Chief Counsel Kimani Armstrong briefed the panel on SB 1321 and what the agency will need to implement in the months ahead. Armstrong said the bill amends sections of the Employment Training Panel’s enabling statute in the Unemployment Insurance Code and directs staff to prioritize projects that develop skills for new technologies and those demonstrating career ladders and wage progression.

Armstrong outlined several regulatory changes applicants must expect, including a requirement that proposals include attestations of compliance with applicable state and federal labor and health and safety laws and new disclosure requirements when applicants have unresolved labor‑law determinations. She told the panel staff will develop guidance to align the panel’s review with statutory definitions of “high‑road” jobs and “career ladders” and will engage stakeholders in drafting implementation details.

Panel members asked for additional stakeholder engagement and policy committee review to ensure consistent application of the new priorities. Staff said some provisions—including publicly available lists of applicants and attestation processes—will require operational guidance and updates to application systems before the bill’s effective date in early 2025.