This bill focuses on enhancing workforce training, unemployment insurance, and adult education in Iowa by making several key amendments. It adds the RefugeeRISE AmeriCorps program to the list of Iowa national service corps programs and removes certain employment safety and labor standards duties from the Department of Workforce Development. The bill also establishes standing committees within the Workforce Development Board, repeals outdated programs like the Iowa conservation corps, and transfers the responsibility for compiling annual workforce training reports from the Department to the College Student Aid Commission. Additionally, it modifies the definition of taxable wages for unemployment insurance by excluding wages paid to employees from other states and mandates that employers contribute to the unemployment compensation fund only when reciprocity is extended by another state.

In terms of educational initiatives, the bill revises the Iowa student internship program by eliminating financial assistance for connecting students with small and medium-sized firms while maintaining support for STEM internships. It allocates $1,039,425 from the general fund to enhance the Iowa student internship fund, aiming to increase the availability of skilled workers in innovative businesses. Furthermore, the bill revises responsibilities for adult education and literacy programs by removing the requirement for community colleges to set standards, thereby assigning these duties solely to the Department of Workforce Development. Overall, the legislation seeks to modernize and improve the efficiency of Iowa's workforce development programs.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 15H.9, 15H.5, 84A.1A, 84A.1B, 84A.3, 84A.5, 84A.6, 97B.1A, 256.228, 256.229, 84A.7, 84A.21, 12C.7, 84A.19