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Bill Summary · SB 35

SB 35 — Modify Local Workforce Development Board (Summary)

Status: Passed 1st Reading
Introduced: August 15, 2025
Scope: Local act applying only to the Northeastern Workforce Development Board (Dare, Currituck, Camden, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Chowan, Gates, Hyde, Tyrrell, Washington counties)

Main purpose

To amend the statutory duties of a Local Workforce Development Board (the Northeastern board) to clarify and require that the board designate providers of adult and dislocated worker services through a competitive selection process and to formalize an annual designation cadence.

Key provisions

  • Amends G.S. 143B‑438.11 (Local Workforce Development Boards) to change the board’s duties.
  • Adds/edits subsection (7a) to require the board to:
    • Designate providers of adult and dislocated worker services "through a competitive selection process"; and
    • Make such designations by specified deadlines (the bill text references designation “by no later than July 1, 2014, and annually thereafter” — the operative effect is an annual designation requirement).
  • Applies only to the Northeastern Workforce Development Board (the ten counties listed above).
  • Effective on enactment (bill text: “This act is effective when it becomes law.”)

Who is affected

  • Northeastern Workforce Development Board (administrative duties and procurement practice).
  • Local service providers (one‑stop centers, training providers, contractors) who deliver adult and dislocated worker services — they may be subject to more frequent competitive procurement or re‑designation.
  • County governments and local workforce/staff who administer contracts and compliance.
  • Jobseekers and employers in the ten‑county region indirectly (service continuity, provider quality).

Procedural / timeline notes

  • The bill requires an annual designation cycle for providers (language in the bill references annual designation).
  • The bill was introduced August 15, 2025 and has passed first reading (per bill header). Implementation depends on final enactment and any follow‑up rules or board policies to operationalize the competitive process.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Administrative workload: annual competitive selection may increase procurement and oversight tasks for the board and counties.
  • Market effects: existing providers could face more frequent competition; potential for supplier turnover or service interruptions if re‑procurement occurs annually.
  • Service quality/accountability: competitive designation can promote performance accountability and alignment with local labor market needs.
  • Legal/federal alignment: the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) already emphasizes competitive selection of service providers; the bill appears to codify/clarify that practice locally. Implementation should be reviewed for consistency with federal procurement and program requirements.
  • Geographic limitation: the change is local — it does not alter statewide statutes except as they apply to this specific board.

If enacted, SB 35 will formalize a recurring competitive procurement approach for adult/dislocated worker service providers in the Northeastern NC workforce area, shifting local administrative practice and affecting provider relationships in that ten‑county region.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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