BILL ANALYSIS
SB 123
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Date of Hearing: June 17, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Julia Brownley, Chair
SB 123 (Liu) - As Amended: March 25, 2009
SENATE VOTE : 37-0
SUBJECT : California Career Resource Network Program
SUMMARY : Establishes the California Career Resources Network
(CalCRN), an existing independent state agency, as a program
within the California Department of Education (CDE).
Specifically, this bill :
1)Establishes the State Agency Partners Committee (SAPC) and
require this committee to be composed of the current members
of the CalCRN.
2)Requires the SAPC to coordinate the use of network information
and resources in programs that are implemented by the entities
that they represent.
3)Specifies that this bill shall become operative on July 1,
2010.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Establishes CalCRN in state government for the purpose of
providing career development information and resources to
people in California in order to enable them to attain their
career goals.
2)Specifies that CalCRN is composed of the Director of
Employment Development, the Superintendent of Public
Instruction, the Chancellor of the California Community
Colleges, the Director of Rehabilitation, the Director of
Social Services, the Executive Director of the California
Workforce Investment Board, the Executive Secretary of the
Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education, the
Director of the California Youth Authority, the Director of
the Department of Corrections, and the Director of the
Department of Developmental Services, or their designees.
3)Requires the information and resources distributed by CalCRN
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to provide all of the following:
a) Encouragement to completing a secondary education;
b) Career exploration tools, provided in written and
multimedia format, that offer an introduction to the nature
of career planning, self-assessment, methods of
investigating the work world, methods of identifying and
meeting education and training needs, and methods of
creating a career action plan;
c) Relevant information on the labor market and career
opportunities; and,
d) Assistance to a pupil in the acquisition and development
of career competencies including the appropriate skills,
attitudes, and knowledge to allow him/her to successfully
manage his/her career.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs.
COMMENTS : The CalCRN is an interagency, state-level network
created to support career guidance and academic counseling
programs to all individuals in California. The primary duty of
CalCRN, formerly known as California Occupational Information
Coordinating Committee, is to distribute career information,
resources, and training materials to middle school and high
school counselors, educators, and administrators, in order to
ensure that middle schools and high schools have the necessary
information available to provide guidance and instruction on
education and job requirements necessary for career development.
Existing law requires the information and resources distributed
by the CalCRN to provide specified elements including, career
exploration tools and information on the labor market and career
opportunities.
CalCRN is supported through federal Carl D. Perkins
administrative and state general funds, and it works through an
interagency network to assist state agencies in developing
career-related educational resources and training and to improve
coordination and communication among state-level administrators
and planners. CalCRN is currently physically housed at the CDE
headquarters building, and this bill would formally place the
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CalCRN as a program within CDE.
The author states, "This bill is a good government measure that
will streamline budgeting, accounting, personnel, and
contracting functions, reduce administrative burdens and enhance
the Network's ability to develop and support career guidance
resources and services."
Arguments in support : The sponsor of this measure, the
Superintendent of Public Instruction writes, "SB 123 would
formally place CalCRN within the California Department of
Education (CDE). CalCRN currently operates as an independent
state agency, but is housed, at no cost to CalCRN, in the CDE
headquarters building. Although this has allowed CalCRN
self-sufficiency and flexibility, it requires the same
administrative responsibilities and complexity faced by any
other California state agency regarding fiscal accountability,
compliance reporting, legal matters, contracting, interagency
agreements, etc."
Previous Legislation : AB 1230 (Laird) of 2008, a substantially
similar measure establishes the CalCRN, an existing independent
state agency, as a program within CDE. AB 1230 was vetoed by
Governor Schwarzenegger with the following veto message,
"The historic delay in passing the 2008-2009 State Budget has
forced me to prioritize the bills sent to my desk at the end of
the year's legislative session. Given the delay, I am only
signing bills that are the highest priority for California.
This bill does not meet that standard and I cannot sign it at
this time."
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
State Superintendent of Public Instruction (Sponsor)
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees,
AFL-CIO
California Council for Environmental and Economic Balance
California Postsecondary Education Commission
California Teachers Association
Los Angeles County Office of Education
Opposition
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None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Marisol Avi?a / ED. / (916) 319-2087