Committee hears House Bill 1628 to update statutes and move workforce division into higher education office

Representative Willard Haley opened a committee hearing on House Bill 1628 and described it as a statutory "cleanup" intended to remove outdated language and reflect an administrative reorganization. "It is a cleanup bill," Haley said, adding the measure updates statutes to show that workforce functions now sit in the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development rather than Economic Development.

The bill would replace references to the Division of Workforce Development with the Office of Workforce Development to reflect a merger that, according to testimony, took effect in 2019. "That merger happened in 2019," Leah Strid, director of external relations for the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, testified in support. She told the committee the bill removes two obsolete sunset provisions and otherwise makes technical, noncontroversial changes.

Several members asked for clarification. Representative Valen stated that the measure would have "absolutely no fiscal impact" and no structural or personal impacts on departments or agencies. Representative Haley noted the bill has a recent legislative history: it was voted out of committee 13-0 last year and recorded a 115-37 third-reading vote in the House; it reached a Senate committee but did not come to the floor.

Representative Wilson signaled early support during questioning, saying members could "put my vote in the bank." No witnesses offered opposition and the committee concluded the hearing without taking a committee vote.

The hearing record contains only supportive testimony and committee discussion focused on the language changes and prior procedural history; no formal action was recorded during this session.