BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 1394
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          Date of Hearing:   May 20, 2009

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Kevin De Leon, Chair

                 AB 1394 (Bass) - As Introduced:  February 27, 2009 

          Policy Committee:                              Labor and  
          Employment   Vote:                            6-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill establishes additional responsibilities for the Green  
          Collar Jobs Council (GCJC).  Specifically, this bill:  

          1 Authorizes the GCJC to accept contributions from federal and  
            state public entities, local philanthropic organizations, and  
            other sources. 

          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 (ARRA).

          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 ARRA.

           FISCAL EFFECT
           
          New duties would result in minor and absorbable costs to the  
          GCJC.

           COMMENTS

          1)Background  . This bill expands on legislation adopted last year  
            relating to development of workforce needs for the emerging  
            "green economy". Specifically, AB 3018 (Nunez) from last  
            session, established the Green Collar Jobs Council (GCJC)  
            within the California Workforce Investment Board (CWIB), and  
            required the council to develop a strategic initiative to  








                                                                  AB 1394
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            develop a framework, funding and strategies for addressing the  
            growing need for a highly skilled and well-trained workforce  
            to meet the needs of California's emerging green economy.

           2)Rationale  . The purpose of this bill is to update the  
            responsibilities of the GCJC to address opportunities created  
            by the ARRA. The author states that "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." 
           Analysis Prepared by  :    Brad Williams / APPR. / (916) 319-2081