Rhode Island § 28-42-84 - Employment Security — General Provisions

§ 28-42-84. Job development fund — Disbursements — Unexpended balance.

(a) The moneys in the job development fund shall be used for the following purposes:

(1) To reimburse the department of labor and training for the loss of any federal funds resulting from the collection and maintenance of the fund by the department;

(2) To make refunds of contributions erroneously collected and deposited in the fund;

(3) To pay any administrative expenses incurred by the department of labor and training associated with the collection of the contributions for employers paid pursuant to § 28-43-8.5, and any other administrative expenses associated with the maintenance of the fund, including the payment of all premiums upon bonds required pursuant to § 28-42-85;

(4) To provide for job training, counseling and assessment services, and other related activities and services. Services will include, but are not limited to, research, development, coordination, and training activities to promote workforce development and business development as established by the governor’s workforce board Rhode Island (workforce board);

(5) To support the state’s job training for economic development;

(6) Beginning January 1, 2001, two hundredths of one percent (0.02%) out of the job development assessment paid pursuant to § 28-43-8.5 shall be used to support necessary core services in the unemployment insurance and employment services programs operated by the department of labor and training;

(7) Beginning January 1, 2011, and ending in tax year 2014, three tenths of one percent (0.3%) out of the fifty-one hundredths of one percent (0.51%) job development assessment paid pursuant to § 28-43-8.5 shall be deposited into a restricted-receipt account to be used solely to pay the principal and/or interest due on Title XII advances received from the federal government in accordance with the provisions of Section 1201 of the Social Security Act [42 U.S.C. § 1321]; provided, however, that if the federal Title XII loans are repaid through a state revenue bond or other financing mechanism, then these funds may also be used to pay the principal and/or interest that accrues on that debt. Any remaining funds in the restricted-receipt account, after the outstanding principal and interest due has been paid, shall be transferred to the employment security fund for the payment of benefits;

(8) Beginning January 1, 2019, and ending December 31, 2019, the amount of the job development assessment paid pursuant to § 28-43-8.5 above nineteen hundredths of one percent (0.19%) shall be used to support necessary core services in the unemployment insurance and employment services programs operated by the department of labor and training; and

(9) Beginning January 1, 2023, and through the end of the subsequent biennial employment and training plan required by § 42-102-6(a)(2), at least four percent (4%) of prior fiscal year job development assessment revenues shall be utilized to provide contractor training program grants that shall prioritize minority business enterprises, and state and local building officials. As an addendum to that plan required by § 42-102-6(a)(2), there shall be a report that assesses the impact of the funding required by this subsection on these prioritized groups, including any impact on § 37-14.1-1, and prospectively assesses the need to continue this support, and provides recommendations to incorporate funding in the furtherance of developing these aforementioned workforce sectors.

(b) The general treasurer shall pay all vouchers duly drawn by the workforce board upon the fund, in any amounts and in any manner that the workforce board may prescribe. Vouchers so drawn upon the fund shall be referred to the controller within the department of administration. Upon receipt of those vouchers, the controller shall immediately record and sign them and shall promptly transfer those signed vouchers to the general treasurer. Those expenditures shall be used solely for the purposes specified in this section and its balance shall not lapse at any time but shall remain continuously available for expenditures consistent with this section. The general assembly shall annually appropriate the funds contained in the fund for the use of the workforce board and, in addition, for the use of the department of labor and training effective July 1, 2000, and for the payment of the principal and interest due on federal Title XII loans beginning July 1, 2011; provided, however, that if the federal Title XII loans are repaid through a state revenue bond or other financing mechanism, then the funds may also be used to pay the principal and/or interest that accrues on that debt.