community College System to administer the in-vehicle component of driver instruction to students enrolled in a commercial driver training course offered by such community college who have failed the behind-the-wheel examination or general knowledge examination for a commercial driver's license three times. The bill requires that after such additional training, the Department of Motor Vehicles only shall administer the applicable exam. The bill requires that comprehensive community colleges offering such coursework meet certain standards as established by the Department and that the Department notify such comprehensive community colleges and similarly affected schools of course curriculum requirements and notify such colleges and schools if new topics are added to the mandatory curriculum. Such comprehensive community colleges and affected schools shall have 45 days to comply and update their course curriculum with the relevant changes.

02/15/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB2075ER)
02/15/17 House: Signed by Speaker
02/17/17 Senate: Signed by President
02/17/17 House: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on 2/17/17
02/17/17 Governor: Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, February 24, 2017

HB 2106 Workforce Development, Virginia Board of; revises composition of Board.

Chief patron: Byron

Summary as passed House:

Virginia Board of Workforce Development. Revises the composition of the Virginia Board of Workforce Development (Board) to conform to requirements of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). One member shall be a representative of a private career college. The measure also (i) specifies that funding for a full-time Executive Director position shall be provided by Title I of the WIOA and (ii) replaces a requirement that industry credentials that align with high-demand occupations shall include the Career Readiness Certificate with the requirement that such industry credentials include a credential that determines career readiness. The measure shall not become effective if prior to July 1, 2017, the U.S. Department of Labor grants a waiver of the State Board membership composition requirements under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act that permits the Board to continue with its current composition.

02/20/17 House: Enrolled
02/20/17 House: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB2106ER)
02/20/17 House: Impact statement from DPB (HB2106ER)
02/21/17 House: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on 2/21/17
02/21/17 Governor: Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, March 27, 2017

HB 2387 Professional and Occupational Regulation, Department of; waiver of first-time licensing fees.

Chief patron: Yancey

Summary as introduced:
Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation; waiver of first-time licensing fees for low-income applicants. Requires a regulatory board within the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation to waive the initial application fee for any low-income individual applying for any license, certificate, or registration issued by the regulatory board or the Department. The bill defines "low-income individual" as any individual whose gross annual income is less than $25,000 per year.

01/31/17 House: Reported from General Laws (22-Y 0-N)
01/31/17 House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations
02/01/17 House: Assigned App. sub: Commerce, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Technology
02/02/17 House: Fiscal impact review from JLARC (HB2387)
02/08/17 House: Left in Appropriations

SB 17 STEM programs; grants for donations to programs at qualified schools.

Chief patron: Stanley

Summary as introduced:
Grants for donations to science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) programs at qualified schools. Establishes a grant program administered by the Board of Education beginning in 2017 for donations made by STEM organizations to qualified schools. The donations must be used by qualified schools to support STEM programs. The bill defines qualified schools as those public elementary and secondary schools at which at least 40 percent of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Grants are capped at $50,000 per organization per year.

02/24/16 House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations
02/24/16 House: Assigned App. sub: Elementary & Secondary Education
03/01/16 House: Subcommittee recommends continuing to 2017
03/01/16 House: Continued to 2017 in Appropriations
12/01/16 House: Left in Appropriations

SB 900 Budget Bill.

Chief patron: Norment, Hanger

Summary as introduced:
Budget Bill. Amends Chapter 780, 2016 Acts of Assembly.

02/09/17 Senate: Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N)
02/13/17 House: Placed on Calendar
02/13/17 House: Read first time
02/13/17 House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations
02/21/17 House: Left in Appropriations

SB 949 Southern Virginia Higher Education Center; members of board of trustees, powers and duties.

Chief patron: Ruff

Summary as passed Senate:

Southern Virginia Higher Education Center. Requires the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (the Center) to encourage the development and delivery of workforce training in collaboration with educational institutions serving the region, with a focus on critical shortage areas and the needs of industry. The bill replaces the superintendent of the Halifax County Public Schools as an ex officio member of the board of trustees of the Center with a superintendent of a public school division located in the Southside region appointed by the Governor. The bill also broadens the eligibility requirements to serve as one of the representatives of business and industry on the board of trustees. The bill requires the board of trustees to seek opportunities to collaborate with local comprehensive community colleges to meet specialized noncredit workforce training needs identified by industry. However, if the local comprehensive community college is unable to meet such needs, then the board may seek to collaborate with other education providers or provide Center-delivered specialized noncredit workforce training. This bill is identical to HB 2172.

02/17/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB949ER)
02/17/17 House: Signed by Speaker
02/20/17 Senate: Signed by President
02/21/17 Senate: Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on 2/21/17
02/21/17 Governor: Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, March 27, 2017

SB 1100 New Economy Workforce Credential Grant Program; reporting by SCHEV on Program.

Chief patron: Newman

Summary as passed Senate:

New Economy Workforce Credential Grant Program; reporting. Requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to include in its annual report on the New Economy Workforce Credential Grant Program information on the wages, including average wage and other relevant information, of students who have completed noncredit workforce training programs by credential name and relevant industry sector.

02/17/17 House: Passed House BLOCK VOTE (99-Y 0-N)
02/17/17 House: VOTE: BLOCK VOTE PASSAGE (99-Y 0-N)
02/22/17 Senate: Enrolled
02/22/17 Senate: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB1100ER)
02/22/17 Senate: Impact statement from DPB (SB1100ER)

SB 1539 Chief Workforce Development Advisor; responsibilities.

Chief patron: Ruff

Summary as introduced:
Chief Workforce Development Advisor; responsibilities. Clarifies that the Chief Workforce Development Advisor shall report directly to the Governor and shall not serve in any other capacity.

02/21/17 House: Committee amendment agreed to
02/21/17 House: Engrossed by House as amended
02/21/17 House: Passed House with amendment BLOCK VOTE (98-Y 0-N)
02/21/17 House: VOTE: BLOCK VOTE PASSAGE (98-Y 0-N)
02/22/17 Senate: House amendment agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N)

SB 1576 Worker retraining and telework expenses; extends sunset date for tax credits.

Chief patron: Hanger

Summary as passed Senate:

Tax credits for worker retraining and telework expenses. Extends from taxable years prior to January 1, 2018, to taxable years prior to January 1, 2022, the sunset date for the worker retraining tax credit and transfers the certification of eligible worker retraining programs from the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority. The bill also extends from taxable years prior to January 1, 2017, to taxable years prior to January 1, 2022, the sunset date for the telework expenses tax credit. This bill is identical to HB 1814.

02/17/17 House: Signed by Speaker
02/20/17 Senate: Impact statement from TAX (SB1576ER)
02/20/17 Senate: Signed by President
02/21/17 Senate: Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on 2/21/17
02/21/17 Governor: Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, March 27, 2017

Counts: HB: 11 SB: 6