GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1991

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 459*

Short Title:  Employment and Training Program.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Representatives Rogers; and Bowman.
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Referred to:  Appropriations.
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April 1, 1991

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FOR THE NORTH CAROLINA EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING PROGRAM.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  Appropriation.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Economic and Community Development, Division of Employment and Training, the sum of $11,520,000 for the 1991-92 fiscal year and the sum of $17,280,000 for the 1992-93 fiscal year to develop the North Carolina Employment and Training Program as provided in this act.  Funds appropriated to the Department for this purpose shall not revert at the end of the fiscal year but shall remain available until spent as provided in this act.
Sec. 2.  Grant Program.  The Division of Employment and Training shall use the funds appropriated in this act to make grants to agencies operating on behalf of Private Industry Council serving Job Training Partnership Act Service Delivery Areas.  These agencies shall assess existing resources, identify local needs, develop local goals, select training occupations, and design a local program.  The Division of Employment and Training shall approve plans for use of grant funds in advance and shall monitor the use of grant funds by local agencies.  A State-administered program of performance standards will be used to measure program outcomes.
Sec. 3.  Use of Grant Funds.  Local agencies may use funds received pursuant to this act only to upgrade the foundation of basic skills of the adult population and the existing work force in North Carolina.  The services that may be provided include those participant programs currently available under the federal Job Training Partnership Act that are appropriate for adults.  Services that may be provided include on-the-job training; work experience; adult basic education; skill training, upgrading, and retraining; counseling and screening for job placement; service corps; and related support services.  Local agencies may use grant funds to provide services only to individuals who are 18 years of age or older and who either (i) meet the current Federal Job Training Partnership Act definition of "economically disadvantaged" or (ii) meet the current definition for eligibility under Title III of the Federal Job Training Partnership Act.  Local agencies may use no more than five percent (5%) of grant funds received for core administrative costs.
Sec. 4.  Allocation of Grants.  The Division of Employment and Training shall allocate grants to J.T.P.A. service delivery areas based on the following formula:
(1)	One half of the funds shall be allocated on the basis of the relative excess number of unemployed individuals residing in each county as compared to the total excess number of unemployed individuals in all counties in the State.
	"Excess number of unemployed"is defined as the number of unemployed individuals in excess of four and one-half percent (4.5%) of the civilian labor force in each county or the number of unemployed individuals in excess of four and one-half percent (4.5%) of the civilian labor force in each census tract within the county.  The following methodology is used to determine the excess number of unemployed:
–For counties classified as having excess unemployment, the excess number of unemployed is determined by subtracting four and one-half percent (4.5%) of the civilian labor force from the number of unemployed individuals within the county.  The difference equals the number of excess unemployed.
–In situations where the entire county is not classified as having excess unemployment, the excess number of unemployed is determined by census tract unemployment within the county.  Census tract data is used to determine which subcounty areas qualify as areas of excess unemployment.  In those subcounty areas classified as having excess unemployment (census tracts with four and one-half percent (4.5%) or higher unemployment rates), four and one-half percent (4.5%) of the census tract labor force is subtracted from the number of unemployed individuals within the area of excess unemployment.  The subcounty figures of excess number of unemployed within the county are then added together to determine the total excess number of unemployed within the county.
(2)	One half of the funds shall be allocated on the basis of the relative number of economically disadvantaged individuals within each county compared to the total number of economically disadvantaged individuals in the State.  To determine the number of economically disadvantaged individuals within each country, data from the most recent federal decennial census will be used.
Sec. 5.  Reports, Coordination.  The Department of Economic and Community Development shall report quarterly to the Governor and to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate on the North Carolina Employment and Training Program.  The Department shall also provide a copy of these quarterly reports to the State Job Training Coordinating Council.  The Council shall advise the Department on the merger of the funds provided in this act with other employment and training funds to develop comprehensive work-force preparedness initiatives for the State.
Sec. 6.  Effective Date.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1991.