Transcript Highlights:

• Fund.
• needs like college affordability, career readiness, workforce development, school safety, intelligence
• Third, is for funding to develop to renovate and modernize the former biology building, to house the
• We provide education and training to develop a high... highly skilled workforce for in-demand, well-paying
• Additionally, we're asking for $1.5 million in program funding to support the development and technical

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• development. ...that make them sustainable and effective in workforce development, and then dive down
• apprenticeship programs are huge private investments in our state's workforce development system, and
• Our workforce development partners is what help us experience.
• Our workforce development partners is what help us expand our apprenticeship opportunities in different
• And workforce development partners can advocate for infrastructure investments that create construction

Summary: The work session focused first on Washington’s apprenticeship system, especially building trades programs and support services. Labor and Industries staff explained how registered apprenticeship works in the state, including the role of the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council, the requirements for paid on-the-job training and classroom instruction, and the difference between apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship. Panelists emphasized that apprenticeship is tied to actual jobs and training agents, and that many waitlists reflect a shortage of job openings and employer participation rather than a lack of interest. They also discussed youth apprenticeship, the growth of apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, and the use of Career Bridge and L&I’s database to help people find programs. Representatives asked whether the state should expand apprenticeship programs and how people can find openings. Speakers said more programs alone would not solve the backlog without more employers signing on as training agents and more apprenticeship utilization on projects. The panel also highlighted the Constructed Career Initiative, a grant-funded navigation and support program that helps people enter and stay in building trades apprenticeships through outreach, case management, and wraparound aid such as transportation, tools, and work clothes. A related nonprofit, Build Up, described similar support services, including prison-based boot and PPE programs and assistance for reentry participants. The panel said these services are especially important because apprentices often face unstable income, housing, food, and transportation barriers. The panel also discussed House Bill 2084 and the new Construction Training Pathway Oversight Committee, which is examining construction training in correctional facilities and how to create clearer pathways from prison-based training to apprenticeship, college, or work. Speakers said the committee is still in its early stages and will report to the legislature. The session ended with committee members thanking the panel and noting the importance of support services and referral networks for apprentices. The meeting then resumed at Renton Technical College, where college leaders and faculty discussed serving non-traditional students. The college reported strong enrollment growth, a median student age of 30, a diverse student body, and high job placement rates, while also noting significant budget cuts and program reductions from the prior year. Health care and early childhood education programs were highlighted, including efforts to expand access through hybrid scheduling, evening and Saturday classes, Spanish-language offerings, and in-person wraparound support for admissions, financial aid, and registration. Faculty said these changes were driven by student data and were aimed at helping working parents, English learners, and other non-traditional students complete credentials and enter family-wage careers.

Transcript Highlights:

• For decades, and workforce development.
• The investment is transforming aviation education and workforce development.
• The investment is transforming aviation education and workforce development.
• <00:20:47.520> to workforce development that's critical to workforce development that's critical
• So that will workforce development.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The task force meeting began with approval of the July 14 minutes and then heard a presentation from the Kentucky Aviation Association. Association leaders described general aviation airports as important to rural access, commerce, emergency response, tourism, agriculture, and workforce development, and cited statewide economic impacts they said exceed $1.6 billion and support more than 9,400 jobs. They thanked the legislature for prior airport funding and said it had helped airports with basic operations and repairs. The association asked lawmakers for four things: continued appropriations for general aviation airports; relief or a more workable process for required financial audits, which they said can cost $10,000 to $20,000 or more and sometimes exceed a small airport’s annual budget; a regularized statewide appropriations process for airport infrastructure needs, which they said total about $100 million and are currently addressed unevenly; and funding for the Aerospace Education Reinvestment Opportunity Act to support scholarships and aviation workforce training. Members of the task force asked follow-up questions about the audit burden, the difference between financial and safety audits, and the difficulty of finding audit firms. The presenters said they would bring specific ideas back on audit reform. Eastern Kentucky University then presented on its aviation program. EKU leaders thanked the committee for prior support, including a $25 million appropriation for a new flight school building at Central Kentucky Regional Airport, and said the project is expected to break ground in 2026. They reported strong enrollment growth, with 502 aviation majors, most of them Kentuckians, and said the program has expanded flight hours and job placement. EKU also outlined plans to add an air traffic control program in response to Senate Bill 87 and the national shortage of controllers, saying it could train students to FAA standards if the university receives the needed investment in simulators, equipment, space, and faculty. They also discussed the need to replace an aging fleet of training aircraft, saying the current planes are decades old and costly to maintain, and that newer aircraft would improve training quality and reduce student costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Greater Minnesota workforce housing development program also has a $10 million appropriation in the
• > greater Minnesota workforce housing greater Minnesota workforce housing development<00:03:24.480>
• The workforce and affordable home ownership<00:03:44.480> development<00:03:44.959> program
• This was developed in a... opportunity to include additional opportunity to include additional funding
• The investments you've included in workforce and affordable home ownership development programs will

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• in one-time funding from the Workforce Development Fund.
• one-time appropriations also from the Workforce Development Fund.
• one-time appropriations also from the Workforce Development Fund.
• It simply deletes receiving revenue from the general fund and inserting the Workforce Development Fund
• fund uh and inserting the Workforce fund uh and inserting the Workforce Development<01:42:07.000

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Development funds.
• Development funds.
• Development funds.
• Development funds.
• who came in asking for Workforce who came in asking for Workforce Development<00:16:15.480> funds

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• it<00:14:47.120> was workforce development fund and it was workforce development fund and
• The same workforce development fund.
• is<00:19:51.039> to the workforce development fund is is to the workforce development
• And so if we're going to fund this through the workforce development fund, Mr.
• <00:38:38.560> development<00:38:38.960> fund of what the workforce development fund

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It touches workforce development, economic growth, education, and healthcare.
• workforce development, It touches workforce development, economic<00:08:59.600> growth,<00:09
• The funds would be repaid by the developer and redeployed.
• The funds would be repaid by the developer and redeployed.
• The funds would be repaid by the developer and redeployed.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:07 Roll Call 00:00:14 Discussion of Pro-Growth Housing Policies 00:02:01 Discussion of Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit 01:11:13 Adjournment 01:40:27, 958, all

Summary: The Kentucky Housing Task Force met and heard first from the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, which presented findings from a housing study done with the Home Builders Association. The chamber said housing is now a major economic-development issue, citing survey results that 90% of community leaders said their region could not absorb a major job announcement and 66% said housing is holding back Kentucky’s economy. The chamber described Kentucky’s housing shortage, rising home prices, declining permits since 2008, and the need for more production to support growth. It urged policy changes including zoning and land-use reform, tax incentives, regional approaches, and especially a residential infrastructure fund modeled on Indiana’s low-interest loan program to help communities finance roads and other infrastructure needed for new housing. Members asked about the severity of the problem, workforce shortages in permitting and construction, the loan interest rate, repayment, and whether Kentucky could replicate Indiana’s results; the witness said the issue is a crisis and that the program would be a revolving public-private partnership, likely around 3% interest, with implementation details still to be worked out. The Kentucky Bankers Association then testified that the housing gap is especially acute for households at 80% of area median income and below, which it said represents about 70% of Kentucky’s housing need. It emphasized that the shortage affects both urban and rural counties and pointed to examples such as Rowan County, where workers at major employers must commute long distances because local housing is unavailable or unaffordable. The bankers said high interest rates remain a major barrier and proposed a $20 million bank commitment for a revolving fund tied to tax credits to finance new housing, not refinances. They cited Hope of the Midwest as an example of a successful tax-credit housing model with a long track record and no defaults, and said the proposal would leverage public-private partnerships to create new units. Committee members questioned how the proposed fund would compare with industrial revenue bonds and whether it could be structured like Kentucky’s tobacco settlement fund, with seed money, a review board, scoring criteria, and possible population thresholds to ensure smaller communities benefit. The bankers said the proposal would be another tool for cities and counties, specifically tied to residential infrastructure, and that larger cities should not be able to capture all of the resources. No formal votes or actions were taken during this portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• The American Rescue Plan Act funding for healthcare workforce development at our colleges and universities
• Those of all who have had to hear me speak before also heard Me say higher education is workforce development
• We're also advancing the development of a new performance funding formula that will better align resources
• This includes funding to support STEM and other critical workforce degrees and traditional adult degrees
• Importantly, this funding is targeted to Oklahoma's specific workforce gaps, including teaching, childcare

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• develop how we are proposing to develop develop how we are proposing to develop we<00:47:52.559>
• by um the fund would be funded by um the fund would be funded by maintenance<00:49:39.839> fees
• So even if we were to start on Lot I with our first workforce development tower, it's going to take seven
• So even if we were to start on Lot I with our first workforce development tower, it's going to take seven
• SB 534 will empower the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to develop its land for workable workforce housing

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint hearing of the Water and Land, Hawaiian Affairs, and Housing committees on January 29, 2025 focused on SB 534, with the chairs outlining hearing procedures, public testimony limits, and plans to allow extended presentations from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) and the Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA) before moving to other testifiers. The hearing was presented as a public, transparent discussion of OHA’s plans for Kakaʻako Makai, with committee members noting that decision-making would follow if time permitted. OHA testified in strong support of SB 534. The chair of OHA’s Board of Trustees said the bill was a novel proposal for the legislature and emphasized that OHA was bringing together a broad coalition of partners and stakeholders, including representatives from construction, hospitality, education, law enforcement, civil service, and schools, as well as longtime community advocates who have opposed development in Kakaʻako Makai. OHA’s presentation reviewed the history of the area, the creation and role of HCDA, prior master plans, the 2012 land conveyance to OHA, and the argument that OHA has not been able to realize the full economic value of the lands because desired entitlements were not secured. OHA linked the bill to its constitutional mission to improve conditions for Native Hawaiians and argued that the state’s housing crisis makes additional development, including residential use, especially important. A major theme of the testimony was housing. OHA argued that Hawaiʻi faces severe affordability pressures, out-migration, and workforce shortages, and said that residential development in Kakaʻako Makai would help address those needs while also supporting the value of the trust lands. The presentation described HCDA’s authority over zoning and development in Kakaʻako, the existing reserved housing requirements, and the need for a master plan that could move forward if SB 534 becomes law. No votes or final committee action were taken in the portion of the hearing provided; the discussion remained in the presentation and testimony phase.

Transcript Highlights:

• Quickly, funding sufficiency is required to ensure access, as a robust workforce is needed to meet people's
• As we think about provider rates and sufficient rates, Rates, in the context of workforce development
• And I think when we're looking at that, we also carry that into workforce development, right?
• How are we connecting with those communities to really build that workforce and develop that workforce
• As we think about workforce and workforce development and stability, thank you very much.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Item one is for the funding for highway project development, construction, and maintenance.
• Because 98% of our funds are constitutionally dedicated to developing and delivering and maintaining
• On apprenticeship and work-based learning funding, and Rider 52, additional workforce data. report and
• TWC knows the We were part of a plan that was developed to help stabilize the child care workforce and
• We need to invest in Workforce productivity to add funding to cut the waitlist for child care.

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our district includes Valley College, Crafton Hills College, KVCR TV and radio, and our workforce development
• ... ...in California hold this federal designation and have leveraged funding to develop STEM curriculum
• There is a significant unmet workforce development need, which means significant opportunities for local
• I'm very interested in making sure that our regional workforce needs are being developed and fostered
• And one is around, we talk about workforce development a lot, but what about the educator workforce requirements

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• community are, whether workforce... ...around what the needs of our community are, whether workforce,
• development in the state of Florida.
• We have a $25.5 million increase in operating funds for school district workforce education programs,
• for workforce development capitalization in the state.
• We have a $50.7 million increase for the workforce development capitalization and incentive grant fund

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education convened with a quorum and first took up CS for SB 1694 on technology education. The bill would require technology-integrated postsecondary general education core courses to include digital literacy and competency instruction, including use of artificial intelligence tools, and would encourage high school computer science courses that include AI to teach how AI systems use data, their benefits and limitations, and responsible use in academic and personal settings. The bill sponsor and several supporters emphasized preparing students for an AI-driven workforce while teaching critical evaluation and ethical use; one speaker raised concerns about overreliance on AI and the need to preserve real-world skills. Senator Davis supported the measure and suggested introducing similar instruction earlier, possibly in middle school. The committee voted the bill favorably, with Senator Leak later recorded in the affirmative. The committee then heard a large block of confirmations for higher education boards, including appointees to Tallahassee State College, the University of South Florida, the University of North Florida, Palm Beach State College, the College of the Florida Keys, Hillsborough College, Miami-Dade College, Florida A&M University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida International University, New College of Florida, Florida Polytechnic University, and the University of Florida. The appointees generally highlighted backgrounds in education, health care, law, business, technology, and public service, and described priorities such as student success, workforce alignment, affordability, fiscal responsibility, and institutional growth. One nominee to Tallahassee State College was asked about low NCLEX pass rates and said the college had a plan approved by the Florida Board of Nursing. Another nominee discussed Florida Poly’s STEM mission, and several members praised the nominees’ community ties and professional experience. After hearing the appointees, the committee voted to report the block of confirmations favorably to the Ethics and Elections Committee. The committee then received a high-level overview of the higher education budget, totaling $11.9 billion, with major emphasis on workforce training and development. Highlights included increases for school district workforce education, the Florida College System, workforce development capitalization, a rural educator recruitment program, funding for the USF Center for Nursing, preeminent research universities, UCF’s community school grant program, UF’s literacy and math initiatives, UF’s autism and neurodevelopment center, and a postsecondary guardian program for campus security. Members asked a brief question about a workforce fund transfer, and the chair explained it was a transfer of an existing program with new funds added. No public comment was offered, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Workforce Solutions.
• development.
• Through a dedicated Office of New Americans, New Mexico can better coordinate child care workforce development
• We haven't had an opportunity to sort of open up the workforce development section of the statute.
• workforce with a workforce angle.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so that phase is probably the highest-risk development funds to go source.
• Lori Brady, as she's a senior director, human resources and workforce development. By Ms.
• I'm the Senior Director of Human Resources and Workforce Development at the Nuclear Energy Institute.
• and their To help them look at developing their workforce ecosystems in their areas.
• , get data center developers involved that fund things, invest in things.

Summary: The Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee met to hear a series of presentations on the economics, financing, workforce, and community impacts of advanced nuclear deployment in North Dakota. William Bridge of Nucleon Energy presented the committee’s economic impacts and private-sector financing report, estimating construction and operating job impacts, local spending, and state/local tax effects for hypothetical SMR projects. He said the report assumes first-of-a-kind costs are still high, used a $6 million per megawatt nth-of-a-kind proxy, and estimated peak construction workforces of about 500 for a 200-MW plant and 1,000 for a larger facility, with roughly 100 operating jobs for a 200-MW plant. Committee members questioned security costs, capital cost assumptions, water and transmission siting constraints, and whether the model included fuel and waste; Bridge said the report included initial fuel in capital cost and that waste disposal is funded through existing federal mechanisms. Lori Brady of the Nuclear Energy Institute then outlined national nuclear workforce needs and NEI’s strategic workforce planning efforts. She described declining labor-force participation, retirements, and the need for a much larger future workforce, and said NEI has organized recommendations around career awareness, pipelines, training and qualification, policy support, retention, and nontraditional recruitment. She highlighted tools such as the Nuclear Works career website, the Nuclear Energy Academic Roadmap, the new federal Energy and Natural Resources career cluster, and the Nuclear Uniform Curriculum Program for community colleges. Members asked about AI, timing for training relative to plant development, and whether advanced manufacturing would reduce staffing needs; Brady said AI is not expected to replace workers and that training timelines depend on the specific project and staffing plan. The committee also heard from Gary Yaco, mayor of Red Wing, Minnesota, who described Prairie Island’s role in his community. He said the plant provides a large share of local property tax revenue, supports well-paid jobs, contributes to emergency preparedness funding and training, and is broadly supported by the city despite periodic protests and public concerns. He emphasized the plant’s security, regular drills with local and federal responders, and the absence of problems with dry cask storage. Later, Benton Arnett of NEI discussed the current financing landscape for advanced nuclear, explaining how tax credits, federal loan support, off-take agreements, and new business models are helping projects move forward. He said early projects face high upfront costs and long lead-time procurement, but that investor confidence is improving as federal policy and regulatory streamlining continue. The committee asked about waste funding, comparisons with natural gas, the effect of political shifts on investor confidence, and whether the market will narrow to a few winning technologies; Arnett said the industry is still sorting that out, but expects clearer winners in the late 2020s and early 2030s. The meeting concluded with an introductory presentation from Julie Kazeraki of DOE’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing, who said the office is focused on accelerating nuclear deployment through financing support.

Transcript Highlights:

• There’s been some discussion today about workforce development and workforce redevelopment.
• So it's enough to fund that research and development to get to that point.
• It's enough to fund that research and development to get to that point.
• Yesterday, I had a very good discussion inside a learning laboratory developing workforce at CNM.
• Developing workforce at CNM. But the discussion was actually about the supply chain.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So looking at overall what we do, here are our four pillars: economic development, community development
• , workforce development, and, as a department, community development, workforce development.
• They've received funding through the Rural Infrastructure Fund, through the Job Growth Grant Fund.
• That project was supported through the Rural Infrastructure Fund and through the Job Growth Grant Fund
• We're utilizing the funding that we have in that area to fund our needs in that area.

Summary: The committee heard two informational presentations: one from the Department of Commerce and one from the Florida Department of Transportation. Jason Mahon of Commerce outlined the state’s economic development strategy and tools, emphasizing Florida’s GDP growth, business formation, and strengths in manufacturing, high-tech, defense, life sciences, and international trade. He described programs such as the State Small Business Credit Initiative, the Rural Community Investment Program, the Florida Opportunity Fund, the Rural Infrastructure Fund, the Job Growth Grant Fund, performance-based tax credits, and disaster recovery loans, and cited examples including ServiceNow, Williams International, NeoCity, and Point Blank Enterprises. Members asked about small-business grants, foreign investment interest, workforce needs, and whether additional tools are needed; Mahon said most Commerce programs are loan-focused and noted ongoing workforce and site-readiness challenges. Jennifer Marshall of FDOT then reviewed major transportation projects and the Moving Florida Forward initiative, highlighting congestion relief, express lanes, bridge and interchange work, and accelerated delivery methods. She cited projects such as Golden Glades, I-95 improvements, the NASA Causeway Bridge, the DuPont Bridge, I-4 corridor work, the First Coast Expressway, the Howard Frankland Bridge, A1A seawall work, and Turnpike projects, along with examples of cost savings and schedule acceleration. Senators asked about how express lane locations are chosen, toll revenue use in South Florida, the status and cost of the I-395 downtown Miami project, and whether EV and rideshare access to express lanes should be preserved. FDOT said it would follow up on several of those questions, and the committee adjourned without taking any legislative action.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development will come to order.
• the workforce funds with existing workforce development funding streams, and limits rulemaking to prevent
• It's no secret that workforce development is a top priority for our organization.
• And under the Department of Higher Ed and Workforce Development, rather than economic development.
• Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee, we are now adjourned.

Summary: The House Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development heard Senate Substitute for Senate Bill 1196, sponsored by Sen. Mike Henderson, which combines two workforce-related measures: an expansion of Fast Track grant income eligibility and implementation of Workforce Pell Grants for short-term, non-credit workforce training programs. Henderson said the Fast Track income caps would rise from $40,000 to $50,000 for individuals and from $80,000 to $100,000 for joint filers to reflect inflation, and that the Workforce Pell provisions would help community and technical colleges offer stackable credentials in fields like welding, manufacturing, CDL training, and health care support. He also explained the emergency clause was needed so Missouri could begin drawing federal funds on July 1. Witnesses from the Missouri Community College Association, Graduation Alliance, the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and public higher education testified in support. They emphasized the bill’s value for expanding access to training, meeting employer workforce needs, and helping adults earn credentials or diplomas. One witness supported the Workforce Pell and adult diploma provisions but objected to raising the income thresholds. No one testified in opposition. During executive session, the committee adopted two House committee amendments: one incorporating additional workforce diploma and Fast Track language, moving the Missouri Workforce Development Board under the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, and preserving the emergency clause; and another repealing the sunset on the adult workforce diploma program. The amendments were rolled into a House committee substitute, which the committee then voted do pass by a roll call of 12 ayes and 1 no.

Transcript Highlights:

• , workforce development, and, as a department, international commerce through SelectFlorida.
• Fund.
• I want to highlight the Job Growth Grant Fund allows us to invest both in infrastructure and workforce
• They've received funding through the Rural Infrastructure Fund, through the Job Growth Grant Fund.
• We're utilizing the funding that we have in that area to fund our needs in that area.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development met to hear presentations from the Department of Commerce and the Florida Department of Transportation. Jason Mahon of Florida Commerce outlined the state’s economic development strategy, emphasizing Florida’s GDP growth, business formation, and strengths in manufacturing, high-tech, life sciences, defense, and financial services. He described the department’s tools for small business lending, rural investment tax credits, venture capital support, infrastructure and workforce grants, performance-based incentives, and disaster recovery loans, and highlighted examples such as ServiceNow, Williams International, Asteris, and Point Blank Enterprises. Senators asked about grant availability for small businesses, foreign companies relocating to Florida, workforce shortages in manufacturing, and whether additional tools may be needed; Mahon said most small-business support is loan-based and noted ongoing workforce and infrastructure challenges. Jennifer Marshall of FDOT then reviewed major transportation projects and the Moving Florida Forward initiative, describing the state’s large portfolio of active contracts and major congestion-relief projects across Florida. She highlighted early completions and accelerated timelines on projects including the NASA Causeway Bridge, I-95 at US 1 in Volusia County, I-4 congestion relief lanes, the First Coast Expressway, the Howard Frankland Bridge, I-4 interchanges in Central Florida, A1A coastal protection work, I-75 improvements in Southwest Florida, and the I-395 reconstruction in Miami. Senators asked about how express lane projects are selected, whether toll revenues are used for local maintenance and improvements, the status of the Miami I-395 project, and the impact of losing electric-vehicle express lane exemptions. Marshall said FDOT works with local long-range plans and congestion data, and that she would follow up on several specific funding and project questions. Committee members generally praised both agencies for project delivery, cost savings, and coordination with local partners. Senator Mayfield noted the importance of using savings and working with local governments, while Senator Wright commended Commerce’s role in economic development and FDOT’s work on major road projects. The meeting concluded with no further business, and the committee adjourned.