Section 34-14-2. Board membership; board's powers, functions, and funding; promulgation of rules and regulations

   (a) Pursuant to the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Public Law 105-220, there is created the Georgia Workforce Investment Board.

(b) The board shall consist of members to be selected by the Governor consistent with federal law requirements, two members of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House, and two members of the Senate, appointed by the Lieutenant Governor. A majority of the members of the board shall be representatives of businesses in this state. Other members may include, but shall not be limited to, representatives of individuals and organizations that have experience and expertise in education, the economy, the workforce, and labor and who meet federal requirements for a broad composition of the board.

(c) The chairperson and vice chairperson of the board shall be appointed by the Governor. Other officers shall be elected or otherwise selected as determined by the Governor.

(d) The members of the board shall serve such terms as established by the Governor, and the members shall continue at the discretion of the Governor, except for the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, who shall continue at the discretion of the Speaker of the House and the Lieutenant Governor, respectively.

(e) The board shall have such powers and duties as specified by the Governor and as provided by federal law. Without limiting the powers and duties of the board, the board shall:

   (1) Promote the development of a well-educated, highly skilled workforce in this state;

   (2) Advocate the development of an integrated workforce development system to provide quality services addressing the needs of business and workers in this state;

   (3) Recommend to the Governor the designation or redesignation of local workforce investment areas for the local planning and delivery of workforce development;

   (4) Identify and recommend to the Governor incentives to encourage the consolidation, on a regional labor market basis, of:

      (A) Local boards and committees; and

      (B) Service delivery areas authorized under federal workforce legislation;

   (5) Review plans for local workforce development and make recommendations to the Governor for approval;

   (6) Evaluate the effectiveness of the workforce development system;

   (7) Use the administrative records of the state's unemployment compensation program and other sources as appropriate in evaluating the workforce development program;

   (8) Encourage, support, or develop research and demonstration projects designed to develop new programs and approaches to service delivery;

   (9) Recommend measures to ensure that occupational skills training is:

      (A) Provided in occupations that are state wide or locally in demand; and

      (B) Directed toward high-skill and high-wage jobs;

   (10) Monitor the operation of the state's workforce development system to assess the degree to which the system is effective in achieving state and local goals and objectives;

   (11) Develop and recommend to the Governor criteria for the establishment of local workforce development boards;

   (12) Carry out the federal and state duties and responsibilities of advisory boards under applicable federal and state workforce development laws or regulations; and

   (13) Report not less than once per year to the Governor and the legislature.

(f) The board shall adopt bylaws to guide its proceedings.

(g) The board shall be funded by federal law as provided in this chapter which shall be allocated according to federal requirements.

(h) The board shall be attached to the Office of Planning and Budget for administrative purposes only.

(i) Each member of the board who is not otherwise a state officer or employee shall be authorized to receive reimbursement for reasonably necessary travel expenses incurred in the performance of his or her duties as a member of the board, provided that such funds are available and such reimbursements are allowable under federal law. Should funds not be available or allowable for this purpose, such members shall serve without compensation. Each member of the board who is otherwise a state officer or employee shall be reimbursed by the agency of which he or she is an officer or employee for reasonably necessary travel expenses actually incurred in the performance of his or her duties as a member of the board, provided that such funds are available and such reimbursements are allowable under federal law. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, members of the board shall receive no compensation for their services.

(j) The board shall be authorized to consult with and form committees with members and persons knowledgeable on the subject matter at issue in order to carry out effectively its duties. Such consultants shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for travel and other reasonable and necessary expenses incurred while attending meetings of or on behalf of the board, provided that such travel and other expenses are approved by the director and such reimbursements are allowable under federal law.

(k) The Governor's Office of Workforce Development shall be authorized to employ and contract with other individuals and organizations as needed to assist in executing the board's responsibilities, provided that funds are available for such expenditures and such expenditures are allowable under federal law.

(l) All state departments, institutions, agencies, commissions, councils, authorities, boards, bureaus, or other entities of the state shall provide all information and support as required by the board to perform its duties.

(m) The board is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations for purposes of implementing the provisions of this chapter.

(n) The members of the board shall develop and implement policies that:

   (1) Clearly allocate the policy-making responsibilities between the members of the board; and

   (2) Provide the public with a reasonable opportunity to appear before the board and to speak on any issue under the jurisdiction of the board.

(o) To facilitate the seamless delivery of integrated workforce programs in this state, the board shall:

   (1) Evaluate programs administered by agencies represented on the board to identify:

      (A) Any duplication of or gaps in the services provided by those programs; and

      (B) Any other problems that adversely affect the seamless delivery of those services; and

   (2) Develop and implement immediate and long-range strategies to address problems identified by the board.

(p) The board may:

   (1) Adopt rules essential to the internal functions and duties of the board; and

   (2) Make expenditures, enter into contracts with public, private, and nonprofit organizations or agencies, require reports to be made, conduct investigations, and take other actions necessary or suitable to fulfill the board's duties under this chapter.

(q) The Governor, with the board and the local workforce development boards, shall:

   (1) Identify specific barriers to integrated service delivery at the local level; and

   (2) Request waivers from federal and state regulations.

Code 1981, § 34-14-2, enacted by Ga. L. 2010, p. 84, § 1/HB 1195; Ga. L. 2012, p. 754, § 1/HB 897; Ga. L. 2013, p. 573, § 2/HB 393.