BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 342
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Date of Hearing: July 8, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
Roger Hernández, Chair
SB
342 (Jackson) - As Amended July 1, 2015
SENATE VOTE: 35-0
SUBJECT: California Workforce Investment Board:
responsibilities.
SUMMARY: Requires the California Workforce Investment Board
(CWIB) to assist the Governor in helping individuals with
barriers to employment, including low-skill, low-wage workers,
the long-term unemployed, and members of single-parent
households, achieve economic security and upward mobility by
implementing policies that encourage the attainment of
marketable skills relevant to current labor market trends and
defines "earn and learn", as specified.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Provides, under the former federal Workforce Investment Act of
1998 (WIA), for activities and programs for job training and
employment investment in which states can participate,
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including work incentive and employment training outreach
programs.
2)Establishes the CWIB and charged it 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.
3)Requires the CWIB, in collaboration with specified state and
local partners, and the local workforce investment boards
(LWIBs) to develop a strategic workforce plan to address the
state's economic, demographic, and workplace needs.
4)Provides that the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity
Act (WIOA), signed into law on July 22, 2014 replaces the WIA.
Among other things, the new federal WIOA is designed to help
job seekers access employment, education, training, and
support services to succeed in the labor market and to match
employers with the skilled workers they need to compete in the
global economy.
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs.
COMMENTS: According to the author this bill seeks to prioritize
funding for onsite compensated job training, keeping in line
with the WIOA, by emphasizing the benefit of onsite job training
for individuals with barriers to employment. The author points
out that under this bill the CWIB would be directed to implement
policies encouraging the attainment of marketable skills
relevant to current labor market trends, which will lead to
economic security and upward mobility for those underserved
individuals with barriers to employment.
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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.
The CWIB has adopted Sector Strategies as the statewide
framework for workforce development, and is working closely with
the Economic Strategy Panel, other State Agencies and
departments and its 49 local Workforce Investment Boards to
support the emergence of effective statewide and regionally
driven sector initiatives.
Currently, the CWIB is responsible for assisting the Governor in
all the functions outlined in the now outdated Workforce
Investment Act of 1998. Through its broad membership, the CWIB
encourages collaboration among both State and local public and
private entities that have a vested interest in workforce
issues.
Federal WIOA
The federal WIOA was signed into law by President Obama on July
22, 2014 and is the first legislative reform of the public
workforce system in more than 15 years. WIOA supersedes the
WIA. WIOA brings together, in strategic coordination, the core
programs of federal investment in skill development, including
employment and training services for adults, dislocated workers,
youth, and individuals with disabilities. WIOA also authorizes
programs for specific vulnerable populations including Indian
and Native Americans and migrant and seasonal farmworker
programs, among others.
Prior and Related Legislation
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SB 45 (Mendoza) of 2015 is one of two bills being sponsored by
the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency and the
CWIB that will make the necessary changes to existing law for
the implementation of the federal WIOA in our state. Among
other things, this bill requires the state, in conformity with
WIOA and after consultation with local boards and chief elected
officials, to identify planning regions and require the locals
to prepare regional workforce development plans. SB 45 is
pending in this Committee.
AB 1270 (Garcia) of 2015 is the second bill sponsored by the
California Labor and Workforce Development Agency and the CWIB
that will make the necessary changes to existing law for the
implementation of WIOA. Specifically, AB 1270 updates statutory
references to the WIA to instead refer to the WIOA and makes
related conforming changes.
AB 1507 (Labor Committee) of 2015 updates outdated references to
WIA, different from AB 1270, to instead conform with the
implementation of the new WIOA.
SB 118 (Lieu) Chapter 562, Statutes of 2013 required the CWIB to
incorporate specific principles into the state's strategic plan
that align the education and workforce investment systems of the
state to the needs of the 21st century economy and promotes a
well-educated and highly skilled workforce to meet the future
workforce needs. SB 118 was a re-introduction of SB 1401 (Lieu)
from 2012.
SB 1401 (Lieu) of 2012 would have required that the CWIB assist
the Governor in targeting resources to specified industry
clusters that provide economic security and leverage state and
federal funds to ensure that resources are invested in
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activities that meet the needs of specified industry sectors and
advance the education and employment of students and workers so
they can meet the specified needs of the state, its regional
economies, and leading industry sectors. SB 1401 died in the
Assembly Appropriations Committee.
SB 698 (Lieu) Chapter 497, Statutes of 2011 required the
Governor to establish, through the CWIB, standards for
certification of high-performance LWIBs, in accordance with
specified criteria. The bill also required the Governor and the
Legislature, in consultation with the CWIB, to reserve specified
federal discretionary funds for high-performing LWIBs.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
American Association of University Women
California Edge Coalition-
California Budget Project
California Hospital Association
California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO
California Manufacturing and Technology Association
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California Workforce Association
Career Ladders Project for the California Community Colleges
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
National Council of La Raza
Policy Link
State Building and Construction Trades Council of California
County Welfare Directors Association
San Francisco Jewish Vocational Services
SEIU California
Opposition
None on file.
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Analysis Prepared by:Lorie Alvarez / L. & E. / (916)
319-2091