§ 2832. Local workforce investment boards
(a)
Establishment
There shall be established in each local area of a State, and certified by the Governor of the State, a local workforce investment board, to set policy for the portion of the statewide workforce investment system within the local area (referred to in this chapter as a “local workforce investment system”).
(b)
Membership
(1)
State criteria
The Governor of the State, in partnership with the State board, shall establish criteria for use by chief elected officials in the local areas for appointment of members of the local boards in such local areas in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (2).
(2)
Composition
Such criteria shall require, at a minimum, that the membership of each local board—
(A)
shall include—
(i)
representatives of business in the local area, who—
(I)
are owners of businesses, chief executives or operating officers of businesses, and other business executives or employers with optimum policymaking or hiring authority;
(ii)
representatives of local educational entities, including representatives of local educational agencies, local school boards, entities providing adult education and literacy activities, and postsecondary educational institutions (including representatives of community colleges, where such entities exist), selected from among individuals nominated by regional or local educational agencies, institutions, or organizations representing such local educational entities;
(iii)
representatives of labor organizations (for a local area in which employees are represented by labor organizations), nominated by local labor federations, or (for a local area in which no employees are represented by such organizations), other representatives of employees;
(iv)
representatives of community-based organizations (including organizations representing individuals with disabilities and veterans, for a local area in which such organizations are present);
(3)
Authority of board members
Members of the board that represent organizations, agencies, or other entities shall be individuals with optimum policymaking authority within the organizations, agencies, or entities.
(c)
Appointment and certification of board
(1)
Appointment of board members and assignment of responsibilities
(A)
In general
The chief elected official in a local area is authorized to appoint the members of the local board for such area, in accordance with the State criteria established under subsection (b) of this section.
(B)
Multiple units of local government in area
(i)
In general
In a case in which a local area includes more than 1 unit of general local government, the chief elected officials of such units may execute an agreement that specifies the respective roles of the individual chief elected officials—
(C)
Concentrated employment programs
In the case of a local area designated in accordance with section
2831
(a)(2)(B) of this title, the governing body of the concentrated employment program involved shall act in consultation with the chief elected official in the local area to appoint members of the local board, in accordance with the State criteria established under subsection (b) of this section, and to carry out any other responsibility relating to workforce investment activities assigned to such official under this Act.
(2)
Certification
(A)
In general
The Governor shall, once every 2 years, certify 1 local board for each local area in the State.
(B)
Criteria
Such certification shall be based on criteria established under subsection (b) of this section and, for a second or subsequent certification, the extent to which the local board has ensured that workforce investment activities carried out in the local area have enabled the local area to meet the local performance measures.
(3)
Decertification
(A)
Fraud, abuse, failure to carry out functions
Notwithstanding paragraph (2), the Governor may decertify a local board, at any time after providing notice and an opportunity for comment, for—
(C)
Plan
If the Governor decertifies a local board for a local area under subparagraph (A) or (B), the Governor may require that a new local board be appointed and certified for the local area pursuant to a reorganization plan developed by the Governor, in consultation with the chief elected official in the local area, and in accordance with the criteria established under subsection (b) of this section.
(4)
Single State area
Notwithstanding subsection (b) of this section and paragraphs (1) and (2), if a State described in section
2831
(b) of this title indicates in the State plan that the State will be treated as a local area for purposes of the application of this chapter, the Governor may designate the State board to carry out any of the functions described in subsection (d) of this section.
(d)
Functions of local board
The functions of the local board shall include the following:
(1)
Local plan
Consistent with section
2833 of this title, each local board, in partnership with the chief elected official for the local area involved, shall develop and submit a local plan to the Governor.
(2)
Selection of operators and providers
(A)
Selection of one-stop operators
Consistent with section
2841
(d) of this title, the local board, with the agreement of the chief elected official—
(B)
Selection of youth providers
Consistent with section
2843 of this title, the local board shall identify eligible providers of youth activities in the local area by awarding grants or contracts on a competitive basis, based on the recommendations of the youth council.
(3)
Budget and administration
(A)
Budget
The local board shall develop a budget for the purpose of carrying out the duties of the local board under this section, subject to the approval of the chief elected official.
(B)
Administration
(i)
Grant recipient
(I)
In general
The chief elected official in a local area shall serve as the local grant recipient for, and shall be liable for any misuse of, the grant funds allocated to the local area under sections
2853 and
2863 of this title, unless the chief elected official reaches an agreement with the Governor for the Governor to act as the local grant recipient and bear such liability.
(II)
Designation
In order to assist in the administration of the grant funds, the chief elected official or the Governor, where the Governor serves as the local grant recipient for a local area, may designate an entity to serve as a local grant subrecipient for such funds or as a local fiscal agent. Such designation shall not relieve the chief elected official or the Governor of the liability for any misuse of grant funds as described in subclause (I).
(III)
Disbursal
The local grant recipient or an entity designated under subclause (II) shall disburse such funds for workforce investment activities at the direction of the local board, pursuant to the requirements of this chapter, if the direction does not violate a provision of this Act. The local grant recipient or entity designated under subclause (II) shall disburse the funds immediately on receiving such direction from the local board.
(4)
Program oversight
The local board, in partnership with the chief elected official, shall conduct oversight with respect to local programs of youth activities authorized under section
2854 of this title, local employment and training activities authorized under section
2864 of this title, and the one-stop delivery system in the local area.
(7)
Employer linkages
The local board shall coordinate the workforce investment activities authorized under this subchapter and carried out in the local area with economic development strategies and develop other employer linkages with such activities.
(8)
Connecting, brokering, and coaching
The local board shall promote the participation of private sector employers in the statewide workforce investment system and ensure the effective provision, through the system, of connecting, brokering, and coaching activities, through intermediaries such as the one-stop operator in the local area or through other organizations, to assist such employers in meeting hiring needs.
(e)
Sunshine provision
The local board shall make available to the public, on a regular basis through open meetings, information regarding the activities of the local board, including information regarding the local plan prior to submission of the plan, and regarding membership, the designation and certification of one-stop operators, and the award of grants or contracts to eligible providers of youth activities, and on request, minutes of formal meetings of the local board.
(f)
Limitations
(1)
Training services
(B)
Waivers of training prohibition
The Governor of the State in which a local board is located may, pursuant to a request from the local board, grant a written waiver of the prohibition set forth in subparagraph (A) (relating to the provision of training services) for a program of training services, if the local board—
(i)
submits to the Governor a proposed request for the waiver that includes—
(I)
satisfactory evidence that there is an insufficient number of eligible providers of such a program of training services to meet local demand in the local area;
(II)
information demonstrating that the board meets the requirements for an eligible provider of training services under section
2842 of this title; and
(C)
Duration
A waiver granted to a local board under subparagraph (B) shall apply for a period of not to exceed 1 year. The waiver may be renewed for additional periods of not to exceed 1 year, pursuant to requests from the local board, if the board meets the requirements of subparagraph (B) in making the requests.
(2)
Core services; intensive services; designation or certification as one-stop operators
A local board may provide core services described in section
2864
(d)(2) of this title or intensive services described in section
2864
(d)(3) of this title through a one-stop delivery system described in section
2864
(c) of this title or be designated or certified as a one-stop operator only with the agreement of the chief elected official and the Governor.
(g)
Conflict of interest
A member of a local board may not—
(h)
Youth council
(1)
Establishment
There shall be established, as a subgroup within each local board, a youth council appointed by the local board, in cooperation with the chief elected official for the local area.
(2)
Membership
The membership of each youth council—
(A)
shall include—
(i)
members of the local board described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of subsection (b)(2) of this section with special interest or expertise in youth policy;
(ii)
representatives of youth service agencies, including juvenile justice and local law enforcement agencies;
(3)
Relationship to local board
Members of the youth council who are not members of the local board described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subsection (b)(2) of this section shall be voting members of the youth council and nonvoting members of the board.
(4)
Duties
The duties of the youth council include—
(A)
developing the portions of the local plan relating to eligible youth, as determined by the chairperson of the local board;
(B)
subject to the approval of the local board and consistent with section
2843 of this title—
(C)
coordinating youth activities authorized under section
2854 of this title in the local area; and
(i)
Alternative entity
(1)
In general
For purposes of complying with subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this section, and paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (h) of this section, a State may use any local entity (including a local council, regional workforce development board, or similar entity) that—
(A)
is established to serve the local area (or the service delivery area that most closely corresponds to the local area);