Senate Bill No. 454

(By Senators Bowman and Kessler)

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[Introduced February 5, 2007; referred to the Committee on Government Organization.]

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A BILL to amend and reenact §5B-1-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; to amend and reenact §5B-2B-6 and §5B-2B-9 of said code; to amend and reenact §5F-2-1 of said code; and to amend and reenact §21A-1-4 of said code, all relating to the Bureau of Employment Programs; changing the agency name from the Bureau of Employment Programs to Workforce West Virginia; revising the divisional structure within the agency; and providing that Workforce West Virginia shall provide administrative and other services to the West Virginia Workforce Investment Council.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §5B-1-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted; that §5B-2B-6 and §5B-2B-9 of said code be amended and reenacted; that §5F-2-1 of said code be amended and reenacted; and that §21A-1-4 of said code be amended and reenacted, all to read as follows:
CHAPTER 5B. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 1985.

ARTICLE 1. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.
§5B-1-2. Agencies, boards, commissions, divisions and offices comprising the Department of Commerce.

The Department of Commerce consists of the following agencies, boards, commissions, divisions and offices, including all of the allied, advisory, affiliated or related entities, which are incorporated in and administered as part of the Department of Commerce: (1) Division of Labor provided in article one, chapter twenty-one of this code, which includes:
(A) Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission provided in article three-a, chapter twenty-one of this code; and
(B) Board of Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety provided in article nine, chapter twenty-one of this code;
(2) Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training provided in article one, chapter twenty-two-a of this code. The following boards are transferred to the Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training for purposes of administrative support and liaison with the Office of the Governor:
(A) Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety and Coal Mine Safety and Technical Review Committee provided in article six, chapter twenty-two-a of this code;
(B) Board of Miner Training, Education and Certification provided in article seven, chapter twenty-two-a of this code; and
(C) Mine Inspectors' Examining Board provided in article nine, chapter twenty-two-a of this code;
(3) The West Virginia Development Office, which includes the Division of Tourism and the Tourism Commission, provided in article two, chapter five-b of this code;
(4) Division of Natural Resources and Natural Resources Commission provided in article one, chapter twenty of this code;
(5) Division of Forestry provided in article one-a, chapter nineteen of this code;
(6) Geological and Economic Survey provided in article two, chapter twenty-nine of this code; and
(7) The Bureau of Employment Programs Workforce West Virginia provided in chapter twenty-one-a of this code, which includes:
(A) Division of Unemployment Compensation;
(B) Division of Employment Service;
(C) Division of Workforce Development; and
(D) Division of Administration and Research; and
(8) Division of Energy provided in article one, chapter five-h of this code.
ARTICLE 2B. WEST VIRGINIA WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT.
§5B-2B-6. Administration of council.
(a) The West Virginia Development Office Workforce West Virginia shall provide administrative and other services to the council as the council requires.
(b) The West Virginia Development Office Workforce West Virginia shall facilitate the coordination of council activities and local workforce investment activities, including holding meetings with the executive directors of each local workforce investment board at least monthly. Any executive director of a local workforce investment board who participates in a meeting held pursuant to this subsection shall report to his or her board and the county commission of each county represented by the board regarding the meeting.
(c) The Development Office Workforce West Virginia shall make an annual report on or before the first day of October to the legislative oversight commission detailing the status of one-stop system operations in the state. The Development Office Workforce West Virginia shall include with the report all memoranda of understanding entered into by the one-stop partners and local workforce investment boards. Each local workforce investment board shall report annually to the Development Office Workforce West Virginia on or before the first day of September on the status of one-stop centers within the region they represent, attaching all memoranda of understanding entered into with one-stop partners.
§5B-2B-9. Coordination between agencies providing workforce investment programs, local workforce investment boards and the Executive Director of Workforce West Virginia.

(a) To provide ongoing attention to addressing issues that will build and continually improve the overall workforce investment system, the Workforce Investment Interagency Collaborative Team is hereby created. The team shall be the single state interagency source for addressing issues or concerns related to building and maintaining the most effective and efficient implementation of the federal Workforce Investment Act and the overall workforce development system in West Virginia. The team shall focus on how best to collaborate between and among the state agencies directly involved in workforce investment activities and shall develop a strategic plan to that end. The team shall serve as a forum for the council to seek information or recommendations in furtherance of its responsibilities under this article. The West Virginia Development Office Workforce West Virginia is the entity which shall convene the team at least monthly and shall provide administrative and other services to the team as the team requires.
(b) The team shall consist of members from each agency subject to the reporting provisions of section five of this article. Each agency shall appoint two representatives to the team consisting of the chief official of the department or division and the official within that department or division who is directly responsible for overseeing the workforce investment program or activities at the state level. A designee may be selected to represent a member appointed to the team: Provided, That the designee has policy-making decision authority regarding workforce investment activities including program and fiscal issues. The team members have authority to make decisions on behalf of the agency at the level required for the team to address issues and advance system improvements.
(c) The team shall coordinate the development of a self-sufficiency standard study for the State of West Virginia. The self-sufficiency standard is to measure how much income is needed for a household of a given composition in a given place to adequately meet its basic needs without public or private assistance. Beginning on the first day of November, two thousand four, and every two years thereafter, this study is to be reported to the Speaker of the House of Delegates, the President of the Senate, the Workforce Investment Council and the Legislative Oversight Commission on Workforce Investment for Economic Development.
(d) Beginning the first day of January, two thousand three, in order to lawfully continue any workforce investment activities, any agency subject to the reporting provisions of section five of this article shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Executive Director of the West Virginia Development Office Workforce West Virginia and any local workforce investment board representing an area of this state in which the agency is engaged in workforce investment activities. To the extent permitted by federal law, the agreements are to maximize coordination of workforce investment activities and eliminate duplication of services on both state and local levels.
(e) No memorandum of understanding may be effective for more than one year without annual reaffirmation by the parties.
(f) Any state agency entering a memorandum of understanding shall deliver a copy thereof to both the West Virginia Workforce Investment Council and the legislative oversight commission.
CHAPTER 5F. REORGANIZATION OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF STATE GOVERNMENT.

ARTICLE 2. TRANSFER OF AGENCIES AND BOARDS.
§5F-2-1. Transfer and incorporation of agencies and boards; funds.
(a) The following agencies and boards, including all of the allied, advisory, affiliated or related entities and funds associated with any agency or board, are incorporated in and administered as a part of the Department of Administration:
(1) Building Commission provided in article six, chapter five of this code;
(2) Public Employees Insurance Agency and Public Employees Insurance Agency Advisory Board provided in article sixteen, chapter five of this code;
(3) Governor's Mansion Advisory Committee provided for in article five, chapter five-a of this code;
(4) Commission on Uniform State Laws provided in article one- a, chapter twenty-nine of this code;
(5) Education and State Employees Grievance Board provided for in article twenty-nine, chapter eighteen of this code and article six-a, chapter twenty-nine of this code;
(6) Board of Risk and Insurance Management provided for in article twelve, chapter twenty-nine of this code;
(7) Boundary Commission provided in article twenty-three, chapter twenty-nine of this code;
(8) Public Defender Services provided in article twenty-one, chapter twenty-nine of this code;
(9) Division of Personnel provided in article six, chapter twenty-nine of this code;
(10) The West Virginia Ethics Commission provided in article two, chapter six-b of this code; and
(11) Consolidated Public Retirement Board provided in article ten-d, chapter five of this code.
(b) The following agencies and boards, including all of the allied, advisory, affiliated or related entities and funds associated with any agency or board, are incorporated in and administered as a part of the Department of Commerce:
(1) Division of Labor provided in article one, chapter twenty-one of this code, which includes:
(A) Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission provided in article three-a, chapter twenty-one of this code; and
(B) Board of Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety provided in article nine, chapter twenty-one of this code;
(2) Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training provided in article one, chapter twenty-two-a of this code. The following boards are transferred to the Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training for purposes of administrative support and liaison with the office of the Governor:
(A) Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety and Coal Mine Safety and Technical Review Committee provided in article six, chapter twenty-two-a of this code;
(B) Board of Miner Training, Education and Certification provided in article seven, chapter twenty-two-a of this code; and
(C) Mine Inspectors' Examining Board provided in article nine, chapter twenty-two-a of this code;
(3) The West Virginia Development Office, which includes the Division of Tourism and the Tourism Commission provided in article two, chapter five-b of this code;
(4) Division of Natural Resources and Natural Resources Commission provided in article one, chapter twenty of this code;
(5) Division of Forestry provided in article one-a, chapter nineteen of this code;
(6) Geological and Economic Survey provided in article two, chapter twenty-nine of this code; and
(7) The Bureau of Employment Programs Workforce West Virginia provided in chapter twenty-one-a of this code, which includes:
(A) Division of Unemployment Compensation;
(B) Division of Employment Service;
(C) Division of Workforce Development; and
(D) Division of Administration and Research; and
(8) Division of Energy provided in article one, chapter five-h of this code.
(c) The Economic Development Authority provided in article fifteen, chapter thirty-one of this code is continued as an independent agency within the executive branch.
(d) The Water Development Authority and Board provided in article one, chapter twenty-two-c of this code is continued as an independent agency within the executive branch.
(e) Workers' Compensation Commission provided in article one, chapter twenty-three of this code is continued as an independent agency within the executive branch.
(f) The following agencies and boards, including all of the allied, advisory and affiliated entities, are transferred to the Department of Environmental Protection for purposes of administrative support and liaison with the office of the Governor:
(1) Air Quality Board provided in article two, chapter twenty- two-b of this code;
(2) Solid Waste Management Board provided in article three, chapter twenty-two-c of this code;
(3) Environmental Quality Board, or its successor board, provided in article three, chapter twenty-two-b of this code;
(4) Surface Mine Board provided in article four, chapter twenty-two-b of this code;
(5) Oil and Gas Inspectors' Examining Board provided in article seven, chapter twenty-two-c of this code;
(6) Shallow Gas Well Review Board provided in article eight, chapter twenty-two-c of this code; and
(7) Oil and Gas Conservation Commission provided in article nine, chapter twenty-two-c of this code.
(g) The following agencies and boards, including all of the allied, advisory, affiliated or related entities and funds associated with any agency or board, are incorporated in and administered as a part of the Department of Education and the Arts:
(1) Library Commission provided in article one, chapter ten of this code;
(2) Educational Broadcasting Authority provided in article five, chapter ten of this code;
(3) Division of Culture and History provided in article one, chapter twenty-nine of this code;
(4) Division of Rehabilitation Services provided in section two, article ten-a, chapter eighteen of this code.
(h) The following agencies and boards, including all of the allied, advisory, affiliated or related entities and funds associated with any agency or board, are incorporated in and administered as a part of the Department of Health and Human Resources:
(1) Human Rights Commission provided in article eleven, chapter five of this code;
(2) Division of Human Services provided in article two, chapter nine of this code;
(3) Bureau for Public Health provided in article one, chapter sixteen of this code;
(4) Office of Emergency Medical Services and Advisory Council provided in article four-c, chapter sixteen of this code;
(5) Health Care Authority provided in article twenty-nine-b, chapter sixteen of this code;
(6) Commission on Mental Retardation provided in article fifteen, chapter twenty-nine of this code;
(7) Women's Commission provided in article twenty, chapter twenty-nine of this code; and
(8) The Child Support Enforcement Division provided in chapter forty-eight of this code.
(i) The following agencies and boards, including all of the allied, advisory, affiliated or related entities and funds associated with any agency or board, are incorporated in and administered as a part of the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety:
(1) Adjutant General's Department provided in article one-a, chapter fifteen of this code;
(2) Armory Board provided in article six, chapter fifteen of this code;
(3) Military Awards Board provided in article one-g, chapter fifteen of this code;
(4) West Virginia State Police provided in article two, chapter fifteen of this code;
(5) Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and Disaster Recovery Board provided in article five, chapter fifteen of this code and Emergency Response Commission provided in article five-a of said chapter;
(6) Sheriffs' Bureau provided in article eight, chapter fifteen of this code;
(7) Division of Corrections provided in chapter twenty-five of this code;
(8) Fire Commission provided in article three, chapter twenty-nine of this code;
(9) Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority provided in article twenty, chapter thirty-one of this code;
(10) Board of Probation and Parole provided in article twelve, chapter sixty-two of this code; and
(11) Division of Veterans' Affairs and Veterans' Council provided in article one, chapter nine-a of this code.
(j) The following agencies and boards, including all of the allied, advisory, affiliated or related entities and funds associated with any agency or board, are incorporated in and administered as a part of the Department of Revenue:
(1) Tax Division provided in article one, chapter eleven of this code;
(2) Racing Commission provided in article twenty-three, chapter nineteen of this code;
(3) Lottery Commission and position of Lottery Director provided in article twenty-two, chapter twenty-nine of this code;
(4) Agency of Insurance Commissioner provided in article two, chapter thirty-three of this code;
(5) Office of Alcohol Beverage Control Commissioner provided in article sixteen, chapter eleven of this code and article two, chapter sixty of this code;
(6) Board of Banking and Financial Institutions provided in article three, chapter thirty-one-a of this code;
(7) Lending and Credit Rate Board provided in chapter forty-seven-a of this code;
(8) Division of Banking provided in article two, chapter thirty-one-a of this code;
(9) The State Budget Office provided in article two of this chapter;
(10) The Municipal Bond Commission provided in article three, chapter thirteen of this code;
(11) The Office of Tax Appeals provided in article ten-a, chapter eleven of this code; and
(12) The State Athletic Commission provided in article five-a, chapter twenty-nine of this code.
(k) The following agencies and boards, including all of the allied, advisory, affiliated or related entities and funds associated with any agency or board, are incorporated in and administered as a part of the Department of Transportation:
(1) Division of Highways provided in article two-a, chapter seventeen of this code;
(2) Parkways, Economic Development and Tourism Authority provided in article sixteen-a, chapter seventeen of this code;
(3) Division of Motor Vehicles provided in article two, chapter seventeen-a of this code;
(4) Driver's Licensing Advisory Board provided in article two, chapter seventeen-b of this code;
(5) Aeronautics Commission provided in article two-a, chapter twenty-nine of this code;
(6) State Rail Authority provided in article eighteen, chapter twenty-nine of this code; and
(7) Port Authority provided in article sixteen-b, chapter seventeen of this code.
(l) Except for powers, authority and duties that have been delegated to the secretaries of the departments by the provisions of section two of this article, the position of administrator and the powers, authority and duties of each administrator and agency are not affected by the enactment of this chapter.
(m) Except for powers, authority and duties that have been delegated to the secretaries of the departments by the provisions of section two of this article, the existence, powers, authority and duties of boards and the membership, terms and qualifications of members of the boards are not affected by the enactment of this chapter. All boards that are appellate bodies or are independent decision makers shall not have their appellate or independent decision-making status affected by the enactment of this chapter.
(n) Any department previously transferred to and incorporated in a department by prior enactment of this section means a division of the appropriate department. Wherever reference is made to any department transferred to and incorporated in a department created in section two, article one of this chapter, the reference means a division of the appropriate department and any reference to a division of a department so transferred and incorporated means a section of the appropriate division of the department.
(o) When an agency, board or commission is transferred under a bureau or agency other than a department headed by a secretary pursuant to this section, that transfer is solely for purposes of administrative support and liaison with the office of the Governor, a department secretary or a bureau. Nothing in this section extends the powers of department secretaries under section two of this article to any person other than a department secretary and nothing limits or abridges the statutory powers and duties of statutory commissioners or officers pursuant to this code.
CHAPTER 21A. UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION.

ARTICLE 1. UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION.
§21A-1-4. Workforce West Virginia created; divisions within Workforce West Virginia created; certain terms defined.

(a) There is continued an agency designated as the Bureau of Employment Programs Workforce West Virginia, composed of:
(1) a Division of Unemployment Compensation;
(2) a Division of Employment Service;
(3) Division of Workforce Development;
(4) a Division of job training programs Administration and Research; and
(5) any Any other divisions or units that the commissioner executive director determines are necessary.
(b) Wherever within this chapter the term "department", "bureau" or "fund" is used, it shall be taken to mean Bureau of Employment Programs Workforce West Virginia unless otherwise indicated. Any reference in this code to the Bureau of Employment Programs means Workforce West Virginia. Any reference in this code to the Commissioner of the Bureau of Employment Programs or Employment Security means the Executive Director of Workforce West Virginia.
(c) The bureau Workforce West Virginia shall be administered pursuant to subsection (b), section one, article two, chapter five-f of this code.

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(NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to change the agency name from the Bureau of Employment Programs to Workforce West Virginia. The bill also contains provisions revising the divisional structure within the agency and providing that Workforce West Virginia shall provide administrative and other services to the West Virginia Workforce Investment Council.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.)