California Assembly Bill AB1523 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1523AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 9, 2012 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Perea JANUARY 18, 2012  An act to add Section 2704.76 to the Streets and Highways Code, relating to workforce training, and making an appropriation therefor.   An act to amend Section 54750 of the Education Code, relating to career technical education.  LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1523, as amended, Perea.  Preapprenticeship training program: high-speed rail.   Career technical education: partnership academies: green technology.   Existing law provides for the establishment of green technology partnership academies by participating school districts and requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to issue grants for the establishment of partnership academies and to give priority to the establishment of partnership academies dedicated to educating pupils in the emerging, environmentally sound technologies until no less than one green technology partnership academy has been established in each of the 9 economic regions established by the state. Under existing law, these partnership academies may include technologies that educate pupils in specified areas, including, but not limited to, ocean, soil, or water conservation.   This bill would authorize green technology partnership academies to include technology that educates pupils about transportation for the 21st century.   Existing law, the California High-Speed Train Act, creates the High-Speed Rail Authority to develop and implement a high-speed train system in the state, with specified powers and duties. Existing law, the Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century, provides for the issuance of $9.95 billion in general obligation bonds for high-speed rail and related purposes.   This bill would appropriate $2,000,000 from the High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Fund to the authority for the purposes of funding a 3-year pilot project in the Central Valley to train unemployed workers for high-speed rail construction jobs. The bill would require the authority to work with various labor organizations to train a total of 400 clients in preapprenticeship programs that will lead to direct referrals to building trades unions, as specified.  Vote: majority. Appropriation:  yes   no  . Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.   Section 54750 of the   Education Code   is amended to read:  54750. (a) Commencing with the 2009-10 school year, when funds become available for additional partnership academies within the total number of grants available for all partnership academies pursuant to Section 54691, the Superintendent shall issue grants for the establishment of partnership academies and shall give priority to the establishment of partnership academies dedicated to educating pupils in the emerging  ,  environmentally sound technologies until no less than one green technology partnership academy has been established in each of the nine economic regions established by the state. The academies may include, but are not limited to, technologies that educate pupils in the following areas: (1) Energy audits that include a determination of energy savings. (2) Retrofitting and weatherization activities that increase energy efficiency and conservation. (3) Energy-efficient and water-efficient buildings. (4) Retrofitting and installing energy-efficient household appliances, windows, doors, insulation, and lighting. (5) Retrofitting and installing water and energy conservation technologies in existing homes, industrial buildings, and commercial and public buildings, to improve efficiency, including the use of energy and water management technologies and control systems. (6) The design, construction, manufacture, sale, assembly, installation, and maintenance of energy-efficient technologies and renewable energy facilities, or the component parts of renewable energy technologies. (7) Energy-efficient technologies or practices and renewable energy production, or the component parts of renewable energy plants and energy distribution, including energy storage; energy infrastructure, including transmission; transportation, including logistics; and water and wastewater, including water conservation. (8) Performance and low-emission vehicle technology, automotive computer systems, mass transit fleet conversion, and the servicing and maintenance of those technologies. (9) Pollution prevention and hazardous and solid waste reduction. (10) Ocean, soil, or water conservation, or forestation strategies to mitigate climate change impacts.  (11) Transportation for the 21st century.  (b) (1) The selection of school districts to establish the green technology partnership academies and the planning and development of the green technology partnership academies shall be conducted pursuant to the procedures and requirements established in Section 54691 for all partnership academies. The planning grants shall be made available for academies pursuant to this article from the total number of grants established pursuant to Section 54691. (2) In the event a school district applies to convert an existing school program to a partnership academy and meets all the criteria for a partnership academy pursuant to Section 54692 and paragraph (3), the department, in coordination with the Superintendent, may provide that academy with first-year implementation funds, as appropriate. (3) (A) In order to be eligible for funding pursuant to this article, the coursework and internship or preapprenticeship programs of the proposed academy shall focus on the use of environmentally sound technologies and practices. The proposed academy shall demonstrate this through its efforts to obtain input from environmental industry, utilities, and professional trade organizations. (B) Staff development opportunities also shall be included in the academy plans to ensure that teaching staff has the opportunity to be educated in the use of emerging technologies and to become familiar with new materials and current practices in the field. (c) The priority established in this section may be satisfied when the specified number of green technology partnership academies meeting the requirements of this article are funded by any of, or a combination of, funds appropriated for the establishment of partnership academies.  SECTION 1.   Section 2704.76 is added to the Streets and Highways Code, to read: 2704.76. (a) The sum of two million dollars ($2,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Fund to the authority for purposes of this section. (b) The funds made available pursuant to this section shall be used by the authority to fund a three-year pilot project in the Central Valley to train unemployed workers for high-speed rail construction jobs. The authority shall work with the Central Valley workforce investment boards, the Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings Central Labor Council, and representatives from various organized labor building trades to train a total of 400 clients in preapprenticeship programs that will lead to direct referrals to building trades unions, including, but not limited to, the following: (1) International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 100. (2) United Association Local 246 (Plumbers, Pipefitters, Service Technicians). (3) Operating Engineers Local 3. (4) Laborers Local 294. (5) Carpenters Local Union 701. (6) Ironworkers Local Union 155. (c) The pilot project, over the full three-year project life, shall include 16 cohorts of 25 preapprentice trainees each, drawn from the following: (1) Eight cohorts from the central region of the San Joaquin Valley (Fresno Regional Workforce Investment Board). (2) Four cohorts from the southern region of the San Joaquin Valley (Kern Inyo Mono Workforce Investment Board). (3) Four cohorts from the northern region of the San Joaquin Valley (Stanislaus County Workforce Investment Board). (d) Unemployed and underemployed veterans shall be recruited for inclusion in the preapprentice program through a partnership with veterans' organizations, including, but not limited to, the Helmets to Hardhats organization.