Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7; Title 13, Chapter 19; Title 50; Title 59; Title 60; Title 65; Title 66, Chapter 9, Part 2; Title 68 and Title 69.

By January 1, 2025, this bill requires the department of labor and workforce development ("department") to establish and support, subject to appropriation, a program that creates and maintains incentives for individuals to seek employment related to the provision, creation, or expansion of solar or wind energy in this state ("green energy jobs"), and for entities to create, expand, and offer such jobs. The program must provide the following:<br /> <br /> (1) Training and other workforce development initiatives to encourage individuals to seek a career path in green energy jobs;<br /> <br /> (2) Incentives for entities to create, expand, or offer green energy jobs in this state;<br /> <br /> (3) Information on areas or regions of the state in which the creation, expansion, or offering of green energy jobs would create the largest increase above the currently existing green energy jobs offered in the area or region; and<br /> <br /> (4) Information for individuals who seek to transition from employment involving the mining of coal to a green energy job, and incentives to make such transition, including training and other workforce development initiatives focused on helping such individuals.<br /> <br /> This bill authorizes the department to work with the department of environment and conservation, or another state department or entity of this state, to facilitate the creation of the program required by this bill.<br /> <br /> ANNUAL REPORT<br /> <br /> This bill requires the department to evaluate the program established under this bill and report, beginning on January 1, 2026, and on or before January 1 of each year thereafter, the results of the evaluation to the governor, the chair of the commerce committee of the house of representatives, and the chair of the commerce and labor committee of the senate. The report must adhere to the following:<br /> <br /> (A) Discuss the manner in which the department implements the requirements of (1)-(4) above into the program, including what training and workforce development initiatives are offered through the program; the incentives provided to entities for the creation, expansion, or offering of green energy jobs; the impact, if any, on areas or regions, identified in the program under (3) above; and the effectiveness of the program in helping individuals transition from employment involving the mining of coal to green energy jobs; and<br /> <br /> (B) Detail the department's planned changes and improvements to the program that are planned for the upcoming evaluation period and the goal or anticipated impacts of such changes and improvements.<br /> <br /> RULEMAKING<br /> <br /> This bill requires the department to promulgate rules to effectuate this bill.<br />