BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 1559
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 6, 2009

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Kevin De Leon, Chair

              AB 1559 (Labor and Employment Committee) - As Introduced:   
                                   March 11, 2009 

          Policy Committee:                              Labor and  
          Employment   Vote:                            7-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          Yes    Reimbursable:              Yes

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires local workforce investment boards to  
          facilitate the implementation of summer youth training programs  
          through partnerships and effective collaboration.

           FISCAL EFFECT
           
          1)Facilitates expenditures of up to $1.2 billion of federal  
            funds available for youth employment activities.  

           2)By prescribing new duties for local workforce investment  
            boards, the bill contains significant (more than $150,000)  
            state mandated local costs, which are potentially  
            reimbursable.  

           COMMENTS

          1)Background  . The California Workforce Investment Board is  
            responsible for assisting the governor in the development,  
            oversight, and improvement of California's workforce  
            investment system. Local boards, which consist of local  
            elected officials, are responsible for coordinating workforce  
            investment activities in local areas, awarding grants or  
            contracts to eligible providers of youth activities, and  
            identifying eligible providers of workforce training. 

            The recently-enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act  
            (ARRA) of 2009 includes $1.2 billion in funding for Workforce  
            Investment Act (WIA) youth employment activities, and  
            increases the age of individuals eligible for these programs  








                                                                  AB 1559
                                                                  Page  2

            from 21 to 24 years. Local areas will have until June 30, 2011  
            to expend the funds. While the ARRA does not limit the use of  
            youth funds to summer employment, both the Congressional  
            explanatory statement and a U.S. Department of Labor guidance  
            letter encourage use of the ARRA funds for summer employment  
            opportunities for youth.

           2)Rationale  . This bill is sponsored by the California Workforce  
            Association (CWA), which indicates that the measure is  
            intended to facilitate ongoing discussions with stakeholders  
            about how California can provide policy guidance and maximize  
            the success of summer youth training programs, including those  
            funded through the recent ARRA.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Brad Williams / APPR. / (916) 319-2081