§2043. Members

            A. The council shall consist of members as follows:

            (1) The governor.

            (2) The secretary of the Louisiana Workforce Commission.

            (3) The secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services.

            (4) The secretary of Louisiana Economic Development.

            (5) The state superintendent of education.

            (6) The president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System.

            (7) The commissioner of higher education.

            (8) The secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections.

            (9) The speaker of the House of Representatives or his designee.

            (10) The president of the Senate or his designee.

            (11)(a) Members appointed by the governor, who shall be comprised of the following:

            (i) Not less than fifty-one percent of the members shall be comprised of representatives of businesses in the state who are any of the following:

            (aa) Business owners, chief executive or operating officers of businesses, or other business executives or employers with optimum policymaking or hiring authority and who, in addition, may be members of a local board.

            (bb) Representatives of businesses in general, including small businesses, or organizations representing businesses that provide employment opportunities that, at a minimum, include high-quality, work relevant training and development in high-demand industry sectors or occupations in this state, with at least one member being appointed as a representative of a small business as defined by the United States Small Business Administration.

            (cc) Representatives who are appointed from among individuals nominated by state business organizations and business trade associations.

            (ii) Not less than twenty percent of the members shall be comprised of representatives of the workforce within this state who are any of the following:

            (aa) At least two representatives of labor organizations who have been nominated by state labor federations.

            (bb) At least one representative who is a member of a labor organization or a training director from a registered apprenticeship program in the state.

            (cc) Representatives of community-based organizations who have demonstrated experience and expertise in addressing the employment, training, or education needs of individuals with barriers to employment, including organizations that serve veterans or that provide or support competitive, integrated employment for individuals with disabilities.

            (dd) Representatives of organizations who have demonstrated experience and expertise in addressing the employment, training, or education needs of eligible youth, including representatives of organizations that serve out-of-school youth.

            (ee) Representatives of local workforce development area boards who have served or are currently serving in the capacity as board directors.

            (iii) The balance of the membership may include other representatives or officials as the governor may designate, including but not limited to:

            (aa) State agency officials from agencies that are one-stop partners.

            (bb) State agency officials responsible for economic development or juvenile justice programs in this state.

            (cc) State agency officials responsible for education programs in this state, including chief executive officers of community colleges and other institutions of higher education.

            (b) Repealed by Acts 2024, No. 623, §2.

            (12)(a) Two members representing parish and city government appointed by the governor, who shall be chief executive officers of a parish or city.

            (b) In appointing the members representing parish and city government, the following entities may each submit a list of three nominees to the governor for his consideration:

            (i) Louisiana Conference of Mayors.

            (ii) Louisiana Municipal Association.

            (iii) Police Jury Association of Louisiana or its successor.

            (13) At least one member who is a representative of the Vocational Rehabilitation Program under the Louisiana Rehabilitation Services.

            (14) Repealed by Acts 2024, No. 623, §2.

            B.(1) In making the appointments, the governor shall, as nearly as practicable, appoint members in a manner that is representative of the population of the regions of the state and shall consider factors including but not limited to race, color, religion, gender, and national origin.

            (2) Each appointment by the governor shall be submitted to the Senate for confirmation.

            C. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section, should any nominating entity fail to make any nomination provided in Subsection A of this Section, then the governor shall make the appointment.

            D. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section, should any determination be made that any provision of this Section does not conform to the requirements of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, then the governor shall make appointments consistent with the Act.

            Acts 1997, No. 1, §1, eff. April 30, 1997; Acts 2008, No. 743, §2, eff. July 1, 2008; Acts 2015, No. 426, §§2, 7; Acts 2024, No. 623, §§1, 2.