House Bill 1517

(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO THE OFFICE OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY SERVING AS THE FISCAL AGENT, TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO COMMUNITY COLLEGES, INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING, LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND INDUSTRY PARTNERS FOR SHORT-TERM TRAINING PROGRAMS, EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES, AND BELATED EXPENSES NECESSARY TO SUPPORT SUCH SHORT-TERM TRAINING PROGRAMS AND TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF TRAINING PROGRAMS THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE, SO THAT EMPLOYEES AND OTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN DISPLACED DUE TO THE COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY CAN BE MORE COMPETITIVE AND TRAINED FOR THE JOB MARKET THAT EMERGES AFTER THE COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY, FOR ON THE JOB TRAINING AND FOR CERTAIN ADMINISTRATIVE FEES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. The following sum, or so much of it as may be necessary, is appropriated out of any money in the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund not otherwise appropriated, to the Office of Workforce Development, with the Department of Employment Security serving as the fiscal agent, for the purposes described in Section 2 of this act for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, and ending June 30, 2023................$ 60,000,000.00.

SECTION 2. (1) Thirty-two Million Dollars ($32,000,000.00) of the money appropriated to the Department of Employment Security under Section 1 of this act shall be distributed as follows:

(a) For direct training and related expenses for workforce development efforts related to health care at the community and junior colleges, including, but not limited to, outreach and recruitment, awareness and interest-building, and training program expansion for certified nursing assistants, nurses and home-health providers; increasing opportunities for certified nursing assistants to become nurses; and first responder training, especially for first responders who offer initial care at rural home emergencies or automobile accidents.

(b) For direct training and related expenses for workforce development efforts related to emerging sectors, including, but not limited to, outreach and recruitment, awareness and interest-building, and training program expansion for horizon-thinking programs such as advanced manufacturing, drone, cyber, fiber, electric vehicles and data analytics and management.

(c) For direct training and related expenses for workforce development efforts related to logistics and supply chain, including, but not limited to, outreach and recruitment, awareness and interest-building, and training program expansion for commercial driver's licenses, warehousing, shipping and similar essential programs that support product transportation and delivery.

(d) For direct training and related expenses for workforce development efforts related to specific populations, including, but not limited to, outreach to, investment in, and training for military personnel, single parents, currently and formerly incarcerated individuals, underemployed individuals, and individuals with disabilities; work with existing nonpublic partners and state agencies to provide wrap-around supportive services, such as child care and transportation, for individuals who have a desire to work.

(e) For the Accelerate Mississippi Workforce Development Program created in House Bill No. 1006, 2022 Regular Session.

(f) To be retained by the department for program monitoring and evaluation, administrative fees, third-party accounting as needed, and the deployment of an ecosystem workforce development model by the Office of Workforce Development to support effective implementation of the activities described in subsection (1) paragraphs (a) through (e), subsection (2) and subsection (3) of this Section 2.

(2) Twenty Million Dollars ($20,000,000.00) of the money appropriated to the Department of Employment Security under Section 1 of this act shall be for the Mississippi Health Sciences Training Infrastructure Grant Program created in House Bill No. 1006, 2022 Regular Session. It is the intent of the Legislature that this program result in the retention of at least fifty percent (50%) of osteopathic medical school graduates within the State of Mississippi.

(3) Eight Million Dollars ($8,000,000.00) of the money appropriated to the Department of Employment Security under Section 1 of this act shall be for the career coaching program created in House Bill No. 1388, 2022 Regular Session.

SECTION 3. (1) As used in this section and Section 4 of this act, the term "department" means the Department of Employment Security.

(2) The department shall not disburse any funds appropriated under this act to any recipient without first: (a) making an individualized determination that the reimbursement sought is, in the department's independent judgment, for necessary expenditures eligible under Section 602 of the federal Social Security Act as added by Section 9901 of the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) and its implementing guidelines, guidance, rules, regulations and/or other criteria, as may be amended or supplemented from time to time, by the United States Department of the Treasury; and (b) determining that the recipient has not received and will not receive reimbursement for the expense in question from any source of funds, including insurance proceeds, other than those funds provided under Section 602 of the federal Social Security Act as added by Section 9901 of ARPA. In addition, the department shall ensure that all funds appropriated under this act are disbursed in compliance with the Single Audit Act (31 USC Sections 7501-7507) and the related provisions of the Uniform Guidance, 2 CFR Section 200.303 regarding internal controls, Sections 200.330 through 200.332 regarding sub-recipient monitoring and management, and subpart F regarding audit requirements.

(3) None of the funds appropriated under Section 1 of this act shall be used to pay employee premium payments.

SECTION 4. (1) As a condition of receiving and expending the funds appropriated to the department under this act, receiving entities shall certify to the department, and the department shall certify to the Department of Finance and Administration that each expenditure of the funds appropriated to the department under this act complies with the guidelines, guidance, rules, regulations and/or other criteria, as may be amended from time to time, of the United States Department of the Treasury regarding the use of monies from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds established by ARPA.

(2) If the Office of Inspector General of the United States Department of the Treasury, or the Office of Inspector General of any other federal agency having oversight over the use of monies from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund established by ARPA (a) determines that the department or recipient has expended or otherwise used any of the funds appropriated to the department under this act for any purpose that is not in compliance with the guidelines, guidance, rules, regulations and/or other criteria, as may be amended from time to time, of the United States Department of the Treasury regarding the use of monies from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund established by ARPA, and (b) the State of Mississippi is required to repay the federal government for any of those funds that the Office of the Inspector General determined were expended or otherwise used improperly by the department or recipient, then the department or recipient that expended or otherwise used those funds improperly shall be required to pay the amount of those funds to the State of Mississippi for repayment to the federal government.

SECTION 5. The money appropriated by this act shall be paid by the State Treasurer out of any money in the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund not otherwise appropriated, upon warrants issued by the State Fiscal Officer; and the State Fiscal Officer shall issue his or her warrants upon requisitions signed by the proper person, officer or officers in the manner provided by law. SECTION 6. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2022.