BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1270
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Date of Hearing: April 8, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
Roger Hernández, Chair
AB 1270
(Eduardo Garcia) - As Amended April 6, 2015
SUBJECT: California Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
(CWIOA)
SUMMARY: Modifies state workforce development laws conforming
to changes required by the federal WIOA while preserving core
elements of California's workforce development policies.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Enacts the federal WIOA, formerly known as the federal
Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998, which provides for
workforce investment activities, including activities in which
states may participate and also contains various programs for
job and employment investment, including work incentive
programs, as specified.
2)Authorizes, under the federal WIOA, the Job Corps, YouthBuild,
Indian and Native Americans, and Migrant and Seasonal
Farmworker programs, in addition to the core programs.
3)Establishes the California Workforce Investment Board (CWIB)
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which assists the Governor in setting and guiding policy in
the area of workforce development and training. Members of
the CWIB are appointed by the Governor and represent the many
facets of workforce development - business, labor, public
education, higher education, economic development, youth
activities, employment and training, as well as the
Legislature.
4)States the CWIB is also responsible for assisting the Governor
with the alignment of the education and workforce investment
systems to the needs of the state's current and future
workforce by promoting the development of a well-educated and
highly skilled 21st century economy and workforce, in addition
to the development of an annual workforce metrics dashboard
for measuring investment in workforce development.
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown
COMMENTS: The federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
(WIOA) was signed into law in 2014 and generally takes effect
July 2015. Individual State Unified Plans and Common
Performance Accountability provisions take effect July 2016.
The federal WIOA supersedes the Workforce Investment Act of 1998
and amends the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, the
Wagner-Peyser Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Federal
WIOA also authorizes the Job Corps, YouthBuild, Indian and
Native Americans, and Migrant Seasonal Farmworker programs, in
addition to the core programs.
The new federal WIOA modernizes our workforce development system
bringing together and enhancing several key employment,
education, and training programs. It also seeks to make the
workforce system more comprehensive in its approach to service
delivery and more responsive to the demands of our economy.
Due to the new requirements of the federal law this bill will
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modify California's primary workforce development program.
Specifically, updating the headings, definitions, code sections
and language that conflict with federal WIOA with regard to
state and local plans and responsibilities, the composition of
state and local workforce boards, timelines, local and regional
collaboration, and the one-stop center system, among others.
This bill makes similar updates regarding the Employment
Development Department's (EDD) reporting responsibilities and
its general administrative authority for implementing the state
WIOA. While making these changes, this bill, preserves existing
state level statutory and policy innovations that are consistent
with the new federal law, for example; regional collaboration
and minimum local training expenditures. Additionally, this
bill adds flexibility to the high-performance local workforce
boards standard while maintaining the intent to deliver high
quality local service.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
California Chamber of Commerce
California Labor & Workforce Development Agency (Sponsor)
California Professional Association of Specialty Contractors
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Opposition
California Right to Life Committee, Inc.
Analysis Prepared by:Lorie Alvarez / L. & E. / (916) 319-2091