BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 1019 Page 1 CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS AB 1019 (Ammiano) As Amended August 26, 2013 Majority vote ----------------------------------------------------------------- |ASSEMBLY: |75-0 |(May 9, 2013) |SENATE: |37-0 |(September 3, | | | | | | |2013) | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Original Committee Reference: PUB. S. SUMMARY : Requires the Superintendent for Correctional Education to take into account specific factors when setting goals and priorities for career technical education (CTE), also referred to as vocational education, within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). The Senate amendments make technical, non-substantive changes. EXISTING LAW : 1)Requires the Secretary of CDCR to appoint a Superintendent of Correctional Education, who shall oversee and administer all prison education programs. 2)Requires the Superintendent of Correctional Education to set both short- and long-term goals for inmate literacy and testing and vocational education programs and to establish priorities for prison academic and vocational education programs. AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill: 1)Made legislative findings that given that, as of June 2012, 60.8 % of state prison inmates have a medium to high need for academic or career technical programs, and it has been shown that CTE programs are both effective at reducing recidivism and cost effective to the state, it is the intent of the Legislature in requiring CDCR, within its existing resources, to set both short- and long-term goals for CTE programs. 2)Required the CDCR, based upon and given its goals and priorities, to take into account all of the following factors in establishing a CTE program: AB 1019 Page 2 a) Whether the program aligns with the workforce needs of high demand sectors of the state and regional economies; b) Whether there is an active job market for the skills being developed where the inmate will likely be released; c) Whether the program increases the number of inmates who obtain a marketable and industry or apprenticeship board-recognized certification, credential, or degree; d) Whether there are formal or informal networks in the field that support finding employment upon release from prison; and e) Whether the program will lead to employment in occupations with a livable wage. 3)Replaced the term "vocational education programs" with "career technical education programs." FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations Committee pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs. COMMENTS : According to the author, "California has a unique opportunity given the changes that have been brought by realignment, to rethink programming opportunities for prisoners. This bill recognizes that rehabilitation includes developing a set of skills related to successful reentry into the workforce. It does not mandate what to teach or how the subject is to be taught but sets a framework for decision making within CDCR. This bill would require in law that CDCR set goals for vocational programs as it currently does for academic programs and base its decisions on evidence based data." Please see the policy committee analysis for a full discussion of this bill. Analysis Prepared by : Shaun Naidu / PUB. S. / (916) 319-3744 FN: 0001963 AB 1019 Page 3