BILL ANALYSIS Ó SB 342 Page 1 Date of Hearing: August 19, 2015 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Jimmy Gomez, Chair SB 342 (Jackson) - As Amended August 17, 2015 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Policy |Labor and Employment |Vote:|7 - 0 | |Committee: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No SUMMARY: This bill requires the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB) to assist the Governor in helping individuals with barriers to employment to achieve economic security and upward mobility by implementing policies that encourage the attainment SB 342 Page 2 of marketable skills relevant to current labor market trends. Specifically, this bill: 1)Defines "earn and learn" as a program that combines applied-learning in a workplace setting with compensation, as specified, or a program that brings together classroom instruction with on-the-job training to combine both formal instruction and actual paid work experience. 2)Incorporates language adopted pursuant to AB 1270 (Garcia), Chapter 94, Statutes of 2015 to avoid chaptering issues. FISCAL EFFECT: Minor/absorbable costs to CWDB to implement workforce policies consistent with the requirements of this bill. COMMENTS: 1)Background. The former federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 provided for state's participation in activities and programs for job training and employment investment, including work incentive and employment training outreach programs. Following passage of the federal WIA, the state established the California Workforce Investment Board (CWIB) and charged the board with the responsibility of developing a unified, strategic planning process to coordinate various education, training, and employment programs into an integrated workforce development system that supports economic development. The federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 reauthorized the nation's employment, training, adult SB 342 Page 3 education, and vocational rehabilitation programs created under WIA. SB 1270, enacted earlier this year, makes the necessary changes to existing workforce development statutes to conform state law to the new federal guidelines under WIOA while preserving core elements of California's workforce development policies. AB 1270 also renamed the California Workforce Investment Board (CWIB) the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB). 2)Purpose. Consistent with the goals of WIOA and the state's workforce development policies, this bill expands the duties of the CWDB to also implement policies to help individuals with barriers to employment, including low-skill, low-wage workers, the long-term unemployed, and members of single-parent households. This change in law is intended to prioritize critical workforce development policies for these hard to serve communities. Analysis Prepared by:Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916) 319-2081