(1) Development and adoption of and adherence to, throughout the unified system, standards, principles, policies, goals, financial resource investment priorities and strategies for workforce development to maintain continuously a competitive advantage for this Commonwealth.

(2) Monitoring and assuring collaboration of the investment of all funds specifically appropriated by the Federal Government and designated by the Governor or funds specifically appropriated by State government for workforce development under any Federal or State statute.

(3) Assuring that no funds designated for Statewide youth activities are used to develop or implement education curricula for school districts.

(4) Examination of Federal and State statutes and regulations to assess whether they present barriers to achieving the provisions of this act and to recommend to the Federal Government, the Governor and the General Assembly amendments to statutes and regulations and waivers of regulations to eliminate barriers and to promote the provisions of this act.

(5) Development and dissemination of appropriate and necessary research and statistical information, to set the requisite protocols and standards for common data reference, to engage in or sponsor studies to identify unified system needs and to gather and disseminate information.

(6) Establishment of and adherence to performance-based quality assurance standards designed to optimize unified system function, performance and effectiveness.

(7) Evaluation of whether the local plans submitted by local workforce development boards support the strategies described by the State plan and are consistent with the State plan.

(8) Securing appropriate input from local workforce development boards in the development of policies, local performance measures or investment strategies.

(9) Establishment and maintenance of a universally accessible information access system which enables the unified system to function and serve its customers effectively.

(10) Deleted by 2022, July 7, P.L. 399, No. 31, § 3, effective in 60 days [Sept. 6, 2022].

(11) Providing technical assistance to local workforce development boards to assist them in maximizing the investment of public money.

(12) Setting the criteria, as permitted by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act,² for unified system and service provider participation and developing a systemwide outreach program.

(13) Recommending certification or recertification of local workforce development boards under the authority provided to the Governor by Federal law for certification or recertification. In particular, when considering recertification, the extent to which the local workforce development board has ensured that workforce development activities carried out in the local area have enabled the local area to achieve sustained fiscal integrity, as defined in section 106(b)(2) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act,³ meet the corresponding performance accountability measures.

(14) Recommending necessary action, including decertification, if a local workforce development board fails to carry out its functions as specified by law, engages in fraud or abuse or fails to meet established local performance accountability measures for the local area for two consecutive program years.

(15) Recognition of the potential of citizens, employers and communities in this Commonwealth by affirming the continued existence and independence of all current funding streams and programs for persons with disabilities while ensuring that employment-related programs for individuals with disabilities operate efficiently.

(16) Assessment of the economic and workforce needs of this Commonwealth and to develop the unified system to build on available services and resources to effectively meet these Statewide needs.

(17) Establishing cooperative and collaborative relationships with other states' unified system governing bodies.

(18) Encouraging the implementation of Federal and State statutory mandates which fall within the purview of the unified system.

(18.1) Recommendations regarding the operation of the one-stop delivery system and local workforce development boards.

(19) Compilation of an annual report which shall be submitted to the General Assembly, the Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives by March 1 and which shall include all of the following:

(1) Seek the participation of the participating agencies to ensure that the plans integrate workforce programs.

(2) Seek the advice of local workforce development boards to identify areas where federally and State-funded workforce resources can be maximized in a local region.

(3) Work with the participating agencies and local workforce development boards to fully implement local plans.

(4) Ensure that local plans incorporate sufficient levels of community engagement, participation and input from workforce development partnerships.