OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) – Two bills that provide the Oklahoma Workforce Commission the guidance and funding it needs to coordinate and grow workforce revitalization efforts succeeded in the Oklahoma Senate on Monday.
Senate Bill 662 succeeded in the Senate with a 32-14 vote, and Senate Bill 663 succeeded with a 32-15 vote.
Both bills were written by Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, and Rep. Brian Hill, R-Mustang. Both are State Chamber-supported bills that were created to support the Workforce Commission’s efforts to revitalize the state’s workforce.
Pugh presented and defended both bills on the Senate floor on Monday.
SB 662 establishes program lanes that will help guide the Workforce Commission. SB 663 moves the revolving fund that was previously set up for workforce development and housed at the Department of Commerce to the Workforce Commission, which was the ultimate goal for the fund when it was originally established.
A few years ago, the Oklahoma Legislature voted to place $8 million of American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) funds into the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. Senate Bill 663 transfers that money to the Workforce Coordination Revolving Fund.
“This is transferring the authority to expend those funds, which now sit in the Department of Commerce and have not been touched, to the Workforce Commission,” Pugh said.
Sen. Shane Jett, R-Shawnee, challenged SB 663. He asked Pugh what will happen to the Workforce Commission once the ARPA funds are used.
Pugh said the $8 million one-time funding, like the $1 million the legislature gave the Workforce Commission last year.
“If after the Commission’s done the work that we’ve told them to do in Senate Bill 662, and we feel like it hasn’t achieve its purpose, we don’t have to fund it, we can disband it,” Pugh said. “If they’re doing good things at a local level to build out a workforce, which we know is the number one need right now in the state of Oklahoma for our people and our businesses, then I think it would be up to a future body to go ahead and make decisions [on funding].”
Hill spoke in support of the bills in February, saying they are essential to helping the Workforce Commission achieve its mission.
“As a business owner myself, I all to well understand how crucial workforce needs are for businesses in our state. You can’t create a thriving business without a strong workforce,” Hill said. “We need to support our education and workforce system with the tools and resources they need to collaborate and meet out demand.
Together we can build a stronger future for our children, for our families, and for our communities. Standing together, we will move Oklahoma forward.”
Senate Bill 621, written by Pugh and Hill, established the Oklahoma Workforce Commission when it was signed into law in June 2023.
The Workforce Commission works to coordinate the state’s workforce efforts. Their objective is to streamline workforce processes into a more efficient and effective system that will grow the economy and produce greater numbers of skilled workers. Hiring a CEO to coordinate workforce development strategies and initiatives was a primary Workforce Commission goal.
“The Oklahoma Workforce Commission was created to meet the needs of in-demand industries and grow our economy, while ensuring Oklahomans are equipped with the necessary skillset to be successful in these jobs,” Pugh said. “Since I have been in the Senate, one of my main priorities has been to enhance career readiness and connect education to industry so Oklahoma can remain competitive in a modern and rapidly changing economy. I was proud to author this legislation that aims to work toward this goal. I am excited about the announcement of the hiring of Kyla as CEO, and I look forward to working together to improve our state now and for future generations.”
SB 621 was born from research which revealed a workforce deficiency in Oklahoma. A State Chamber of Oklahoma and Business Roundtable joint survey found that 60 percent of Oklahoma’s business community said workforce shortages were the number one threat to business growth and expansion. Chad Warmington, president and CEO of The State Chamber of Oklahoma, and The State Chamber Research Foundation provided Gov. Kevin Stitt and legislators research data which showed that Oklahoma was 36,000 workers deficient in filling available jobs.
It was determined that a new, focused workforce management system was needed to grow the state’s workforce and fill the thousands upon thousands of available jobs.
The Workforce Commission is composed of nine members, each a representative from Oklahoma’s private business sector. It has been meeting since January, gathering information from state officials and leaders across the state’s industrial sectors. The Commission will rely on that information when creating workforce development strategies and administer and oversee funding allocated by the legislature for workforce development initiatives. The commission can contract with outside parties to achieve its goals.
