Governor Landry Issues Executive Order to Continue Reforms by Seeking Federal Waivers

MODERNIZING LOUISIANA’S WORKFORCE FOR A NEW ERA

WHEREAS, Louisiana is experiencing an unprecedented period of economic development opportunity, with major private-sector investments creating immediate and sustained demand for skilled workers across the state, requiring a workforce development system capable of responding at speed and at scale;

WHEREAS, my administration is committed to empowering citizens to move from dependence to independence by modernizing Louisiana’s workforce for a new era;

WHEREAS, recent and ongoing changes to public benefit systems, including Medicaid policy changes and major federal benefit reforms, will require more than 200,000 Louisianians to meet new benchmarks in order to maintain eligibility for public benefits, requiring the State to modernize and adapt its workforce system to meet this increased demand effectively;

WHEREAS, Louisiana’s current workforce system dedicates a substantial share of available funding to personnel, operating, and administrative expenses, with local workforce areas collectively spending approximately seventy-three percent of workforce funds on such costs during calendar year 2025, limiting the State’s ability to scale effective strategies and maximize the impact of public investments;

WHEREAS, in 2024, the Louisiana Legislature, through Senate Concurrent Resolution 11, urged the United States Congress to amend federal law to allow states to develop a consolidation plan for the delivery of workforce development to their citizens, in order to provide broader, more streamlined access to such services and to ensure coordinated delivery of workforce development programs;

WHEREAS, national workforce reform priorities under the Trump Administration have emphasized streamlining government, reducing administrative overhead, eliminating duplicative structures, and holding workforce systems accountable for measurable outcomes for workers, employers, and taxpayers;

WHEREAS, the Trump Administration’s Department of Labor recently released Training and Employment Guidance Letter No. 05-25 Maximizing Innovation in Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Programs, encouraging states to request waivers of existing WIOA statutory or regulatory requirements that can help overcome specific barriers to innovation and align with the Administration’s five strategic pillars for workforce investment, including recommendations to centralize governance ofWIOA functions.

NOW THEREFORE I, JEFF LANDRY, Governor of the State of Louisiana, by virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution and laws of the State of Louisiana, do hereby order and direct as follows:

Section l: Louisiana Works is hereby directed to reform and modernize the State’s public workforce development system to ensure it is capable of meeting current and anticipated workforce demand, including the increased volume of individuals entering the system as a result of changes to public benefit programs. This effort shall prioritize system capacity, efficiency, responsiveness, and measurable outcomes for workers and employers, while maintaining continuity of services across the State.

Section 2: Louisiana Works is hereby directed to pursue and implement available federal waivers, flexibilities, and administrative options to reduce unnecessary overhead, streamline governance and operations, and maximize the share of workforce resources dedicated to direct services. To the maximum extent practicable within federal parameters, Louisiana Works shall:

A. Establish a unified statewide planning and governance structure by authorizing the Workforce Investment Council (State Workforce Board) to carry out local board functions and allowing the WIOA State Plan to serve as the required regional plan for each local area;
B. Eliminate duplicative local governance, reporting, and operating requirements by consolidating workforce system oversight, contracting, and administrative functions at the state level;
C. Replace fragmented local oversight and compliance models with a single, statewide accountability and monitoring framework, including modernized standards for fiscal integrity and administrative efficiency;
D. Enable the receipt and administration of workforce funds in a consolidated or block grant to increase flexibility, reduce administrative burden, and support statewide workforce development priorities;
E. Increase the return on investment of state and federal workforce funds by redirecting resources from duplicative governance, infrastructure, and administrative overhead toward direct training, work-based learning, employment services, and supportive services;
F. Expand employer-driven workforce strategies through increased flexibility in training investments, work-based learning, and pay-for-performance contracting;
G. Strengthen pathways from dependence to independence by better coordinating workforce and supportive services, expanding post-employment supports that help citizens remain employed and advance in their careers, and prioritizing strategies that lead to longterm employment and self-sufficiency.

These actions shall be undertaken with the objective of operating a unified workforce development system that prioritizes measurable outcomes, strengthens employer engagement, improves service delivery for job seekers, and ensures responsible stewardship of state and federal workforce funds.

Section 3: Louisiana Works shall explore the development of a dedicated, employer facing workforce solutions model designed to strengthen the State’s ability to translate business demand into coordinated training, work-based learning, and talent deployment strategies. This exploration shall evaluate alternative approaches to governance, operational structure, performance accountability, and funding alignment, with the objective of identifying a model that is agile, efficient, and focused on measurable outcomes for employers.

Section 4: All departments, commissions, boards, agencies, and officers of the state, or any political subdivision thereof, are authorized and directed to cooperate in the implementation of this Order.

Section 5: This Order is effective upon signature and shall continue in effect until amended, modified, terminated, or rescinded by the Governor, or terminated by operation of law.