9-12-1402. General powers and duties of the council; economic diversification policy and strategy; authority of governor.

(a) The ENDOW executive council shall:

(i) Receive and evaluate public input, opinions and recommendations regarding the diversification of Wyoming's economy and advise the governor and legislature of any findings or recommendations. The council shall seek the advice of departments, boards, commissions and agencies of the state of Wyoming;

(ii) By August 30, 2017, prepare and submit to the governor and legislature through the joint minerals, business and economic development interim committee, an exhaustive assessment of socioeconomic data, which shall include an examination of state and local fiscal sustainability, existing, new and emerging economic sectors and subsectors of the economy, identification of potential business development and innovation zones, an inventory of existing workforce strengths and deficiencies, economic trends and key enablers for economic growth in the state that translate to viable business development;

(iii) By December 31, 2017, prepare and submit to the governor and legislature a report of its preliminary findings and recommendations in the development of a comprehensive economic diversification strategy. The preliminary report shall evaluate investments necessary to support new and emerging industries or economic sectors, knowledge transfer, infrastructure, international trade, and cooperation between the public sector and private enterprise, assess the relationship between incremental state and local tax revenues, costs of public services and economic diversification and make recommendations as appropriate. The report shall identify specific areas which should be designated as business development and innovation zones. In identifying potential zones the report shall review the establishment of zones including, but not limited to, industries involving agriculture and agricultural business, renewable energy sources, advanced clean coal technologies, nuclear fuel processing and enrichment, hybrid energy sources, enhanced oil recovery, inland distribution ports, international trade, food and beverage industry distribution, promotion, marketing and development of the international trust and fiduciary business and related sectors, emerging research and technological development, existing, new and emerging economic sectors and subsectors, and value added manufacturing involving Wyoming resources. The potential zones shall be described by location in the state, including recommended boundaries. The report shall also identify existing industries in these areas which could be expanded and used to attract other businesses in the same, related or mutually supporting industries. The report shall identify existing deficiencies and strengths in Wyoming's workforce and workforce training programs;

(iv) By August 1, 2018, prepare and submit to the governor for his approval a twenty (20) year comprehensive economic diversification strategy. The strategy shall contain explicit economic targets to guide the evolution of Wyoming's economy in order to build a sustainable and diversified, value added economy by 2038. The strategy shall identify agency specific or collective actions that can be implemented immediately without new state appropriations and resources and agency specific and collective actions that will require new state appropriations or reallocation of state resources. The strategy shall address the creation of business development and innovation zones and plans to implement the zones. The council may recommend to the governor modifications to the twenty (20) year plan from time to time as it deems advisable;

(v) In coordination with departments, boards, commissions and agencies of the state of Wyoming, develop four (4) year action plans with performance benchmarks, including policy recommendations and budget requests. Each plan shall specify a time period for creating business development and innovation zones within the plan's four (4) year period and a time schedule for full implementation of steps necessary to establish each zone. The council shall submit each action plan to the governor for his approval. After approval by the governor, the council shall, in coordination with departments, boards, commissions and agencies of the state, implement the action plan and provide regular progress reports in meeting targets and shall identify adjustments to be made to the governor and legislature;

(vi) Review with the Wyoming business council, community college commission, University of Wyoming, the department of workforce services, and other state agency directors as determined by the governor and ENDOW executive council to be necessary or desirable, agency enabling legislation, rules and regulations, policies, procedures and other governing mechanisms to determine amendments which would better align agency functions with the economic diversification strategy and to allow for implementation of business development and innovation zones;

(vii) Engage the private sector in review of state laws, rules and regulations, policies, procedures and other governing mechanisms that inhibit economic diversification efforts, including those which stand as obstacles to the implementation of business development and innovation zones, in order to determine amendments to the same without compromising Wyoming's environmental and workplace standards;

(viii) Have the authority to contract with consultants through the Wyoming business council for rendering of professional, financial and technical assistance and advice, including for studies and investigation likely to lead to economic diversification;

(ix) At the request of the governor, review and make recommendations to the governor for approval on projects submitted for grant and other funding opportunities from nonstate sources which support the economic diversification strategy;

(x) Conduct studies to identify services, facilities and amenities that are attractive to businesses and their employees seeking to relocate but which are substantially lacking or deficient in Wyoming, and identify potential solutions to address those deficiencies to create working and community life climates attractive to a modern day workforce;

(xi) Develop a performance evaluation system, monitor progress and report to the governor the status of programs and activities outlined as goals, objectives or action items in the state's economic diversification strategy;

(xii) In consultation with the University of Wyoming, community colleges, the department of education, department of workforce services and Wyoming business council, review existing career technical education programs and develop recommendations regarding opportunities to better coordinate existing public and private programs, and develop or acquire existing career technical education facilities to further technical education opportunities in the state. The recommendations shall be included in the council's twenty (20) year economic diversification strategy and may be included in the council's four (4) year action plan as determined appropriate by the council.

(b) In carrying out his duties under this article the governor, in consultation with the presiding officers of the legislature, may convene advisors to obtain objective advice in the formulation of economic diversification policy, including assessing local, national and global conditions and trends and evaluating the significance of those factors relative to Wyoming.