1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024)
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3 HOUSE BILL 3597 By: Hill
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to state government; amending 74 O.S.
7 2021, Sections 5003.10d and 5003.10e, which relate to
8 the Governor's Council for Workforce and Economic
8 Development; modifying reimbursement of travel
9 expenses; modifying coordination of the Council
9 activities; and providing an effective date.
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13 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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14 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 74 O.S. 2021, Section 5003.10d, is
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15 amended to read as follows:
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16 Section 5003.10d A. The Governor's Council for Workforce and
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17 Economic Development established under the authority of Executive
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18 Order 2005-27 is hereby recognized by the Legislature as the State's
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19 Workforce Investment Board. The Council succeeded and was
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20 established in lieu of the Oklahoma Workforce Investment Board.
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21 Appointed members of the Council serving under the authority of
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22 Executive Order 2005-27 when this act becomes effective shall
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23 continue to serve until their terms have expired and their
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24 successors have been duly appointed.
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 1 Pursuant to the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act,
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2 the purpose of the Council shall be to:
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3 1. Guide the development of a comprehensive and coordinated
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4 workforce development system for the state and monitor its
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5 operation; and
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6 2. Review and make recommendations that will align the
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7 workforce system, including education, with the economic development
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8 goals of the state for the purpose of creating workforce and
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9 economic development systems that are integrated and shall provide
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10 Oklahoma a competitive advantage in a global economy.
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11 B. Membership of the Council shall include representatives of
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12 private employers who reflect Oklahoma's projected and desired
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13 business and industry base and public officials from agencies which
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14 provide programs and services related to workforce, education and
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15 economic development. All Council members shall be in positions to
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16 influence policy and hiring decisions within their organizations.
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17 Initial appointments to the Council shall conform to the following
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18 described schedule:
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19 1. The membership of the Council shall comply with the federal
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20 requirements of the state investment board;
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21 2. A majority of the Council shall come from described private
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22 sector employers, including owners of businesses, chief executives
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23 or operating officers of businesses or other business executives or
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24 employees with optimum policymaking or hiring authority, and who
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Req. No. 8865 Page 2
 1 represent businesses, including small businesses, that provide
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2 employment opportunities that, at a minimum, include high-quality,
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3 work-relevant training and development in in-demand industry sectors
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4 or occupations in this state;
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5 3. State officials shall include incumbents or designees of the
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6 following named offices, or their successors in office or function:
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7 a. Governor,
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8 b. two members of the Oklahoma Senate, appointed by the
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9 President Pro Tempore,
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10 c. two members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives,
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11 appointed by the Speaker,
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12 d. Executive Director of the Oklahoma Department of
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13 Commerce, and
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14 e. Executive Director of the Oklahoma Employment Security
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15 Commission;
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16 4. Additional members, at the discretion and pleasure of the
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17 Governor, may be appointed representing the needs or interests of
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18 the state economy or specific regional needs; and
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19 5. Ex-officio members, at the discretion and pleasure of the
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20 Governor, may be included to provide expertise and agency
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21 information to the Council. These appointments may include, but not
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22 be limited to:
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23 a. the Secretary of Education,
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24 b. the Secretary of Health and Human Services,
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 1 c. the Secretary of Commerce,
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2 d. the Chancellor of the Oklahoma State Regents for
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3 Higher Education,
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4 e. the Director of Career and Technology Education,
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5 f. the State Superintendent of Public Instruction,
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6 g. the Director of the State Department of Rehabilitation
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7 Services,
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8 h. the Director of the Oklahoma Department of
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9 Corrections,
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10 i. the Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental
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11 Health and Substance Abuse Services,
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12 j. the Director of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority,
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13 and
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14 k. the Native American Liaison.
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15 C. Private sector members shall be appointed by and serve at
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16 the pleasure of the Governor for a two-year term beginning October
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17 1, 2005, and may be reappointed. However, of the initial private
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18 sector members appointed, half shall be appointed for an initial
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19 term of one (1) year beginning October 1, 2005. Private members may
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20 be removed from office for failure to attend three consecutive
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21 Council meetings. The chair of the Council shall be from the
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22 private sector and shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure
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23 of the Governor.
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 1 D. The Council shall meet at such times and places as it deems
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2 appropriate. Members shall serve without compensation. Council
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3 members employed by a state agency shall be reimbursed travel
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4 expenses related to their service on the Council as authorized by
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5 state law by their respective state agency. Legislative members of
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6 the Council shall be reimbursed by their respective houses for
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7 necessary travel expenses incurred in the performance of their
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8 duties as authorized by state law. Remaining Council members shall
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9 also be reimbursed travel expenses related to their service on the
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10 Council by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce Employment Security
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11 Commission as authorized by state law. No member of the Council
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12 shall profit, directly or indirectly, from any transaction with the
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13 Council.
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14 E. The duties and responsibilities of the Council in the
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15 development, monitoring and aligning of the workforce system with
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16 economic development shall include, but not be limited to:
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17 1. Performing the duties required of the state governance board
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18 by the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act;
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19 2. Identifying the human resource investment needs of Oklahoma
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20 business and industry, together with those of the citizens of the
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21 state, so that each might respond to and meet the needs of the
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22 others and thus together build a robust, diversified economy;
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23 3. Reviewing and evaluating workforce development programs
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24 within the state, formulate recommendations to increase their
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 1 efficiency and effectiveness, eliminate duplication, and align with
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2 economic goals. Recommendations shall be communicated to the
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3 Governor, Legislature, state and federal government agencies and
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4 appropriate individuals and entities within the private sector;
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5 4. Increasing academic capability and technical skills within
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6 the state workforce and foster lifelong learning among Oklahoma's
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7 citizens;
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8 5. Strengthening collaboration among institutions which provide
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9 education and training services, government agencies which
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10 coordinate employment and other human resource investment
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11 activities, and Oklahoma business and industry to create a seamless
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12 system to nurture healthy economic development; and
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13 6. Enhancing rural economic development capability and
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14 capacity, giving particular attention to regional collaboration and
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15 partnering.
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16 F. Activities of the Council shall be coordinated by the
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17 Secretary of Commerce and directed by the Deputy Secretary of
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18 Commerce for Workforce Development, or their successors in office or
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19 function. Administrative and staffing support for the Council shall
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20 be coordinated by the Office of Workforce Solutions within the
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21 Department of Commerce Workforce Development.
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22 G. The State Workforce Partners originally established under
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23 the authority of Executive Order 2005-27 as the Workforce Solutions
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24 Staff Team is hereby recognized by the Legislature. This
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 1 interagency team shall be comprised of executive level staff from
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2 workforce, education and economic development agencies of the state
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3 for the purpose of providing staff support to the Council and to
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4 create efficiencies, eliminate duplication, and eliminate barriers
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5 to jointly providing a service delivery system. Other members may
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6 be included on this team as the Governor may deem necessary to
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7 accomplish this goal.
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8 H. The Council shall be supported by funds available to state
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9 agencies pursuant to state and federal laws and regulations. Each
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10 member of the Council whose agency qualifies pursuant to state and
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11 federal law to receive and use such funds shall assist by providing
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12 support and funding of the Council in carrying out the
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13 responsibilities of the Council.
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14 I. The Council shall form a subcommittee on health workforce
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15 whose purpose shall be to inform, coordinate, and facilitate
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16 statewide efforts to ensure that a well-trained, adequately
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17 distributed, and flexible health workforce is available to meet the
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18 needs of an efficient and effective health care system in Oklahoma.
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19 Duties of the Health Workforce Subcommittee shall include, but not
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20 be limited to, the following:
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21 1. Conducting data analysis and preparing reports on health
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22 workforce supply and demand;
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23 2. Research and analysis of state health professional education
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24 and training capacity;
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 1 3. Recommend recruitment and retention strategies for areas
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2 determined by the Oklahoma Primary Care Office or the Oklahoma
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3 Office of Rural Health to be areas of high need; and
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4 4. Assessment of health workforce policy, evaluation of impact
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5 on Oklahoma's health system and health outcomes, and developing
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6 health workforce policy recommendations.
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7 SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 74 O.S. 2021, Section 5003.10e, is
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8 amended to read as follows:
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9 Section 5003.10e A. There is hereby created the Work-based
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10 Learning Program. The Governor's Council on Workforce and Economic
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11 Development shall have authority over the program. The Governor's
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12 Council shall coordinate the program by establishing partnerships
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13 with the State Department of Education, the State Regents for Higher
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14 Education, the State Department of Career and Technology Education,
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15 the Oklahoma Board of Private Vocational Schools, the Secretary of
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16 State and business entities throughout the state. The Oklahoma
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17 Office of Workforce Development Oklahoma Employment Security
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18 Commission, serving as the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
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19 designee as established by the Governor in Executive Order 2023-21,
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20 shall have the official duty to develop and maintain a Work-based
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21 Learning Program within its jurisdiction to be focused and will
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22 collaborate, specifically related to registered apprenticeships,
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23 with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce in its focus on increasing
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24 the number of registered apprenticeships and internship programs,
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 1 defined as paid and unpaid work experience by the United States
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2 Department of Labor as contained in 20 CFR 681.600, in this state to
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3 at least an aggregate of twenty thousand positions by the end of the
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4 calendar year 2020. All partners participating in the Work-based
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5 Learning Program shall be required to provide their expertise, time
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6 and resources as deemed necessary to advance and sustain the work-
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7 based learning goals of Oklahoma Works to assist with publishing an
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8 annual progress report showing each state agency's steps and
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9 accomplishments toward meeting statewide workforce goals and to
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10 network and coordinate with other public and private entities in an
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11 effort to align all state agencies, boards and commissions and the
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12 private business sector in meeting Oklahoma Works goals.
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13 B. The Work-based Learning Program shall include the following
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14 components:
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15 1. Coordinate work-based learning opportunities through the
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16 state's labor market and labor exchange systems to connect youth and
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17 adults in public and private sectors;
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18 2. Work toward increasing the number of youth and adults
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19 participating successfully in public and private work-based learning
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20 opportunities;
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21 3. Set standards for equality and fair access to quality work-
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22 based learning experiences for all Oklahomans, including, but not
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23 limited to, women, out-of-school youth, adults, African Americans,
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24 Hispanics, Native Americans, veterans, individuals with disabilities
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 1 and other target populations identified in the federal Workforce
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2 Innovation and Opportunity Act;
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3 4. Promote quality work-based learning experiences which are
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4 developmentally appropriate, including an orientation for all
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5 parties, identify learning objectives for the term of the
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6 experience, explore multiple aspects of an industry, develop
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7 workplace skills and competencies, assess performance, provide
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8 opportunities for work-based reflection, link appropriate next steps
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9 and see that all aspects are documented and reported and comply with
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10 state and federal labor laws;
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11 5. Convene industry partners to develop industry-specific
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12 standards for internships in order to aid employers with the
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13 creation of rigorous internship programs; and
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14 6. Prioritize paid work-based learning experiences to ensure
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15 equity and access.
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16 C. Each organization seeking to be a registered Work-based
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17 Learning Program in Oklahoma shall either:
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18 1. Be registered as a Work-based Learning Program, such as an
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19 apprenticeship, with the United States Department of Labor; or
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20 2. File a certificate each year in the Office of the Secretary
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21 of State, which shall confirm such an organization is an active
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22 participant in Oklahoma's registered Work-based Learning Program.
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23 The certificate to be filed shall include:
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 1 a. the name of the business, nonprofit organization or
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2 government organization,
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3 b. the street address of the organization,
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4 c. the name of the primary contact for the organization,
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5 d. the electronic mail address for the primary contact of
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6 the registered organization,
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7 e. the registere