California Assembly Bill AB3 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 3AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 1, 2009 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 13, 2009 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member V. Manuel Perez (Coauthors: Assembly Members  Fuentes     and Galgiani   Fuentes,   Galgiani,   Monning,   and Portantino  ) DECEMBER 1, 2008 An act to add Section 14013.5 to the Unemployment Insurance Code, relating to workforce development. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 3, as amended, V. Manuel Perez. Workforce development: Renewable Energy Workforce Readiness Initiative. Existing law, the California Workforce Investment Act, establishes the California Workforce Investment Board  (CWIB)  , which is the body responsible for assisting the Governor in the development, oversight, and continuous improvement of California's workforce investment system, and prescribes the functions and duties of the board with regard to the implementation and administration of workforce training and development programs.  Existing law establishes the Green Collar Jobs Council (GCJC) as a special committee in the CWIB, comprised of specified members, to assist in providing workforce development and job training relating to green collar jobs.  This bill would require the  board   CWIB  , by January 1, 2011,  in consultation with the Green Collar Jobs Council (GCJC),  to establish a Renewable Energy Workforce Readiness Initiative to ensure green collar career placement and advancement opportunities within California's renewable energy  generation,  manufacturing, construction, installation, maintenance, and operation sectors that is targeted towards specified populations. The  initiative   bill  would  award training grants, on a competitive basis, to implement and operate renewable energy worker training and education prgrrams in the state.   require that the initiative provide guidance to local workforce investment boards on how to establish comprehensive green collar job assessment, training, and   placement programs that reflect the local and regional economies, as prescribed. The bill would require the CWIB, in developing the initiative, to assist the local workforce investment boards in collecting and analyzing specified labor market data, in order to assess accurate local or regional industry cluster workforce   development and training needs.  The  board   CWIB  would be required to submit to the Legislature, by January 1,  2012   2013  , a report on the implementation of the initiative. The bill would require the board to implement the  initiative, upon appropriation by the Legislature, using moneys from an unspecified fund   provisions of the bill using moneys made available to the CWIB from funds appropriated to the state pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, to the extent that those funds are available for that purpose  . Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (1) California is fortunate to have some of the finest solar, wind, and geothermal resources in the world, giving California the opportunity to lead the United States in the development of renewable energy technologies and the creation of green collar jobs. (2) A 2006 analysis performed by the Renewable Energy Policy Project looked at the employment gains throughout the United States and found that, of all the 50 states, California has the greatest potential to generate new renewable energy manufacturing activity. (3) The Governor issued Executive Order S-14-08, which increased the state's renewable portfolio standard to 33 percent by 2020, and positioned California's economy, technology centers, financial institutions, businesses, workers, and consumers to benefit from the state's renewable energy efforts. (4) California's investment in the production of renewable energy and associated infrastructure could be targeted to strengthen sectors and regions of the state economy suffering from high unemployment rates and poverty. (5) Educational institutions, in collaboration with labor and community-based organizations, play a significant role in the progress of renewable energy curriculum and career job placement within emerging renewable energy industries. (6) California's Imperial and Riverside Counties are recognized as California's renewable energy zone with the most potential for renewable energy development  and also   , and the zone  possesses one of the highest unemployment rates in the state. (7) Educational institutions in the Imperial, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties, such as Imperial Valley College, College of the Desert, Palo Verde Community College, University of California at Riverside, and California State San Bernardino are seeking to establish collaborations with local labor and renewable energy organizations but lack infrastructure, technical assistance, and resources.  (8) The federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) (29 U.S.C Sec. 2801 et seq.) makes funding available to states that offer training and workforce development services through state and local workforce investment boards, based on a set formula that includes specified economic and demographic data in order to provide appropriate programming in local workforce areas.   (9) The California Workforce Investment Board (CWIB) has established a special committee known as the Green Collar Jobs Council (GCJC) pursuant to Section 15002 of the Unemployment Insurance Code. The GCJC is comprised of appropriate representatives from the existing CWIB membership, and other appropriate members who serve as consultants to the GCJC in the development and implementation of California's green economic industry.   (10) The 2009-10 estimated WIA allocation to local workforce investment boards is approximately $363 million, while California will receive about $63 million in discretionary funding.   (11) California is expected to receive approximately $787 million in funds appropriated under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) (Public Law 111-5) for use for purposes related to assisting unemployed workers and struggling families. California is also expected to receive $480 million in supplemental WIA funding to be used for (A) youth formula grants; (B) dislocated worker programs; and (C) adult services grants. Of the $480 million in WIA funding targeted for California, the CWIB is expected to receive approximately $70 million to carry out supplemental programs related to the ARRA-funded programs.   (12) California's ARRA funding for adult services is expected to total approximately $80,117,954. These funds are intended to be used to provide grants to states for adult employment and training activities, including supportive services and needs-related payments to support the employment and training needs of priority populations, including recipients of public assistance and other low-income individuals.  (b) It is the intent of the Legislature to establish the "California Renewable Energy Workforce Readiness  Program   Initiative  " in order for  educational entities, labor organizations, local governments, and community-based organizations to work collectively to prepare   the California Workforce Investment Board (CWIB) to prepare  California's youth, military veterans, and  adult  workers for the economy of the future. SEC. 2. Section 14013.5 is added to the Unemployment Insurance Code, to read: 14013.5. (a) In furtherance of the requirements of this division, no later than January 1, 2011, the board, in consultation with  the Green Collar Jobs Council (GCJC) and  other appropriate state agencies, shall establish a Renewable Energy Workforce Readiness Initiative to ensure green collar career placement and advancement opportunities within California's renewable energy  generation  manufacturing, construction, installation, maintenance, and operation sectors. The initiative  shall be targeted at all of the following populations:   shall provide guidance to the local workforce investment boards on how to establish comprehensive green collar job assessment, training, and placement programs that reflect the local and regional economies. The purpose of the guidance is to assist local communities to develop strategies to best utilize moneys provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5) in designing and implementing green collar job development programs that are reflective of local and regional economies and that lead to stable career opportunities.   (b) Any workforce investment strategies developed by the initiative shall address how to effectively provide outreach, assessment, training, and placement to prospective worker populations, including those that have historically faced barriers to employment. Those populations include, but are not limited to, all of the following:  (1) Low-income and disadvantaged populations. (2) At-risk youth. (3) Formerly incarcerated nonviolent offenders. (4) Displaced and incumbent workers in transition. (5) Veterans of past or present military service.  (b) The Renewable Energy Workforce Readiness Initiative shall award workforce training grants, on a competitive basis, to applicants that can identify and involve target worker populations and demonstrate the ability to implement and operate renewable energy worker training and education programs in California. Eligible applicants include any of the following entities:   (c) The initiative also shall provide guidance on how to engage target populations and evaluate potential applicants' ability to implement and operate renewable energy worker training program in California. The initiative shall address how local workforce investment boards can effectively collaborate and shall include the participation of all of the following entities:  (1) Nonprofit organizations. (2) Local governments. (3) State-approved apprenticeship programs. (4) Community colleges. (5) Postsecondary educational institutions. (6) Local workforce training partnerships and collaboratives. (7) Regional occupational programs (ROP).  (c) In evaluating an application for a grant, the board shall assign higher priority to an application that satisfies one or more of the following criteria:   (d) The initiative shall further address how local workforce investment boards can prioritize programs that serve prospective workers who have historically faced barriers to employment, including, but not limited to, programs that do all of the following:  (1)  Serves   Serve  individuals in families with incomes less than 250 percent of the federal poverty level. (2)  Includes   Include    collaboration with community-based nonprofit organizations, labor organizations, apprenticeship programs that are approved by the Division of Apprenticeship Standards, in the Department of Industrial Relations, and educational institutions with expertise in serving low-income adults or youth. (3)  Links   Link  adult remedial education with occupational skills training. (4)  Ensures   Ensure  that supportive services are integrated with education and training, and delivered by organizations with direct access to and experience with targeted populations. (5)  Involves   Involve  employers and labor organizations, recognized by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), in the determination of relevant skills and competencies, ensuring that the certificates or credentials that result from the training are recognized by employers and labor organizations. (6)  Leverages   Leverage  additional public and private resources to fund readiness programs, including cash or in-kind matches from participating employers, nonprofits, or labor organizations recognized by the NLRB.  (d)   (e)  The board shall collect and analyze labor market data, track workforce trends, document academic and occupational competencies, identify future skill needs, promote and support local workforce training initiatives, and provide technical assistance and capacity building to energy partnerships and apprenticeship training programs that are approved by the Division of Apprenticeship Standards, in the Department of Industrial Relations, related to renewable energy and workforce development in California.  (e) No later than January 1, 2012, the board shall report to the Legislature on the implementation of this section. The report shall include a description of the entities receiving funding, the activities carried out by these entities, and an assessment of the results achieved by the program.   (f) The board shall implement this section using moneys, appropriated by the Legislature, from the fund established pursuant to Section ____.   (f) In developing the initiative, the board shall assist the local workforce investment boards in collecting and analyzing labor market data from existing reports and available data, in order to assess accurate local or regional industry cluster workforce development and training needs.   (g) No later than January 1, 2013, the board shall report to the Legislature on the implementation of this section. The report shall include an assessment of how effective the guidance required to be provided pursuant to subdivision (a) was in assisting local workforce investment boards in establishing renewable energy workforce training programs that lead to permanent jobs.   (h) The board shall implement this section using moneys made available to the board from the funds appropriated to the state pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) (Public Law 111-5) to the extent that these funds are available for that purpose.