BILL NUMBER: SB 309	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 14, 2009

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Ducheny

                        FEBRUARY 25, 2009

   An act to amend  Sections 14302 and 14581  
Section 14302  of the Public Resources Code, relating to public
resources.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 309, as amended, Ducheny. Public resources:  beverage
container recycling fund:  conservation corps. 
   (1) Existing 
    Existing  law requires the California Conservation Corps
to select young men and women for participation in the corps program
on the basis of motivation for hard work, personal development, and
public service, and without regard to their prior employment or
educational background.
   This bill would require preference for inclusion in corps
membership to be given to emancipated foster youth and at-risk youth.

   (2) The California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter
Reduction Act requires a distributor of specified beverage containers
to pay a redemption payment to the Department of Conservation for
each beverage container sold or transferred for deposit in the
California Beverage Container Recycling Fund. The department is
authorized to make other specified expenditures from the moneys
remaining in the fund after the moneys for specified purposes have
been set aside.  
   This bill would authorize the department to expend an undetermined
amount annually, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for existing
and new California Conservation Corps and community conservation
corps for the purposes of reopening residential corps member
facilities, litter abatement, recycling, emergency response, fire
brush clearance, energy conservation, green technology jobs, and
related activities that educate, train, and employ at-risk youth.
Because the moneys in the fund would be used for purposes other than
those related to beverage containers, the bill would impose a tax.
 
   By imposing a new tax, this bill would result in a change in state
taxes for the purpose of increasing revenues within the meaning of
Section 3 of Article XIII A of the California Constitution, and thus
would require for passage the approval of 2/3 of the membership of
each house of the Legislature. 
   Vote:  2/3   majority  . Appropriation:
no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
   (a) The California Conservation Corps provides critical emergency
response work, including fighting fires and floods, that protects the
health and safety of the state.
   (b) For over 30 years, the California Conservation Corps has
conserved the state's natural resources through the use of California'
s young men and women. This has been beneficial not only to the youth
of the state by providing them with educational and work
opportunities, but also to the state economy and its environment.
   (c) The California Conservation Corps provides a unique
opportunity for those California youth who are not bound directly for
college to follow a different path and gain needed training and
experience in preparation for entrance into the workforce.
  SEC. 2.  Section 14302 of the Public Resources Code is amended to
read:
   14302.  (a) Young women and men shall be selected for
participation in the corps program on the basis of motivation for
hard work, personal development, and public service, and without
regard to their prior employment or educational background.
Participation shall be for a period of one year, which may be
extended.
   (b) Preference for inclusion in corps membership shall be given to
emancipated foster youth and at-risk youth.
   (c) The corps, in conjunction with the Employment Development
Department, shall place an emphasis on developing and executing plans
to assist corpsmembers in obtaining employment following their
participation in the corps program. All matter omitted in this
version of the bill appears in the bill as introduced in the Senate,
February 25, 2009 (JR11)