BILL ANALYSIS
SB 675
Page A
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 675 (Steinberg)
As Amended August 30, 2010
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE : 26-9
EDUCATION 7-1 NATURAL RESOURCES 6-3
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|Ayes:|Brownley, Nestande, |Ayes:|Chesbro, Brownley, De |
| |Ammiano, Arambula, | |Leon, Hill, Huffman, |
| |Carter, Eng, Torlakson | |Skinner |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Miller |Nays:|Gilmore, Knight, Logue |
| | | | |
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APPROPRIATIONS 12-5 EDUCATION 6-1
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|Ayes:|Fuentes, Bradford, |Ayes:|Brownley, Ammiano, |
| |Huffman, Coto, Davis, De | |Arambula, Carter, Eng, |
| |Leon, Gatto, Hall, | |Torlakson |
| |Skinner, Solorio, | | |
| |Torlakson, Torrico | | |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Conway, Harkey, Miller, |Nays:|Nestande |
| |Nielsen, Norby | | |
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SUMMARY : Establishes the Clean Technology and Renewable Energy
Job Training, Career Technical Education, and Dropout Prevention
Program by creating a grant program for California Partnership
Academies (CPAs) that focus on clean technology and renewable
energy businesses, as specified. Specifically, this bill :
1)Makes findings and declarations regarding renewable energy,
energy conservation, clean technology and climate change
policies, with a focus on California's leadership in those
areas, the need to use renewable energy and the technologies
it requires to reduce high school dropout and joblessness
rates for the state's young people and to develop the state's
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renewable energy resources.
2)States legislative intent to stimulate the state's economy by
creating CPAs that will lead to the creation of good paying
jobs in industries and businesses that are in compliance with
the state's environmental protection laws and regulations, and
to prepare young people and adults to work in clean, green
industries and professions.
3)Declares that the State Energy Resources Conservation and
Development Commission known as the California Energy
Commission (CEC) is currently authorized to increase the
amount of the existing surcharge imposed on the consumption of
electrical energy and states that if the CEC takes this
authorized action, the resulting funds would be available to
fund the program established by this bill.
4)Defines "clean technology business" and renewable energy
business" as specified.
5)Requires the State Controller to annually allocate $8 million
dollars from the Energy Resources Program Account (ERPA), upon
appropriation by the Legislature, to the Superintendent of
Public Instruction (SPI) for local grants to school districts
to be allocated using the same criteria for allocation of CPA
funds, except as specified.
6)Provides that a school district applying for a grant under
this bill shall meet the existing CPA requirements and shall
propose to implement or maintain a CPA that focuses on
employment in clean technology or renewable energy businesses
and provides skilled workforces for the products and services
for energy or water conservation, or both, renewable energy,
pollution reduction, or other technologies that improve the
environment in furtherance of state environmental laws.
7)Requires the SPI to review grant applications with the CEC and
that both entities review ongoing programs to ensure those
programs are consistent with state energy policies and
priorities.
8)Requires the CEC, in consultation with CDE, to develop
guidelines to ensure that grantee programs reflect current
state energy policies and priorities as well as provide skills
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and education linked to the needs of relevant industries and
specifies the following process for the adoption of such
guidelines:
a) For the initial adoption of guidelines, the CEC shall
provide written notice to the public of not less than 30
days;
b) For substantive amendments to the guidelines, the CEC
shall provide written public notice of not less than 15
days; and,
c) Exempts the guidelines from the requirements of the
Administrative Procedure Act.
9)Requires the SPI in awarding the grants to give first priority
to school districts that propose to establish a CPA at school
sites that do not currently participate in the CPA program,
and second priority to school districts that would establish a
CPA at school sites that do not participate in the in the
green CPA program.
10)Specifies the allowable grant amounts for the clean
technology and renewable energy CPAs as follows:
a) $1,000 per year for each qualified student enrolled in
grade 9 during the first year of operation and limits the
total grant amount for the first year to no more than
$45,000;
b) $1,000 per year for each qualified student enrolled in
grade 9 or 10 during the second year of operation and
limits the total grant amount for the second year to no
more than $80,000;
c) $1,000 per year for each qualified student enrolled in
any of grades 9 to 11, inclusive, during the third year of
operation and limits the total grant amount for the third
year to no more than $120,000; and,
d) $1,000 per year for each qualified student enrolled in
any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, during the fourth and
following years of operation and limits the total grant
amount for that fiscal year to no more than $150,000.
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11)Stipulates that a "qualified student" has the same meaning as
described in provisions governing the CPA program and shall
also include a 9th grade student who meets the at-risk
criteria specified in the CPA program and other specified
criteria.
12)Authorizes the SPI to award a grant to a school district that
has received a grant under the existing CPA program subject to
the provisions of this bill and the availability of funds.
13)Requires the SPI to encourage a school district that receives
a grant pursuant to this bill to work and coordinate with
regional occupational centers and programs for the required
career technical education (CTE) sequence of courses and
authorizes up to 5% of the funds transferred to the SPI
pursuant to this bill to be expended to pay for administrative
costs of the program.
14)Requires, commencing in 2012 and not later than January 1 of
each year, the SPI in consultation with the CEC to provide a
report to the Legislature that includes, but is not limited
to, a description of the curriculum and substance of the
programs funded by grants awarded as well as pupil
participation and other specified data.
15)Requires the first annual report to the Legislature to
include the identification of gaps in available curricula
relating to clean technology and renewable energy that are
consistent with current state energy policy and priorities.
16)Makes the provisions of this bill inoperative on June 30,
2016, and repeals them as of January 1, 2017, unless a later
enacted statute that becomes operative on or before January 1,
2017 deletes or extends this date.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee:
1)Requires the State Controller to annually allocate $8 million
from ERPA to the SPI for grants for CPAs.
2)Expresses legislative intent that the funds deposited in the
ERPA be available to fund programs specified in this measure.
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ERPA provides funding (derived from a surcharge on rate
payers) for the administration of the CEC. The Governor's
2010-11 Budget proposes approximately $71 million for ERPA.
According to the author, there is approximately $8 million in
ERPA funds that are not being utilized by the CEC.
COMMENTS : A CPA is a three-year program in grades 10-12,
structured as a school-within-a-school. CPAs serve at-risk
pupils and the program requires that no less than one half of
each new class must meet the specified at-risk criteria. The
criteria used for student eligibility includes: irregular
attendance, past record of underachievement, low motivation or
disinterest in the regular academic program, and economical
disadvantages. The curriculum of CPAs is focused on a career
theme and is coordinated with related academic classes. The
career technical focus for a CPA is determined by an analysis of
the local labor market and fields that have companies willing to
support the program. According to the California Department of
Education (CDE), there are 475 CPAs currently operating in the
state.
AB 2855 (Hancock), Chapter 685, Statutes of 2008, established,
commencing with the 2009-10 school year, the Green Technology
Partnership Academies as a new category of CPAs, and AB 519
(Budget Committee), Chapter 757, Statutes of 2008, appropriated
$12.5 million from the Public Interest Research, Development,
and Demonstration Fund to fund 61 new CPAs that focus on clean
technology, renewable energy, pollution reduction, and other
"green" environmental technologies. AB 519, however only
provides this additional funding for three years and the funding
will sunset in 2011-12. According to the CDE there are
currently 58 green technology CPAs operating in California high
schools.
This bill provides $8 million from the ERPA under the
jurisdiction of the CEC, to fund clean technology and renewable
energy CPAs. The SPI is required to consult with the CEC to
ensure the grantee programs are consistent with state energy
policies and priorities and the CEC is required to develop
guidelines to ensure that programs receiving these grants
reflect current state energy policies and priorities. The CEC,
comprised of five individuals appointed by the Governor and the
Senate, is responsible for developing and implementing the
state's energy policies, forecasting statewide energy needs,
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siting and licensing thermal power plants, promoting energy
conservation programs, and conducting energy-related research
and development programs. The CEC is primarily funded through a
surcharge on customers at a rate determined by the CEC annually,
but at no more than $.0003 per kilowatt/hour (kWh). The
Governor's proposed 2010-11 budget contains $70.370 million in
the Energy Resources Program Account, of which, $60.886 million
is derived from this surcharge. In the Governor's Budget, the
CEC proposes to raise the rate to $.00025 per kWh from the
existing, $.00022 per kWh.
This bill would allow for continued funding of existing green
CPAs when the AB 519 funding sunsets in 2011-12, and possibly
allow for an expansion in the number of green CPAs operating in
the state. The program requirements for green CPAs that already
exist in statute are very similar to those created by this bill,
and thus this bill appears to create a duplicate program.
The CPA model has demonstrated to be a promising model that
provides rigorous academic and CTE opportunities to pupils. A
study conducted on CPAs showed that the graduation rate for
partnership academy seniors during the 2004-05 school year was
higher than those of the statewide population, and that CPA
students passed the high school exit exam at higher rates than
did the general student population.<1> It can be suggested that
there is evidence that the concept of combining preparation for
both college and careers is a promising instructional approach,
and there also appears to be reasonable demand for CPAs that
focus on green and clean technologies.
The guidelines developed by CEC are required to be developed in
consultation with CDE and these guidelines would be used in the
review of grant applications. It does not appear that the
intent is for these guidelines to affect or change the nature
and purpose of the CPA program or to dictate curriculum that
these CPAs would have to follow.
Analysis Prepared by : Marisol Avina / ED. / (916) 319-2087
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<1> Profile of the California Partnership Academies 2004-2005.
ConnectED The California Center for College and Career. March
2007.
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