BILL NUMBER: AB 1523 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 9, 2012
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Perea
JANUARY 18, 2012
An act to add Section 2704.76 to the Streets and Highways
Code, relating to workforce training, and making an appropriation
therefor. An act to amend Section 54750 of the
Education Code, relating to career technical education.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1523, as amended, Perea. Preapprenticeship training
program: high-speed rail. Career technical education:
partnership academies: green technology.
Existing law provides for the establishment of green technology
partnership academies by participating school districts and requires
the Superintendent of Public Instruction to issue grants for the
establishment of partnership academies and to give priority to the
establishment of partnership academies dedicated to educating pupils
in the emerging, environmentally sound technologies until no less
than one green technology partnership academy has been established in
each of the 9 economic regions established by the state. Under
existing law, these partnership academies may include technologies
that educate pupils in specified areas, including, but not limited
to, ocean, soil, or water conservation.
This bill would authorize green technology partnership academies
to include technology that educates pupils about transportation for
the 21st century.
Existing law, the California High-Speed Train Act, creates the
High-Speed Rail Authority to develop and implement a high-speed train
system in the state, with specified powers and duties. Existing law,
the Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st
Century, provides for the issuance of $9.95 billion in general
obligation bonds for high-speed rail and related purposes.
This bill would appropriate $2,000,000 from the High-Speed
Passenger Train Bond Fund to the authority for the purposes of
funding a 3-year pilot project in the Central Valley to train
unemployed workers for high-speed rail construction jobs. The bill
would require the authority to work with various labor organizations
to train a total of 400 clients in preapprenticeship programs that
will lead to direct referrals to building trades unions, as
specified.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: yes no
. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 54750 of the
Education Code is amended to read:
54750. (a) Commencing with the 2009-10 school year, when funds
become available for additional partnership academies within the
total number of grants available for all partnership academies
pursuant to Section 54691, the Superintendent shall issue grants for
the establishment of partnership academies and shall give priority to
the establishment of partnership academies dedicated to educating
pupils in the emerging , environmentally sound
technologies until no less than one green technology partnership
academy has been established in each of the nine economic regions
established by the state. The academies may include, but are not
limited to, technologies that educate pupils in the following areas:
(1) Energy audits that include a determination of energy savings.
(2) Retrofitting and weatherization activities that increase
energy efficiency and conservation.
(3) Energy-efficient and water-efficient buildings.
(4) Retrofitting and installing energy-efficient household
appliances, windows, doors, insulation, and lighting.
(5) Retrofitting and installing water and energy conservation
technologies in existing homes, industrial buildings, and commercial
and public buildings, to improve efficiency, including the use of
energy and water management technologies and control systems.
(6) The design, construction, manufacture, sale, assembly,
installation, and maintenance of energy-efficient technologies and
renewable energy facilities, or the component parts of renewable
energy technologies.
(7) Energy-efficient technologies or practices and renewable
energy production, or the component parts of renewable energy plants
and energy distribution, including energy storage; energy
infrastructure, including transmission; transportation, including
logistics; and water and wastewater, including water conservation.
(8) Performance and low-emission vehicle technology, automotive
computer systems, mass transit fleet conversion, and the servicing
and maintenance of those technologies.
(9) Pollution prevention and hazardous and solid waste reduction.
(10) Ocean, soil, or water conservation, or forestation strategies
to mitigate climate change impacts.
(11) Transportation for the 21st century.
(b) (1) The selection of school districts to establish the green
technology partnership academies and the planning and development of
the green technology partnership academies shall be conducted
pursuant to the procedures and requirements established in Section
54691 for all partnership academies. The planning grants shall be
made available for academies pursuant to this article from the total
number of grants established pursuant to Section 54691.
(2) In the event a school district applies to convert an existing
school program to a partnership academy and meets all the criteria
for a partnership academy pursuant to Section 54692 and paragraph
(3), the department, in coordination with the Superintendent, may
provide that academy with first-year implementation funds, as
appropriate.
(3) (A) In order to be eligible for funding pursuant to this
article, the coursework and internship or preapprenticeship programs
of the proposed academy shall focus on the use of environmentally
sound technologies and practices. The proposed academy shall
demonstrate this through its efforts to obtain input from
environmental industry, utilities, and professional trade
organizations.
(B) Staff development opportunities also shall be included in the
academy plans to ensure that teaching staff has the opportunity to be
educated in the use of emerging technologies and to become familiar
with new materials and current practices in the field.
(c) The priority established in this section may be satisfied when
the specified number of green technology partnership academies
meeting the requirements of this article are funded by any of, or a
combination of, funds appropriated for the establishment of
partnership academies.
SECTION 1. Section 2704.76 is added to the
Streets and Highways Code, to read:
2704.76. (a) The sum of two million dollars ($2,000,000) is
hereby appropriated from the High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Fund to
the authority for purposes of this section.
(b) The funds made available pursuant to this section shall be
used by the authority to fund a three-year pilot project in the
Central Valley to train unemployed workers for high-speed rail
construction jobs. The authority shall work with the Central Valley
workforce investment boards, the Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings
Central Labor Council, and representatives from various organized
labor building trades to train a total of 400 clients in
preapprenticeship programs that will lead to direct referrals to
building trades unions, including, but not limited to, the following:
(1) International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 100.
(2) United Association Local 246 (Plumbers, Pipefitters, Service
Technicians).
(3) Operating Engineers Local 3.
(4) Laborers Local 294.
(5) Carpenters Local Union 701.
(6) Ironworkers Local Union 155.
(c) The pilot project, over the full three-year project life,
shall include 16 cohorts of 25 preapprentice trainees each, drawn
from the following:
(1) Eight cohorts from the central region of the San Joaquin
Valley (Fresno Regional Workforce Investment Board).
(2) Four cohorts from the southern region of the San Joaquin
Valley (Kern Inyo Mono Workforce Investment Board).
(3) Four cohorts from the northern region of the San Joaquin
Valley (Stanislaus County Workforce Investment Board).
(d) Unemployed and underemployed veterans shall be recruited for
inclusion in the preapprentice program through a partnership with
veterans' organizations, including, but not limited to, the Helmets
to Hardhats organization.