BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



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          ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
          AB 3 (V. Manuel Perez)
          As Amended  June 1, 2009
          Majority vote 

           LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT     5-2    APPROPRIATIONS      12-0        
           
           ------------------------------------------------------------------ 
          |Ayes:|Monning, Eng, Furutani,   |Ayes:|De Leon, Ammiano, Charles  |
          |     |Ma, Portantino            |     |Calderon, Davis, Fuentes,  |
          |     |                          |     |Hall, John A. Perez,       |
          |     |                          |     |Price, Skinner, Solorio,   |
          |     |                          |     |Torlakson, Krekorian       |
          |     |                          |     |                           |
          |-----+--------------------------+-----+---------------------------|
          |Nays:|Bill Berryhill, Gaines    |     |                           |
          |     |                          |     |                           |
           ------------------------------------------------------------------ 
           SUMMARY  :   Requires the establishment of the Renewable Energy  
          Workforce Readiness Initiative, as specified.  Specifically,  
           this bill  :  

          1 Requires the California Workforce Investment Board (CWIB), by  
            2011, to establish a Renewable Energy Workforce Readiness  
            Initiative (Initiative) to ensure green collar job placement  
            and advancement opportunities within California's renewable  
            energy generation, manufacturing, construction, installation,  
            maintenance and operation sectors.

          2)Requires the Initiative to provide guidance to local workforce  
            investment boards on how to establish comprehensive green  
            collar job assessment, training and placement programs that  
            reflect the local and regional economies and best utilize  
            funds provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment  
            Act of 2009.

          3)Specifies that any strategies developed by the Initiative  
            shall address how to effectively provide outreach, assessment,  
            and placement to prospective worker populations, including  
            those that have historically faced barriers to employment,  
            including, but not limited to, all of the following  
            populations:

             a)   Low-income and disadvantaged populations;








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             b)   At-risk youth;

             c)   Formerly incarcerated nonviolent offenders;

             d)   Displaced and incumbent workers in transition; and,

             e)   Veterans of past or present military service.

          4)Requires the Initiative to provide guidance on how to engage  
            target populations and evaluate potential applicants'  
            abilities to implement and operate renewable energy worker  
            training programs.

          5)Requires the Initiative to address how local workforce  
            investment boards can effectively collaborate and include the  
            participation of all of the following entities:

                      a)            Nonprofit organizations;

                      b)            Local governments;

                      c)            State-approved apprenticeship  
                        programs;

                      d)            Community colleges;

                      e)            Postsecondary educational  
                        institutions;

                      f)            Local workforce training partnerships  
                        and collaboratives; and,

                      g)            Regional occupational programs.

          6)Requires the Initiative to further address how local workforce  
            investment boards can prioritize programs that serve  
            prospective workers who have historically faced barriers to  
            employment, including, but not limited to, programs that do  
            all of the following: 

             h)   Serve individuals in families with incomes less than 250  
               percent of the federal poverty level;









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             i)   Include collaboration with community-based nonprofit  
               organizations, labor organizations, state-approved  
               apprenticeship programs and educational institutions with  
               expertise in serving low-income adults or youth;

             j)   Link adult remedial education with occupational skills  
               training;

             aa)           Ensure that supportive services are integrated  
               with education and training, and delivered by organizations  
               with direct access to and experience with targeted  
               populations;

             bb)           Involve employers and labor organizations in  
               the determination of relevant skills and competencies,  
               ensuring that the certificates or credentials that result  
               from the training are recognized by employers and labor  
               organizations; and,

             cc)           Leverage additional public and private  
               resources to fund readiness programs, including cash or  
               in-kind matches from participating employers, nonprofits,  
               or labor organizations.

          7)Requires the CWIB to collect and analyze labor market data,  
            track workforce trends, document academic and occupational  
            competencies, identify future skill needs, promote and support  
            local workforce training initiatives, and provide technical  
            assistance and capacity building to energy partnerships and  
            apprenticeship training programs that are approved by the  
            Division of Apprenticeship Standards related to renewable  
            energy and workforce development in California.

          8)Requires the Initiative to report to the Legislature on the  
            implementation of these requirements no later than January 1,  
            2013, as specified.

          9)Provides that these requirements shall be implemented using  
            moneys made available to the CWIB from funds appropriated to  
            the state pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment  
            Act of 2009, to the extent that these funds are available for  
            that purpose.

          10)Makes related legislative findings and declarations.








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           FISCAL EFFECT  :   According to the Assembly Appropriations  
          Committee, this bill will result in unknown, probably minor  
          costs to the CWIB to advise local workforce investment boards.

           COMMENTS  :  AB 3018 (Nunez) from last session established the  
          Green Collar Jobs Council (GCJC) within the CWIB.  AB 3018  
          specified that the GCJC is comprised of the appropriate  
          representatives from the CWIB's existing membership, including  
          the K-12 representative, the California Community Colleges  
          representative, the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency  
          representative, the Employment Development Department  
          representative, and other appropriate members.
           
          AB 3018 also required the GCJC to develop a strategic initiative  
          to identify and develop the framework, funding, strategies,  
          programs, policies, partnerships, and opportunities necessary to  
          address the growing need for a highly skilled and well-trained  
          workforce to meet the needs of California's emerging green  
          economy. 

          Since the enactment of AB 3018, the GCJC has met several times  
          and is working to develop the strategic initiative discussed  
          above.  Following the enactment of the American Recovery and  
          Reinvestment Act of 2009, the GCJC has been focusing some of its  
          attention on opportunities for green collar jobs made possible  
          as a result of that act.

          AB 1394 (Bass) from this year is a follow-up measure to AB 3018.  
           Among other things, AB 1394 authorizes the GCJC to accept any  
          revenues, moneys, grants, goods, or services from federal and  
          state public entities, local philanthropic organizations, and  
          other sources, to be used for purposes relating to the  
          administration and implementation of a strategic initiative the  
          GCJC is required to develop.  AB 1394 also requires the GCJC to  
          confer with the appropriate state and local agencies to  
          coordinate the award of grant funds and green workforce training  
          funds received by the state under the federal American Recovery  
          and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

          AB 380 (De La Torre) from this year proposes to enact the  
          California Clean Energy Curriculum and Training Initiative of  
          2009.  That measure requires the Labor and Workforce Development  
          Agency, by July 1, 2010, to establish standardized curriculum  








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          for use at schools and to provide outreach, assistance, and  
          guidance to schools on creating clean energy training programs.   
          AB 380 is similar to AB 2224 (De La Torre) from last session,  
          which was held under submission in the Senate Committee on  
          Appropriations.

           
          Analysis Prepared by  :    Ben Ebbink / L. & E. / (916) 319-2091 




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