Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Career Technical Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bill to add labor, business, SWIB representatives to Perkins planning committee wins support and prompts technical talks
Summary
House Bill 823 would add State Workforce Innovation Board, business and organized labor representatives to the Perkins state-plan committee and require quarterly stakeholder meetings; proponents said it will improve coordination of roughly $27 million in federal workforce funds, while OPI and OCHE sought technical fixes and balance between education and industry voices.
Rep. Brad Barker described House Bill 823 as a straightforward effort to improve collaboration among education, workforce and industry partners charged with drafting the Perkins state plan for career and technical education. The sponsor said the bill adds three stakeholders — a SWIB representative, a business representative and an organized labor representative — and provides for four annual collaborative meetings required under existing statute.
Commissioner Sarah Swanson (Department of Labor and Industry) told the committee Montana receives roughly $27 million annually in federal workforce funding across WIOA, TANF and Perkins programs and that better coordination would maximize return on those dollars. Swanson said the bill does not reassign funding or program administration but instead seeks to ensure the appropriate stakeholders are invited and meetings are facilitated.
Labor, trade and business groups including the Montana AFL-CIO, IBEW and building trades testified in favor, noting apprenticeship and union-run joint-training programs and urging that those voices be at the table when Perkins funding and program design are discussed. OCHE and OPI raised technical and representational concerns; OCHE described previous consultative processes and said it attends SWIB meetings but does not have a formal seat, while OPI asked for protections to ensure adequate educator representation and suggested technical amendments.
Committee members and stakeholders said they expected to resolve outstanding technical language promptly and the sponsor committed to pursue an amendment for the floor, with the committee moving the bill to the House calendar. The committee also noted the short timeline and agreed to coordinate drafting and floor amendment work.
What’s next: Committee advanced HB 823 to the House floor and stakeholders signaled readiness to negotiate a short technical amendment before second reading or on the floor.
