would perceive as the vision that the committee needs to follow.

    Lt. Governor Walker reported that child care is critical because welfare is made up of single parents. The ideal is to have the parent at home with preschool children, yet the recipient of assistance needs to work. Child care is one of the lowest paid jobs. She indicated that we are caught up in the dichotomy of welfare mothers needing to go to work but quality child care needs to be provided. Lt. Governor Walker stated that there are several aspects of child care that every child has to have as well as a loving and caring environment.

    Sen. Jones asked Lt. Governor Walker what her thoughts are regarding the target date of the departmental transition.

    The Lt. Governor's was that the department is on track for the target date of July 1. She is hoping sufficient time will be given for retraining of state workers and to take care of problems that arise.

4.     Department of Workforce Services -- Robert C. Gross, Director, Department of Workforce Services _ Mr. Gross distributed a handout and presented a slide presentation on the integration of Workforce Service's Departments. He indicated that through the dedication and hard work of a number of people in his agencies, the transition is on schedule and in some areas ahead of schedule. Mr. Gross said the department has looked at this planning year from July 1, 1996 until July 1, 1997 in three phases. He addressed each phase and explained the process used in each, then discussed the working groups.

    Mr. Gross informed committee members of the agencies that will move into the department and their functions and responsibilities. He said the Workforce Appeals Board will hear all appeals that come out of the agencies. The largest bulk of those appeals will be in the area of unemployment insurance. Approximately 500 claims per year will move from an adjudicative officer's process to an appeals process. There will be part-time boards that the Governor will appoint. The Workforce Appeals Board will be a part-time board and will hear all appeals that move beyond the hearing officer stage. Mr. Gross reported that the State Council on Workforce Services has had an orientation meeting and will meet for its regularly scheduled meeting. He stated that there are five administrative regions and eight planning regions in the state. The department is now beginning to fill positions at the level below the regional manager and regional management staff positions and are turning their attention to the individual Employment Center offices. He indicated that the department has identified approximately 1,800 employees and 1,750 full time equivalent employees that will be moving into the new department from the agencies. This will include those employees coming from the employment offices and those employees who have come from the counties that are part of the job training system. Mr. Gross stated that the process is being monitored in an attempt to develop the right staffing levels. Mr. Gross then discussed the process of evaluating the appropriate case load standards per employee;

the appropriate employees' standard per supervisor in light of the changing circumstances of the new department; and the new responsibilities that case workers will be assuming.

    Sen. Muhlestein asked how the department is handling salary? Mr Gross replied that the department is doing it very carefully by studying what the department is asking workers to do; what they have previously done; and then looking at the similar tasks performed by those from other organizations; and then coming up with the appropriate job classifications in grades. How the department is going to fill positions has been a challenge as well. Mr. Gross discussed the range of perspectives. The department is somewhat limited by state rule or state statute. In conclusion, he shared the department's mission and vision statements with committee members.

    Sen. Peterson asked how the department interfaces with the Department of Corrections. Mr. Gross said that the department would have to deal with it as one of the special needs area populations.

    Mr. Mason M. Bishop, Department of Workforce Services, said that Correction's recidivism is on the drawing board and a collaboration group made up of executive directors of a number of agencies including Corrections will discuss these issues.

    Rep. Goodfellow emphasized the importance of including public input into the plans.

5.    1996/1997 General Session Review - Workforce Services Legislation _ Mr. R. Chet Loftis, Associate General Counsel -- Mr. Loftis distributed a handout from which he presented his remarks. He focused on two areas: (1) the responsibilities of the Department of Workforce Services; and (2) Welfare Reform. He indicated that his remarks are based on a legislative standpoint. He then presented a summary of where we are at currently. Mr. Loftis said there have been four bills that have dealt with the responsibilities of the department: H.B. 375, S.B. 166, H.B. 269, and S.B. 64. Under current law, the department has responsibility for the following areas:
         
            .     child care
            .     employment security (or unemployment compensation)
            .     a job training and apprenticeship program
            .     cash assistance
            .     food stamps
            .     general assistance
            .     encouragement of social capital (or community involvement)
            .     establishing and operating the new hire registry


     Welfare Reform - Mr. Loftis said that welfare reform is closely tied to the Department of

Workforce Services. He presented background information on welfare reform to the present time. He indicated that while the Office of Child Care has been brought within the Department of Workforce Services, the licensing of daycare facilities is with the Department of Health.
                 
6.    Discussion and Selection of 1997 Interim Studies --

    Chair Carnahan referred to a copy of the Master Study Resolution. He said that staff had gone through the list and suggested item 95- Benefits for Grandparents, and item 100 - Quality Child Care. Chair Carnahan suggested item 45 - Area Technology Centers (ATC) and Service Regions. Sen. Peterson requested item 151- Career Service in Corrections. Rep. Carnahan requested that committee members study the list, identify those items they feel appropriate for the next Workforce Service's agenda, and submit them to staff.

    Sen. Montgomery said a topic or subject not on this list can be requested as well and submitted by the chairs in a letter to the Legislative Management Committee for their approval.

8.    Adjourn _

    MOTION: Rep. Haymond moved to adjourn the meeting at 3:30 p.m. The motion passed unanimously.



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