Agenda for Legislative Workforce Committee -- Tuesday, October 7

NORTH DAKOTA LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
Tentative Agenda
WORKFORCE COMMITTEE
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Conference Room 335, National Energy Center of Excellence, Bismarck State College
Bismarck, North Dakota
9:00 a.m. Call to order
Roll call
Approval of the minutes of the August 1, 2008, meeting
Welcome and comments by committee chairman
REPORTS
9:10 a.m. Presentation by Mr. Paul T. Govig, Director, Department of Commerce Division of
Community Services, of the Department of Commerce report on the implementation
and successes and failures of the Beginning Again North Dakota pilot program and
whether the program should be continued or continued and expanded
Comments by interested persons
Committee questions and discussion
9:30 a.m. Presentation by Mr. Shane C. Goettle, Commissioner, Department of Commerce, on
the process used and the factors considered by the commissioner in identifying target
industries on which economic development efforts are focused and the special focus
target industry
Comments by interested persons
Committee questions and discussion
WORKFORCE SYSTEM STUDY
9:50 a.m. Committee discussion regarding the results of the workforce system study, including
committee consideration of the following bill drafts:
• Expansion of the renaissance zone law to include tax incentives for repair or
remodeling of utility infrastructure
• Modification of the renaissance zone law to remove the distance requirement from
the exception to the continuous boundary requirement and to allow for transfers of
historic preservation and renovation tax credits
• Provide for a pilot program to incentivize state agencies to retain retirement age
employees
• Provide for a Department of Commerce program for marketing higher education
opportunities to out-of-state students
• Provide for funding for the Department of Commerce's Operation Intern program
• Provide for a higher education tuition grant program for qualified North Dakota high
school graduates
• Provide a five-year income tax exemption for recent graduates of institutions of
higher education
• Provide an income tax incentive for automation
• Provide an income tax child credit
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• Concurrent resolution for the Legislative Council to study the state's workforce
system, the feasibility and desirability of enacting legislation to address the issues
identified in the 2007-08 interim's Workforce Committee's consultant's report, and the
implementation of workforce initiatives enacted by the Sixty-first Legislative
Assembly
• Concurrent resolution urging Congress to address immigration reform to assist states
in addressing workforce shortages
Comments by interested persons
Committee directives
12:00 noon Luncheon break
1:00 p.m. Continuation of committee discussion
Comments by interested persons
Committee directives
2:00 p.m. Adjourn
Committee Members