California Assembly Bill AB752 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 752AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 26, 2015 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Salas FEBRUARY 25, 2015 An act to amend Section  14000   94904  of the  Unemployment Insurance   Education  Code, relating to  workforce development.   private postsecondary education.  LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 752, as amended, Salas.  Workforce development.   Private postsecondary education: California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009.   Existing law, the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009, provides for the regulation of private postsecondary educational institutions by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education in the Department of Consumer Affairs. The act requires an institution that is subject to the act's provisions to enroll each student solely by means of executing an enrollment agreement, and requires a student without a high school diploma or its equivalent, before enrolling, to take an independently administered examination from a list of examinations prescribed by the United States Department of Education and achieve a passing score, as specified by the United States Department of Education. The act further authorizes the bureau to publish its own list of acceptable examinations and required passing scores if the United States Department of Education does not have a list of relevant examinations that pertain to the intended occupational training.   If the bureau publishes its own list of acceptable examinations in this context, the bill would require the bureau to include the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System examination on the list.   Existing law declares the need for California to have a well-educated and highly skilled workforce in the state.   This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to this declaration.  Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  no   yes  . State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION   1.   Section 94904 of the   Education Code   is amended to read:  94904. (a) Before an ability-to-benefit student may execute an enrollment agreement, the institution shall have the student take an independently administered examination from the list of examinations prescribed as of July 1, 2012, by the United States Department of Education pursuant to Section 484(d) of the federal Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1070a et seq.). The student shall not enroll unless the student achieves a score, as specified by the United States Department of Education, demonstrating that the student may benefit from the education and training being offered. (b) If the United States Department of Education does not have a list of relevant examinations that pertain to the intended occupational training, the bureau may publish its own list of acceptable examinations and required passing scores.  If the bureau publishes its own list, the list shall include the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System examination.   SECTION 1.   Section 14000 of the Unemployment Insurance Code is amended to read: 14000. (a) The Legislature finds and declares that, in order to remain prosperous and globally competitive, California needs to have a well-educated and highly skilled workforce. (b) The Legislature finds and declares that the following principles shall guide the state's workforce investment system: (1) Workforce investment programs and services shall be responsive to the needs of employers, workers, and students by accomplishing the following: (A) Preparing California's students and workers with the skills necessary to successfully compete in the global economy. (B) Producing greater numbers of individuals who obtain industry-recognized certificates and degrees in competitive and emerging industry sectors and filling critical labor market skills gaps. (C) Adapting to rapidly changing local and regional labor markets as specific workforce skill requirements change over time. (D) Preparing workers for good-paying jobs that foster economic security and upward mobility. (2) State and local workforce investment boards are encouraged to collaborate with other public and private institutions, including businesses, unions, nonprofit organizations, kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, career technical education programs, adult career technical education and basic skills programs, community college career technical education and basic skills programs, entrepreneurship training programs, where appropriate, the California Community Colleges Economic and Workforce Development Program, and the Employment Training Panel, to better align resources across workforce education and training service delivery systems and build a well-articulated workforce investment system by accomplishing the following: (A) Adopting local and regional training and education strategies that build on the strengths and fill the gaps in the education and workforce development pipeline in order to address the needs of job seekers, workers, and employers within regional labor markets by supporting sector strategies. (B) Leveraging resources across education and workforce training delivery systems to build career pathways and fill critical skills gaps. (3) Workforce investment programs and services shall be data driven and evidence based when setting priorities, investing resources, and adopting practices. (4) Workforce investment programs and services shall develop strong partnerships with the private sector, ensuring industry involvement in needs assessment, planning, and program evaluation. (A) Workforce investment programs and services shall encourage industry involvement by developing strong partnerships with an industry's employers and the unions that represent the industry's workers. (B) Workforce investment programs and services may consider the needs of employers and businesses of all sizes, including large, medium, small, and microenterprises, when setting priorities, investing resources, and adopting practices. (5) Workforce investment programs and services shall be outcome oriented and accountable, measuring results for program participants, including, but not limited to, outcomes related to program completion, employment, and earnings. (6) Programs and services shall be accessible to employers, the self-employed, workers, and students who may benefit from their operation, including individuals with employment barriers, such as persons with economic, physical, or other barriers to employment.