BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1559
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CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 1559 (Labor and Employment Committee)
As Amended September 2, 2009
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |74-0 |(June 2, 2009) |SENATE: |32-6 |(September 3, |
| | | | | |2009) |
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Original Committee Reference: L. & E.
SUMMARY : Adds provisions of law related to workforce development
and summer youth programs.
The Senate amendments :
1 Eliminate the requirement that the California Workforce Investment
Board (CWIB), in consultation with local workforce investment
boards, evaluate the effectiveness of the California Youth at Work
Program in providing summer job training services to youth, and
shall make public the results of that evaluation.
2)Require that any mandated CWIB costs be reimbursed with federal
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds.
3)Terminate the California Youth at Work Program when there is no
longer sufficient ARRA or other federal funds available to pay for
the program.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill:
1 Provided that local workforce investment boards shall facilitate
the implementation of summer youth training programs through
partnerships and effective collaboration.
2)Required the California Workforce Investment Board (CWIB), in
collaboration with local workforce investment boards, to establish
the California Youth at Work Program (Program) for the purpose of
providing summer job training and work experience opportunities
for youth in the state.
3)Specified that the Program shall include a work experience
component that conforms to the federal Workforce Investment Act of
1998 and its implementing regulations.
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4)Specified that eligible youth who participate in the Program shall
be between 14 years of age and 24 years of age.
5)Required the Program to focus primarily on providing summer job
training and work experience opportunities for youth in the state.
6)Specified that the period of "summer" shall be from May 1 through
September 30 of each year, but that program start and end dates
may vary within this time period.
7)Provided that Program services shall target low-income youth and
certain youth populations facing barriers to employment, as
specified.
8)Provided that wages or stipends may be provided to youth in a
classroom-based component of a summer employment opportunity.
9)Specified that minors under 18 years of age who are enrolled in
the program shall be paid at least the applicable state minimum
wage and overtime rates.
10)Provided that high school graduates or those persons holding an
equivalent degree shall be paid at a level commensurate with
adults doing the same job, when those individuals perform the same
quantity, quality, and classification of work.
11)Required the CWIB, in consultation with local workforce
investment boards, to request and obtain any necessary waivers
from the United States Department of Labor (DOL) to ensure
effective and efficient implementation of the Program.
12)Required the CWIB, in consultation with local workforce
investment boards, to evaluate the effectiveness of the Program in
providing summer job training services to youth, and shall make
public the results of that evaluation.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations Committee,
recent amendments require that any mandated CWIB costs be reimbursed
with federal ARRA funds and terminate the program when there is no
longer sufficient ARRA or other federal funds available to pay for
it.
COMMENTS : The recently-enacted ARRA of 2009 includes $1.2 billion
in funding for Workforce Investment Act (WIA) youth employment
activities. The ARRA also extended the eligibility for
participation in WIA youth employment programs from the statutory
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age of 21 to 24. 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, the Congressional explanatory statement states that "the
conferees are particularly interested in these funds being used to
create summer employment opportunities for youth."
The ARRA does not provide DOL with any policy guidance as to how it
should implement the youth employment program, nor does it provide
guidance as to what policies DOL and states and local workforce
investment boards should pursue to ensure that these programs are
successful. Therefore, there is a need for further policy direction
at the state and local level.
On March 18, 2009, the DOL's Employment Training Administration
(ETA) issued its own guidance letter with respect to implementing
WIA funding contained in the ARRA. That guidance letter states,
"ETA strongly encourages states and local areas to use as much of
these funds as possible to operate expanded summer youth employment
opportunities during the summer of 2009, and provide as many youth
as possible with summer employment opportunities and work
experiences throughout the year, while ensuring that these summer
employment opportunities and work experiences are high quality. ETA
is also particularly interested in and encourages states and local
areas to develop work experiences and other activities that expose
youth to opportunities in 'green' educational and career pathways."
This bill is sponsored by the California Workforce Association
(CWA).
Analysis Prepared by : Ben Ebbink / L. & E. / (916) 319-2091FN:
0002582