BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 1093 Page 1 Date of Hearing: April 14, 2015 Counsel: Sandra Uribe ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY Bill Quirk, Chair AB 1093 (Eduardo Garcia) - As Introduced February 27, 2015 SUMMARY: Modifies the criteria for the Supervised Population Workforce Training Grant Program to allow grant applicants to address the education and training needs of people who have some postsecondary education or individuals who require basic education, or people in both categories. Specifically, this bill: 1)Contains legislative findings and declarations about the importance of workforce training for the reentry population. 2)Revises program criteria to allow applicants to address either the education and training needs of individuals with some postsecondary education, or individuals who require basic education and training to obtain entry level jobs, instead of requiring the applicants to serve both education needs. 3)Authorizes the California Workforce Investment Board (WIB) to delegate the responsibility for determining the sufficiency of a prior assessment to one or more local workforce investment boards. 4)Expands the content of the report to be given to the AB 1093 Page 2 Legislature evaluating the Supervised Population Workforce Training Grant Program to include the following: a) The education and workforce readiness of the supervised population at the time individual participants entered the program and how this impacted the types of services needed and offered; and, b) Whether the metrics used to evaluate the individual grants were sufficiently aligned with the objectives of the program. 5)Contains an urgency clause requiring the provisions of the bill to take effect immediately. EXISTING LAW: 1)States that WIB is the body responsible for assisting the Governor in the development, oversight, and continuous improvement of California's workforce investment system and the alignment of the education and workforce investment systems to the needs of the 21st century economy and workforce. (Unemp. Ins. Code, § 14010.) 2)Establishes the Supervised Population Workforce Training Grant Program to be administered by the WIB. (Pen. Code, § 1234.1.) 3)Requires WIB to administer the grant program as follows: a) Develop criteria for the selection of grant recipients through a public application process, including the rating and ranking of applications that meet threshold criteria; and b) Design the grant program application process to ensure all of the following occurs: i) Outreach and technical assistance is made available to eligible counties; ii) There is fairness and competitiveness for all counties, including for smaller and rural counties; AB 1093 Page 3 iii) It encourages applicants to develop evidence-based, best practices to serve the target population; and, iv) It addresses the education and training needs of both individuals with some postsecondary education who can benefit from services that result in certifications, and placement on a middle skill career ladder, and individuals who require basic education and training to obtain entry level jobs. (Pen. Code, § 1234.2.) 4)Requires the grant program to be competitively awarded through at least two rounds of funding, as specified, and provides that each county is eligible to apply but that a single application may include multiple counties applying jointly. Requires each application to include a partnership agreement between the county, or counties, and one or more local workforce investment boards that outline the actions each party agrees to undertake as part of the project proposed in the application. (Pen. Code, § 1234.3.) 5)Requires, at a minimum, each project proposed in the application to include a provision for an education and training assessment for each individual of the supervised population who participates in the project. (Pen. Code, § 1234.3, subd. (c).) 6)Provides that eligible uses of grant funds include, but are not limited to, vocational training, stipends for trainees, and apprenticeship opportunities for the supervised population. States that supportive services and job readiness activities are to serve as bridge activities that lead to enrollment in long-term training programs. (Pen. Code, § 1234.3, subd. (d).) 7)Requires the WIB to report to the Legislature the outcomes from the grant program, as specified. (Pen. Code, § 1234.4.) 8)Repeals the grant program on January 1, 2021, unless a later enacted statute deletes or extends that date. (Pen. Code, § 1234.5.) AB 1093 Page 4 FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown COMMENTS: 1)Author's Statement: According to the author, "With orders from the U.S. Supreme Court to reduce its prison population, the state needs smart, effective policies to help local jurisdictions achieve realignment goals and reduce recidivism. Workforce development for the re-entry population is a practical strategy for improving access to a stable job. It helps improve offender outcomes, reduce the likelihood of recidivism, and promote community safety and stability. This bill makes key program changes to the 2014 bill [AB 2060 9V. Manuel Perez)]." 2)Supervised Population Workforce Training Grant Program: In the Solicitation for Proposals, the WIB describes the Supervised Population Workforce Training Grant Program as follows: "The California Workforce Investment Board (State Board) and the Employment Development Department (EDD) are pleased to announce the availability of up to $825,000 in Recidivism Reduction Funds to implement and support recidivism reduction workforce training and development programs targeting the supervised population. The supervised population includes all persons who are on probation, mandatory supervision, or postrelease community supervision as defined in AB 2060 (Chapter 383, Statutes of 2014) and codified in Penal Code Section 1234(c) and are supervised by, or are under the jurisdiction of, a county. The State Board and EDD will fund proposals that will expand existing, mature collaborative relationships between county based Community Corrections Partnerships (parole, probation, courts, mental health services, community colleges, etc.) and Local Workforce Investment Boards (LWIB) in support of innovative strategies that accelerate educational attainment and reemployment for the supervised population by: Increasing labor market and skills outcomes through the development of strategies that fill gaps, accelerate processes, or customize services to ensure greater access AB 1093 Page 5 to workforce services and employment opportunities. Implementing promising new modes and practices in workforce system delivery infrastructure and funding alignment that can be replicated across the State and tailored to regional needs. Leveraging State investment with commitments from industry, labor, public, and community partners. "In addition, the State Board will fund proposals that further advance the goals of California's Strategic Workforce Development Plan 20132017 'Shared Strategy for a Shared Prosperity' (Strategic Plan) prioritizes regional coordination among key partners, sector-based employment strategies, skill attainment through earn and learn and other effective training models (including, but not limited to apprenticeship), and development of career pathways." ( http://www.cwib.ca.gov/res/docs/AB2060/AB%202060%20SFP%2070001 %20FINAL-TR.pdf .) The grant applications were due to the WIB on April 3, 2015. The WIB has informed this committee that it intends to award the first round of funding by the statutorily mandated deadline of May 1, 2015. (See Pen. Code, § 1234.3, subd. (a).) So, despite having an urgency clause, the revised criteria proposed by this bill will be too late to affect these award grants. However, the grant program anticipated "at least two rounds of funding." (Pen. Code, § 1234.3, subd. (a).) Thus, the revised criteria could be implemented for the second round of solicitation for proposals. 1)State Strategy on Employment of Former Offenders: The federal Workforce Investment Act requires the Governor, through WIB, to submit a State Strategic Workforce Development Plan (State Plan) to the U.S. Department of Labor. This plan outlines a five-year strategy for the investment of federal workforce training and employment services funds. With respect to services to former offenders, WIB states the following: The State Board has leveraged the [California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)] AB 1093 Page 6 expertise to help Local Boards obtain additional funding from "realignment" funds allocated to counties. A workshop was conducted by the California Workforce Association, which included CDCR and Local Board staff sharing knowledge about realignment and funding so that Local Boards might be in a better position to engage their counties in seeking funding to serve this new "realigned" population. The State Board will continue to work closely with CDCR and Local Boards to encourage and develop innovative services for the ex-offender population. With Policy Link and the National Employment Law Project (NELP), the State Board is helping convene Local Boards, to ensure formally incarcerated individuals have access to quality employment services. The State Board also worked with EDD and NELP to develop a directive to ensure that Local Boards comply with nondiscrimination obligations when serving individuals with criminal records. http://edd.ca.gov/Jobs_and_Training/pubs/wsd12-9.pdf. Consistent with Adults Goal Objective 1, Action 2; the State Board will work with the Local Boards to identify in their Local Plan strategies they will utilize to identify and remove barriers hampering their investment of WIA Adult and Dislocated Worker funds in [career technical education] programs to the ex-offender population in their areas. AB 1093 Page 7 (Shared Strategy for a Shared Prosperity: California's Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013 - 2017, Services to State Target Populations, pp. 10-7 & 10-8, < http://www.cwib.ca.gov/res/docs/state_plans/Final%20Approved%2 0State%20Plan/12%20Chapter%20X%20Services%20to%20State%20Target %20Populations.pdf > [as of Apr. 2, 2014].) 2)Argument in Support: According to the California Workforce Association, a co-sponsor of this bill, "AB 1093 makes technical changes to a 2014 bill, AB 2060 (V.M. Perez), which established this essential program. Workforce development for the re-entry population is a practical approach that will improve offender outcomes, reduce the likelihood of recidivism, and promote community safety, and for these reasons we support this important effort. "The California Workforce Association is an organization comprised of the 49 Local Workforce Investment Boards and America's Job Centers of California that work closely with adults, dislocated workers and at-risk youth to ensure they have the skills and training required for jobs needed by businesses. Last program year, CWA's members served 1.2 million customers and over 60,000 businesses. "CWA is co-sponsoring AB 1093 because job training for post-release individuals is one of the most critical actions the state can take to help ensure that former offenders successfully transition into their communities. Local Workforce Investment Boards and America's Job Centers of California specialize in working with individuals who have the biggest barriers to employment, including ex-offenders. Without the essential tools these entities provide, former offenders are more likely to return to their old ways of life and increase their odds of reoffending." 3)Prior Legislation: AB 2060 (V.M. Perez), Chapter 383, Statutes of 2014, established the Supervised Population Workforce Training Grant Program. REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION: AB 1093 Page 8 Support California Workforce Association (Co-Sponsor) Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (Co-Sponsor) Policy Link (Co-Sponsor) California Public Defenders Association Opposition None Analysis Prepared by: Sandy Uribe / PUB. S. / (916) 319-3744