The proposed bill seeks to improve workforce development in West Virginia by establishing the West Virginia Micro-Credential Program, which will be overseen by the Secretary of the Department of Commerce. This program aims to validate skills gained through project-based and experiential learning, enabling students and employees to earn micro-credentials that can be shared with educational institutions and employers. Additionally, the bill expands tax credits for apprenticeship training programs and allows contributions to voluntary portable benefits plans without creating an employer-employee relationship. It also removes the requirement for military-trained applicants to pass a proficiency examination for professional licensure, streamlining their path to obtaining licenses.

Furthermore, the bill introduces provisions for voluntary portable benefits plans, granting independent contractors access to benefits like health insurance and retirement plans, while ensuring that contributions from hiring parties do not affect their employment classification. It modifies personal and corporate net income tax regulations to support these contributions, promoting financial stability for independent contractors. The legislation also empowers the Director of the Division of Labor to create legislative rules and mandates that licensing boards issue licenses to military-trained applicants who meet specific criteria, prohibiting proficiency exams unless there is substantial reason to doubt the applicant's qualifications. Additionally, military-trained applicants will not incur initial application fees for licenses, although they may still be responsible for third-party service charges.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 11-13W-1, 30-1B-2, 5B-1-11, 11-21-12o, 11-24-6d, 21-18-1, 21-18-2, 21-18-3, 21-18-4, 21-18-5