BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2696
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 2696 (Bass)
As Introduced February 19, 2010
Majority vote
LABOR & EMPLOYMENT 7-0 APPROPRIATIONS 16-0
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|Ayes:|Swanson, Bill Berryhill, |Ayes:|Fuentes, Conway, Hill, |
| |Furutani, Gaines, | |Bradford, Charles |
| |Monning, Yamada, Ma | |Calderon, Coto, Davis, |
| | | |Hall, Harkey, Miller, |
| | | |Nielsen, Norby, Skinner, |
| | | |Solorio, Torlakson, |
| | | |Torrico |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Sets forth additional specified duties of the Green
Collar Jobs Council (GCJC). Specifically, this bill :
1)Authorizes the California Workforce Investment Board (CWIB) to
accept any revenues, moneys, grants, goods, or services from
the 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)Establishes a Green Collar Jobs Account (Account) in the
California State Treasury and specifies that:
a) All revenue received under these provisions be deposited
into the account; and,
b) The revenue shall only be expended for the purposes
related to administration and implementation of the
strategic initiative and for awarding workforce training
grants.
3)Requires the GCJC, in addition to its current duties, do the
following:
a) Assist in identifying and linking green collar jobs
opportunities in local workforce investment areas (LWIAs),
encouraging regional collaboration to meet regional demand;
AB 2696
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and,
b) Collaborate with community colleges, and other
educational institutions, registered apprenticeship
programs, business and labor organizations, and
community-based and philanthropic organizations to align
workforce development services with strategies for regional
economic growth.
4)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).
5)Requires, by April 1, 2011 and annually thereafter, the CWIB
to report to the Legislature on the status of GCJC activities,
grants awarded, and its development and implementation of
green workforce strategic initiative.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, implementation of this bill would result in minor and
absorbable costs for CWIB.
COMMENTS : This bill is a follow-up to AB 3018 (Nunez), Chapter
312, Statutes of 2008, which established the Green Collar Jobs
Council (GCJC) within the 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 (EDD) 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
address the growing need for a highly skilled and well-trained
workforce to meet the needs of California's emerging green
economy.
The GCJC convened for the first time on February 11th, 2009 (and
has met regularly thereafter), and adopted the following vision
statement: "Over the next 18 to 24 months the Council will
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identify and facilitate the development of the framework,
funding, strategies, programs policies, partnerships and
opportunities necessary to address the need for a highly skilled
and well-trained workforce in support of California's green
businesses and economy. Through its work, the Council will
serve as a catalyst for the creation of sustainable regional
sector strategies that will be managed through regional
partnerships."
Following the enactment of the ARRA, the GCJC has been focusing
some of its attention on opportunities for green collar jobs
made possible as a result of ARRA.
According to the author's office statement, "With California's
unemployment rate at an all time high of 10.5%, California needs
to develop short and long term goals to put Californians back to
work in jobs that provide a 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 Innovation Index
2009 , since 2005 the green collar job 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 and
green technology. The time is now to develop much needed
workforce training partnerships to better serve California."
Analysis Prepared by : Shannon McKinley / L. & E. / (916)
319-2091
FN: 0004381