House orders third reading of H.34 to clarify state workforce leadership roles

The Vermont House ordered a third reading of H.34, a bill that defines the roles of the Commissioner of Labor and the executive director of the Office of Workforce Strategy and Development and requires the two officials to coordinate the state workforce system. The committee that considered the bill recommended it ought to pass.

The bill “clearly defines the difference in the job of the Commissioner of Labor and the executive director of the Office of Workforce Strategy and Development while requiring them to work together to lead workforce education and employment and training in Vermont,” Representative Groening, member from Jericho, told the chamber during the bill's committee report. "Section 1, 10 BSA 5 40 is amended to define that the co leaders of workforce education, employment and training in Vermont are the commissioner of labor and the executive director of the office of workforce strategy and development."

Groening described the division of duties the bill lays out: the Commissioner of Labor would continue responsibilities tied to the Federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, coordination and administration of Department of Labor workforce education and training programs, business-support programs to reduce layoffs and closures, establishment of job centers across the state, and maintaining an electronic job board. He said the executive director, as a governor's cabinet member, would ensure an integrated public-private system, develop a comprehensive workforce strategy, oversee the state workforce development board, and issue a biannual comprehensive workforce report.

"The executive director shall issue a comprehensive workforce report biannually that includes not only an evaluation of the accomplishments of the state workforce system, but also looks to the priorities for future workforce development and to where investments are necessary," Groening said.

On the floor, the member from Coventry reported implementation steps the Legislature and state agencies have already taken: "we do have that new executive director on board already. We didn't really expect it, expect someone to be on board yet. But they were hired in the January and have hit the ground running," the member from Coventry said. The Coventry member also said the prior state Workforce Development Board of about 63 members had been reduced to 27 and reconstituted, although "the board hasn't had their first meeting yet."

Groening told members the bill takes effect July 1, 2025. He also listed persons and organizations who testified or provided input to the committee, including the Executive Director of Advance Vermont; the Executive Director of the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation; the Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Labor; the executive director of workforce strategy and development; the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund; the Vermont Chamber of Commerce; the Vermont Ski Areas Association; the Department of Labor's director of workforce development and deputy commissioner; legislative council; and a senator from Woodstock.

After the committee report and the Coventry member's remarks, members were asked, "Shall the bill be read a third time?" Members answered in the affirmative by voice vote; the clerk announced the ayes appeared to have it and "third reading is ordered." The floor record shows a voice vote with no roll call recorded.

The bill as described in committee would remain subject to the full-floor third-reading process and any subsequent votes or amendments on third reading. The committee report said the bill was developed by the Special Oversight Committee of Workforce Expansion and Development with participation from legislators, the commissioner of labor, the governor's policy director, legislative council and workforce stakeholders.

Votes at the time recorded on the floor were by voice; no named roll-call tally was captured in the transcript.