COMM. AND WORKER ECONOMIC TRANSITION ACT S.B. 519 (S-2):
SUMMARY OF BILL
REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE
Senate Bill 519 (Substitute S-2 as reported)
CONTENT
The bill would enact the "Community and Worker Economic Transition Act" to do the following:
-- Create the Community and Worker Economic Transition Office (Office) within the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) and require the Office to coordinate efforts related to its mission of assisting workers and communities during the State's renewable energy transition.
-- Require the Office to develop a community and worker economic transition plan and submit a finalized version to the Governor and Legislature on December 31, 2025.
-- Prescribe requirements for developing the transition plan, such as aligning local, State, and Federal resources to invest in communities and workers whose transition-affected industries were subject to significant economic transition.
BRIEF RATIONALE
The market is driving a transition away from energy like coal and cars with internal combustion engines to renewable energies and electric vehicles. This creates an education and skills gap for workers in the energy and automotive industries. Some people believe that the State should have a plan to help workers and communities transition during this significant industrial shift, and so it has been suggested that the Office develop a plan.
Legislative Analyst: Alex Krabill
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would increase costs to LEO and have no fiscal impact on local units of government. There would be additional costs to support the Office and the Community and Worker Economic Transition Advisory Committee. These costs would include additional FTEs and information technology costs. The final amount would be determined by budget appropriations. No revenue source is designated to the Community and Worker Economic Transition Fund so appropriations would likely be needed to use the Fund.
Date Completed: 10-6-23 Fiscal Analyst: Cory Savino, PhD
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.