(The Center Square) − Lawmakers have passed a bill this week that will overhaul and combine Louisiana’s job training and public assistance program in a “One Door” model. It now heads to Gov. Jeff Landry’s desk.
Breault’s House Bill 624, which was amended by the Senate, passed unanimously on Thursday. It attempts to offer individuals receiving benefits a better opportunity to develop the skills needed to obtain a well-paying job.
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Lawmakers will integrate social safety net programs with job training services, so recipients can access both benefits and workforce development support through a single case-managed system led in part by the Louisiana Workforce Commission.
To do so, several programs will no longer be administered by the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Disability Determination Services, and Child Support Enforcement employment and training program.
“The thought is to streamline delivery from the state, but create a case management model. A one stop process,” Rep. Stephanie Berault, R-Slidell, said in an interview. “Anything they are eligible for, the case manager will help them get it.”
Some parts of SNAP will be moved instead to the Louisiana Department of Health. Louisiana Workforce Commissioner Susana Schowenn told The Center Square that LDH is better equipped to handle SNAP benefits. The SNAP employment and training program will be moved to LWC.
The Louisiana Workforce Commission will work closely with LDH to ensure that all benefits are delivered in as seamless a manner as possible. Berault said that they are planning to develop an online platform to help facilitate the whole process.
“There are currently 800 people doing Medicaid eligibility and 600 doing SNAP eligibility for the same people on the same system,” Berault said.
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program will be wholly administered by Louisiana Works.
The bill is modeled off of legislation enacted in Utah, which at one point operated 23 workforce programs from six different state agencies. A 1992 audit revealed a fragmented system with overlapping responsibilities and redundancies.
An audit from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor found that the majority of participants either earned less after completing programs or never found employment in their field of training. Fewer than 20% of individuals were served.
“As we contemplate potential federal cuts to safety net programs, we need a plan to protect the programs in Louisiana for those who most need them.” Berault said. “One of the primary ways we can do that is to support education and training for those who can transition into higher wage, high demand jobs.”
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If federal benefits are cut and too many people in Louisiana rely on what’s left from the state, there won’t be enough to go around.
In October, the workforce programs will all transfer to Louisiana Works and next July disability programs will be transferred to the Louisiana Department of Health.