BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2349
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Date of Hearing: April 21, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 2349 (Fong) - As Introduced: February 19, 2010
Policy Committee: Labor and
Employment Vote: 6-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill codifies federal guidelines and requirements for
summer job training and work experience programs for youth.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Establishes in state law the California Youth at Work Program.
2)Specifies the program shall focus primarily on providing
summer job training and work experience opportunities for
youth in the state, and 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.
3)Requires the program provide a work experience and academic
enrichment components to eligible youth between 14 and 24
years old.
4)Requires the California Workforce Investment Board (CWIB), in
consultation with the local workforce investment boards, to
request any necessary waivers from the United States
Department of Labor, to ensure effective and efficient
implementation of the program.
5)Requires that the program shall only be implemented if the
Director of Finance determines there are sufficient federal or
state funds made available for the purpose.
6)Specifies that local workforce investment boards are to award
grants or contracts to eligible providers of youth activities,
consistent with federal law, or with other funding sources,
and to identify eligible providers of training in a manner
AB 2349
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consistent with federal law.
FISCAL EFFECT
No new state costs, though the bill may have some impact on
distribution of hundreds of millions of federal funds earmarked
for job training programs in the future.
COMMENTS
1)Background . The (CWIB) 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 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 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 codifies ongoing summer youth job
training programs, as well as the requirements and definitions
presented in the Department of Labor's guidance letter
facilitating the use of ARRA funds. According to the author,
in the summer of 2009, nearly 50,000 youth in California were
employed through the summer youth program, partly due to the
temporary ARRA funding. The bill is intended to ensure that
the California Youth at Work Program will continue to be an
effective and beneficial resource for disadvantaged youth in
the future.
3)Previous legislation . This bill is similar to AB 1559
(Committee on Labor and Employment) from 2009. That bill was
vetoed by the governor, who cited possible conflicts with the
ARRA funded program already underway, and concerns about added
duties imposed on local boards. This bill attempts to address
those concerns by eliminating new requirements for local
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boards.
Analysis Prepared by : Brad Williams / APPR. / (916) 319-2081