Senate introduces workforce bill

On Tuesday, the Iowa Senate introduced Senate Study Bill 3176, legislation that would do three things:

1.  Reorganize the Iowa Workforce Development Board to add additional state agency members and establish requirements for local workforce boards.
2.  Allow federal Reed Act dollars to go toward administrative and technological upgrades at IWD.
3.  Use federal Reed Act funding to restore the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund of losses resulting from the benefits overpayments in the spring 2014.

SSB3176 is intended to implement the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), a federal law passed in 2014 on a bipartisan basis. WIOA modernizes and streamlines the outdated Workforce Investment Act (WIA). This nearly $3 billion federal program funds state and local workforce initiatives and provides a comprehensive menu of job training services for adults and youth. The WIOA also spells out specific makeup of the workforce governing boards in each state with deadlines to comply. 

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