BILL NUMBER: SB 410INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Senator Ducheny FEBRUARY 26, 2009 An act to add Section 14003.5 to the Unemployment Insurance Code, relating to workforce investment. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 410, as introduced, Ducheny. California Workforce Investment Act: federal funding. The federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 provides for workforce investment activities, including activities in which states may participate. Under existing law, the California Workforce Investment Board is responsible for assisting the Governor in the development, oversight, and continuous improvement of California's workforce investment system. Existing law requires the board, among other things, to assist the Governor with promoting the development of a well-educated and highly skilled workforce and developing the State Workplace Investment Plan. This bill would express legislative findings and declarations with respect to the need to increase funding for job training provided under the act to ensure that an adequate percentage of the federal funding available is used for training purposes. The bill would require that, notwithstanding any other law, not less than 40% of the federal funds available to the state for use workforce investment pursuant to the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 be used for purposes related to employment training, and would prohibit the use of more than 3% of that amount for administrative costs related to the provision of that training. 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. The Legislature finds and declares the following: (a) California's unemployment rate has increased dramatically in recent months, and now stands at a rate of approximately 9.3 percent statewide. Over 30 of California's counties have unemployment rates at or above 10 percent, and in the last year, approximately 650,000 Californians have lost their jobs while the total number of unemployed individuals in the state has risen to over 1.7 million. (b) Ensuring access to, and increasing the availability of, job training is vital to California's economy and will help to ensure the survival of the state's businesses and industry during challenging times. (c) Federal funding assistance for employment training is critically needed to put Californians back to work. SEC. 2. Section 14003.5 is added to the Unemployment Insurance Code, to read: 14003.5. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, not less than 40 percent of the funds received by the state pursuant to the federal Workforce Investment Act for the purposes of this division shall be used for training purposes. (b) Not more than 3 percent of the funds used for training pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be used for administrative costs related to the provision of that training.