BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1394
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Date of Hearing: April 22, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
William W. Monning, Chair
AB 1394 (Bass) - As Introduced: February 27, 2009
SUBJECT : Green Collar Jobs Council.
SUMMARY : Sets forth specified additional duties of the Green
Collar Jobs Council (GCJC). Specifically, this bill :
1 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.
2)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.
3)Requires the GCJC to make a finding that a proposed program or
expenditure to be funded is consistent with the strategic
initiative prior to authorizing the expenditure of any funds
made available to the state pursuant to the federal American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : This bill is a follow-up to AB 3018 (Nunez) from
last session, which established the Green Collar Jobs Council
(GCJC) within the California Workforce Investment Board (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
AB 1394
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address the growing need for a highly skilled and well-trained
workforce to meet the needs of California's emerging green
economy.
The bill required the GCJC to do all of the following:
(1) Assist in identifying and linking green collar job
opportunities with workforce development training
opportunities in local workforce investment areas (LWIAs),
encouraging regional collaboration among LWIAs to meet
regional economic demands.
(2) Develop public, private, philanthropic, and
nongovernmental partnerships to build and expand the
state's workforce development programs, network, and
infrastructure.
(3) Provide policy guidance for job training programs in
the clean and green technology sectors to assist and
prepare specific populations, such as at-risk youth,
displaced workers, veterans, formerly incarcerated
individuals, and others facing barriers to employment.
(4) Develop, collect, interpret, and distribute statewide
and regional labor market data on California's new and
emerging green industries workforce needs, trends, and job
growth.
(5) Identify funding resources and make recommendations on
how to expand and leverage these funds.
(6) Foster regional collaboratives in the green economic
sector.
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.
According to the author's office:
"With California's unemployment rate at an all time high of
10.5%, California needs to develop short and long term
AB 1394
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goals to put Californians back to work in jobs that provide
a livable wage. We have an opportunity to make an
investment in our existing workforce training
infrastructure. Under the federal American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009, California is receiving over $400
million in job training funds to be administered through
our existing workforce infrastructure. No time is greater
than now to form partnerships with state agencies,
community colleges, community based organizations, and
labor apprenticeship programs to train a highly skilled and
well trained workforce to meet the needs of California's
growing green economy. According to a recent report by
Next 10, titled 'California Green Innovation Index 2009,'
since 2005 the green collar job sector has continued to
grow by 10% and business establishments by 2%, while job
growth in other sectors has been only 1%. With the
infusion of federal economic stimulus funds California
stands to create thousands of jobs in energy efficiency
building retrofits, green building, solar installation and
green technology. The time is now to develop the much
needed workforce training partnerships to better serve
California."
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
California Teachers Association
California Workforce Association
State Building & Construction Trades Council
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Ben Ebbink / L. & E. / (916) 319-2091