BWIB MEMBERANDUM: June 1, 2010
Congress Considers Workforce Legislation
On Friday, May 28, the full House of Representatives, by a vote of 215 to 204, passed the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act (HR 4213), which extends eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits, COBRA health care tax credits, and other critical programs to support American workers through December 31, 2010; includes an extension of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) emergency fund through September 2011; and provides $1 billion for Summer Jobs.
Entire June 1, 2010
MEMBERANDUM
Previous BWIB MEMBERANDA:
March 19, 2010
February 3, 2010
January 8, 2010
October 2, 2009
July 27, 2009
June 22, 2009
May 18, 2009
April 24, 2009
March 27, 2009
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Nov. 16, 2007
Governor O'Malley Proclaims September 2009 Workforce Development Month.
Click here to download a full-sized, color scan of the proclamation, suitable for duplication/display.
Workforce Development Issues Receive Attention in Annapolis during 2009 Session
Much of the 2009 regular session of the Maryland General Assembly focused on the state’s ongoing fiscal difficulties and cost-cutting measures necessary for the maintenance of a balanced budget. However, elected officials from across the State also considered a total of 2,675 bills during the 90-day session. During the 2009 legislative session, workforce development issues received heightened attention, due principally to the current economic downturn and the accompanying spike in unemployment rates. Moreover, policymakers sought to address several critical workforce challenges facing Maryland more directly – the need to provide appropriate support services for ex-offenders returning to the workforce, how best to train young people for 21st century careers, and what approaches might make sense to help bridge skills gaps and better prepare job-seekers for employment in critical industry sectors.
The Baltimore Workforce Investment Board’s (BWIB’s) Public Policy Committee, in consultation with staff from the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED) conducted an extensive review and analysis of this session’s legislation, with special emphasis on bills most relevant to the concerns of workforce development practitioners and those they serve. Of the 2,675 bills noted above, the Public Policy Committee reviewed in detail eighteen individual pieces of workforce-related legislation.
The City’s advocacy efforts included successfully supporting a bill which will facilitate access to recognized state identification cards for returning ex-offenders (SB 186). Other BWIB/MOED supported legislation that was approved by the legislature included bills that would: 1) create a task force to evaluate issues related to prisoner re-entry (SB 908/HB 637) and, 2) add a green jobs training component to the state’s existing welfare-to-work job training program (HB 268). You can be sure that the BWIB/MOED will continue to be strong voices on behalf of workforce innovations that would benefit the residents of the City of Baltimore.
