BILL NUMBER: AB 15INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member V. Manuel Prez DECEMBER 6, 2010 An act to add Section 14013.5 to the Unemployment Insurance Code, relating to workforce development. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 15, as introduced, V. Manuel Prez. Workforce development: California Renewable Energy Workforce Readiness Initiative: local workforce investment boards. 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 CWIB, by July 1, 2012, in consultation with the Green Collar Jobs Council (GCJC), to establish the California 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 toward specified populations. The bill would 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 accurately the workforce development and training needs of local or regional industry clusters. The CWIB would be required to submit to the Legislature, by January 1, 2014, a report on the implementation of the initiative. The bill would require that the board only implement the initiative established pursuant to provisions of the bill if the Director of Finance determines that there are sufficient funds made available to the state for expenditure for the initiative pursuant to the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998, or other federal law, or from other non-General Fund sources, and would require that the initiative terminate at such time that the director determines that there are no longer sufficient funds available for the initiative. 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 renewables 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 having some of the highest potential for renewable energy development in California and also some of the highest unemployment rates in the state. (7) Educational institutions in 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 University, 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 federal 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 federal WIA funding to be used for (A) youth formula grants; (B) dislocated worker programs; and (C) adult services grants. Of the $480 million in federal WIA funding targeted for California, the CWIB is expected to receive approximately $70 million to carry out supplemental programs related to the federal ARRA-funded programs. (12) California's federal 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 Initiative in order for the 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 July 1, 2012, the board, in consultation with the Green Collar Jobs Council (GCJC) and other appropriate state agencies, shall establish the California 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 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 (ARRA) (Public Law 111-5), the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) (29 U.S.C. Sec. 2801 et seq.), federal grants, and other federal laws 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) Individuals with criminal convictions or juvenile adjudications. (4) Displaced and incumbent workers in transition. (5) Veterans of past or present military service. (6) Persons with disabilities. (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 programs 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 (ROPs). (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) Serve individuals in families with incomes less than 250 percent of the federal poverty level. (2) Include collaboration with community-based nonprofit organizations, labor organizations, state-approved apprenticeship programs, and educational institutions with expertise in serving low-income adults or youth. (3) Link adult remedial education with occupational skills training. (4) Ensure that supportive services are integrated with education and training, and delivered by organizations with direct access to and experience with targeted populations. (5) 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) Leverage additional public and private resources to fund readiness programs, including cash or in-kind matches from participating employers, nonprofit organizations, or labor organizations recognized by the NLRB. (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, related to renewable energy and workforce development in California, that are approved by the Division of Apprenticeship Standards, in the Department of Industrial Relations. (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 accurately the workforce and development training needs of local or regional industry clusters. (g) No later than January 1, 2014, 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. The board shall only implement the initiative established pursuant to this section if the Director of Finance determines that there are sufficient funds made available to the state for expenditure for the initiative pursuant to the federal ARRA, the federal WIA, or other federal law, or from other non-General Fund sources, and the initiative shall terminate at such time that the director determines that there are no longer sufficient funds available for the initiative. (h) (1) The requirement for submitting a report imposed under subdivision (g) is inoperative on January 1, 2018, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code. (2) The report submitted pursuant to subdivision (g) shall comply with Section 9795 of the Government Code.