BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 1028
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 1028 (Jackson)
As Amended August 22, 2014
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :28-9
HIGHER EDUCATION 13-0 APPROPRIATIONS 13-3
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|Ayes:|Williams, Chávez, Bloom, |Ayes:|Gatto, Bocanegra, |
| |Fong, Fox, Jones-Sawyer, | |Bradford, |
| |Levine, Linder, Medina, | |Ian Calderon, Campos, |
| |Olsen, Quirk-Silva, | |Eggman, Gomez, Holden, |
| |Weber, Wilk | |Linder, Pan, Quirk, |
| | | |Ridley-Thomas, Weber |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | |Nays:|Donnelly, Jones, Wagner |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Requires special consideration for Cal Grant C awards,
administered by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC), to
be provided to specified socially or economically disadvantaged
students. Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires special consideration be given to the social and
economic situations of students applying for Cal Grant C
awards, giving additional weight to disadvantaged applicants,
applicants who face economic hardship, and applicants who face
particular barriers to employment, with criteria including all
of the following:
a) Family income and household size;
b) Student or parent's household status, including whether
the student is a single parent or the child of a single
parent; and
c) The employment status of the applicant and whether the
applicant is unemployed, giving greater weight to the
long-term unemployed.
2)Provides that Cal Grant C awards may be used for, in
additional to training and equipment costs, living expenses.
SB 1028
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3)Requires CSAC to, when identifying areas of training where Cal
Grant C awards may be used, consult with the Economic and
Workforce Development Division of the California Community
Colleges Chancellor's Office (CCC EWD), the California
Workforce Investment Board (CWIB), and to the extent feasible,
representatives of leading competitive and emerging industry
clusters, workforce professionals, and career technical
educators to determine which occupational training programs
and industry clusters should be prioritized.
4)Requires areas of occupational and technical training to be
updated by January 1, 2016.
5)Clarifies the job quality criteria for Cal Grant C award
prioritization to include jobs that are a part of a
well-articulated career pathway to a job providing economic
security, among other clarifying changes; and requires
programs to meet, at least, either the aforementioned criteria
or high salary and wage projection criteria.
6)Requires CSAC to consult with the Employment Development
Department (EDD), CCC EWD, and CWIB to publicize the existence
of the Cal Grant C award program and to make students
receiving awards aware of job search and placement services
available through EDD and local workforce investment boards.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, General Fund costs to CSAC of around $80,000 for one
staff to oversee program modifications and coordination with
EDD, CCC [EWD], and WIB on outreach to targeted cohorts. Costs
to the other entities should be minor and absorbable.
COMMENTS : According to the author, the aftermath of the most
recent recession is notable for the severity of long-term
unemployment levels. In 2010, approximately 45% of the
unemployed in the United States has been unemployed for six
months or longer (the highest percentage since the Great
Depression), while in January 2014, long-term unemployment
remained at 2.5 times the national pre-crisis average.
California has one of the highest long-term unemployment rates
in the country. In February 2014, about 640,000 workers were
unemployed for six months or longer.
The author notes that there is currently no training program
that specifically targets the long-term unemployed in
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California, though there are training programs that they may
qualify for, like the Workforce Investment Act dislocated worker
program. That program typically provides access to short term
job training programs, but does so for only a very small
fraction of those who might benefit from the program. This bill
differs in that it specifically targets the long-term unemployed
and provides access to longer-term occupational training, up to
two years, and focuses on growth industries and occupations,
providing skills that are in demand by employers.
Analysis Prepared by : Laura Metune / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960
FN: 0005188