Section 12-A:61 New Hampshire Workforce Opportunity Fund. - New Hampshire Statutes

   I. There is hereby established the New Hampshire workforce opportunity fund which shall be nonlapsing, continually appropriated to, and administered by the commissioner of the department of resources and economic development. Said fund shall be for the purpose of receiving financial assistance under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and providing funds for grants and other workforce development initiatives.
   II. The fund shall be distributed or expended by the commissioner after consultation with the New Hampshire Workforce Opportunity Council established in RSA 12-A:60 and the approval of the governor and council for any of the following purposes:
      (a) Workforce Investment Act Adult and Dislocated Worker programs.
      (b) Workforce Investment Act Youth programs.
      (c) Workforce Investment Act Senior Community Service Employment programs.
      (d) Workforce Investment Act Disability programs.
      (e) Workforce Investment Act Regional Innovation and National Emergency grant programs.
      (f) Other projects, programs, or grants recognized as being beneficial to workforce development initiatives and consistent with the goals of the Workforce Investment Act.
   III. (a) The department may accept gifts, grants, donations, or other moneys for the purposes of this section. Said moneys shall be deposited into the New Hampshire workforce opportunity fund.
      (b) The commissioner may enter into contracts and agreements and may take other actions that may be necessary or desirable to effect the transfer to it of operations currently conducted by The Workforce Opportunity Council, Inc. or the New Hampshire Workforce Opportunity Council under the Workforce Investment Act, and to effect the transfer of assets utilized by them in doing so; and, the commissioner may assume, bear, and agree to perform those contracts of the Workforce Opportunity Council, Inc. or the New Hampshire Workforce Opportunity Council that may be necessary or desirable for carrying out the purposes of this section.
   IV. The commissioner of the department of resources and economic development shall have the authority to enter into such agreements for leasing real property, acquiring goods, and engaging services to perform Rapid Response activities in accordance with this subdivision. The commissioner shall provide the governor and council an information item not less frequently than semi-annually describing all such agreements and amounts expended pursuant thereto. Such agreements shall be made pursuant to forms of agreement that shall be approved by governor and council which forms of agreement have been reviewed by the attorney general and the commissioner of the department of administrative services.
   V. In accordance with RSA 12-A:51-58, the commissioner of resources and economic development shall have the authority to make grants to New Hampshire employers for the purpose of training employees in accordance with this chapter, such grants not to exceed the amounts specified in RSA 282-A:87, IV(a)(2), and not to exceed to any single employer in any grant year the sum of $70,000, unless first approved by governor and council. The commissioner shall provide the governor and council an information item not less frequently than semi-annually describing all such grants expended pursuant thereto. Such grants shall be made pursuant to a form of agreement that shall be approved by governor and council after review by the attorney general and the commissioner of the department of administrative services.

Source. 2009, 144:91, eff. Oct. 1, 2009.