1|ENGROSSED SENATE | |BILL NO. 662 By: Pugh of the Senate | 2| | | and | 3| | | Hill of the House | 4| | | | 5| | | | 6| An Act relating to workforce development; amending | | Section 5, Chapter 361, O.S.L. 2023 (40 O.S. Supp. | 7| 2024, Section 904), which relates to the powers, | | duties, and responsibilities of the Oklahoma | 8| Workforce Commission; expanding duties; authorizing | | the Commission to implement certain programs to | 9| address certain needs; allowing Commission to utilize | | certain funds; providing for promulgation of rules; | 10| updating statutory references; updating statutory | | language; providing for codification; and providing | 11| an effective date. | | | 12| | | | 13| | | | 14|BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: | | | 15| SECTION 1. AMENDATORY Section 5, Chapter 361, O.S.L. | | | 16|2023 (40 O.S. Supp. 2024, Section 904), is amended to read as | | | 17|follows: | | | 18| Section 904. The Oklahoma Workforce Commission shall have the | | | 19|following powers, duties, and responsibilities: | | | 20| 1. To administer the provisions ofthis actthe Oklahoma | | | 21|Workforce Transformation Act or any duty as directed by statute; | | | 22| 2. To establish an office for the Commission within this state; | | | 23| 3. To elect whatever other officers may be necessary to direct | | | 24|operations of the Commission; | | | Page 1 ___________________________________________________________________________
1| 4. To employ or contract for personnel and administrative | | | 2|support as the Commission deems appropriate to carry out the purpose | | | 3|and provisions ofthis actthe Oklahoma Workforce Transformation | | | 4|Act, including, but not limited to, a nonprofit corporation to carry | | | 5|out the Commission's objectives, anExecutive Directorexecutive | | | 6|director or other chief executive officer, and any other employees | | | 7|or contractors the Commission deems appropriate, and to prescribe | | | 8|their duties and fix their compensation; | | | 9| 5. To administer the Workforce Coordination Revolving Fund | | | 10|created in Section 255.4 of Title 62 of the Oklahoma Statutes; | | | 11| 6. To approve or disapprove the budget of the Commission; | | | 12| 7. To promulgate rules to carry out the provisions ofthis act| | | 13|the Oklahoma Workforce Transformation Act; | | | 14| 8. To enter into contracts or agreements for studies, | | | 15|professional services, grant administration and procurement, | | | 16|research projects, supplies, or any other services the Commission | | | 17|deems necessary to carry out its purpose, and to incur those | | | 18|expenses necessary to carry out those purposes; | | | 19| 9. To cooperate with any private, local, state, or national | | | 20|commission, organization, agency, or group and to make contracts and | | | 21|agreements for joint programs beneficial to Oklahoma's workforce | | | 22|development efforts; | | | 23| 10. To accept donations, grants, contributions, and gifts from | | | 24|any public or private source and deposit such in the Workforce | | | Page 2 ___________________________________________________________________________
1|Coordination Revolving Fund, created in Section 255.4 of Title 62 of |
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2|the Oklahoma Statutes; |
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3| 11. To oversee and direct to the extent permitted by law the |
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4|activities and administration of the Governor's Council for |
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5|Workforce and Economic Development, including, but not limited to, |
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6|the creation and submission of state plans to the federal government |
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7|pursuant to the provisions of the Workforce Innovation and |
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8|Opportunity Act; |
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9| 12. To collect data from federal, state, and local agencies, |
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10|departments, educational institutions, boards, commissions, or any |
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11|other entities including, but not limited to: |
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12| a. number of participants in workforce development |
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13| programming, |
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14| b. cost per participant, |
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15| c. wages before and after participation in programs, |
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16| d. degree or certificate conferred on each participant, |
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17| e. number of jobs open needing degrees or certificates, |
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18| f. labor force and economic information, and |
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19| g. any other information the Commission deems |
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20| appropriate to guide funding decisions, facilitate its |
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21| work or the work of workforce development entities in |
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22| the state, or to understand the impact of the state's |
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23| workforce efforts and programming; |
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1| 13. To create and maintain a public dashboard and create | | | 2|reports with data concerning workforce development efforts in the | | | 3|state. All state and local agencies, departments, educational | | | 4|institutions, boards, commissions, and other public entities shall | | | 5|cooperate with information and data requests from the Commission or | | | 6|its designees. It is the intent of the Legislature that the | | | 7|Oklahoma Workforce Commission serve as the centralized data and | | | 8|information repository for workforce development activities for the | | | 9|state;and| | | 10| 14. To make recommendations to the Legislature to improve | | | 11|workforce development programs in the state; and | | | 12| 15. To implement programs designed to expand workforce | | | 13|development. | | | 14| SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified | | | 15|in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 905 of Title 40, unless there is | | | 16|created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: | | | 17| A. Pursuant to the provisions of Section 904 of Title 40 of the | | | 18|Oklahoma Statutes, the Oklahoma Workforce Commission shall implement | | | 19|programs in this state to address the following: | | | 20| 1. High demand and critical occupation workforce development, | | | 21|which may: | | | 22| a. identify the needs of institutions of higher | | | 23| education suited for certain critical workforce areas, | | | 24| b. identify outcomes based on funding, | | | Page 4 ___________________________________________________________________________
1| c. scholarship match, and |
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2| d. improve program capacity development; |
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3| 2. Work-based learning opportunities, which may include, but |
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4|not be limited to, internships, apprenticeships, and other career |
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5|exploration and exposure; and |
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6| 3. K-12 district innovation for workforce success, which may: |
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7| a. enhance pathway development, |
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8| b. utilize development grants for basic skills |
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9| development, |
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10| c. utilize regulatory innovation grants, and |
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11| d. develop career-connected high schools. |
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12| B. The Commission may administer these programs through funds |
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13|in the Workforce Coordination Revolving Fund created in Section |
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14|255.4 of Title 62 of the Oklahoma Statutes. |
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15| C. The Commission shall promulgate rules necessary to implement |
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16|the provisions of this section. |
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17| SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025. |
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18| Passed the Senate the 10th day of March, 2025. |
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| Presiding Officer of the Senate |
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22| Passed the House of Representatives the ____ day of __________, |
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23|2025. |
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