BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 1291
Page 1
Date of Hearing: June 20, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON INSURANCE
Jose Solorio, Chair
SB 1291 (Evans) - As Amended: May 25, 2012
SENATE VOTE : 25-14
SUBJECT : Unemployment Insurance: California Training Benefits
Program
SUMMARY : Permits teachers participating in credential
preparation programs in math, science, and special education to
automatically qualify for the California Training Benefits
Program (CTB). Specifically, this bill :
1)Permits permanent or probationary public school teachers who
have been laid off and participate in a training program to
obtain certification in math, science or special education to
receive additional unemployment insurance benefits through the
CTB.
2)Delays implementation of this provision until January 1, 2014.
3)Extends the sunset date for the CTB until January 1, 2019.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Provides that in order to begin or continue to receive
unemployment benefits, an individual must be:
a) Actively looking for work,
b) Available to work, and
c) Ready to accept suitable work.
2)Establishes CTB which allows eligible unemployed individuals
to receive benefits while attending qualifying training
programs.
3)Requires that qualifying training programs must be authorized
by specified state or federal program sponsors.
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4)Provides for the creation and maintenance of the California
Commission on Teacher Credentialing, an independent agency
comprised of 15 voting members, 14 of whom are appointed by
the governor. This Commission is comprised of the
Superintendent of Public Instruction or a designee, college,
high school, and elementary school teachers, and
representatives of the public.
5)Endows this Commission with the power to develop and implement
professional standards, assessments, and examinations for
entry and advancement in the education profession in the form
of teaching credentials.
FISCAL EFFECT : Minor to major annual cost to the School
Employees Fund (SEF) depending on claimant participation in the
program. Cost per participant is estimated at $11,700.
COMMENTS :
1)Purpose . According to the author, this bill will help retain
thousands of laid off teachers by authorizing unemployment
insurance benefits for those who seek certification training
and intensive test preparation in the high demand areas of
math, science, and special education. This bill will create
job opportunities by expanding available training for teachers
who wish to stay in the teaching field. In the future, this
bill will decrease unemployment benefits and result in cost
avoidance in years to come by permanently employing these
teachers.
2)California Training Benefits Program . Federal law requires
states to approve individuals for any week of UI benefits in
which the individuals are in "state-approved" school or
training and not to disqualify them for failure to be
available for work, actively seeking work, and refusing
suitable work.
In California, state-approved training means training offered
under the Federal Workforce Investment Act, the California
Employment Training Panel, the Federal Trade Act of 1974, or
the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids
Program; the individual is a participant in training with a
provider that is certified and on the state's Eligible
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Training Provider List; or the individual is a journey level
union member participating in specified training. Those would
all be considered "automatically" approved training programs,
as long as claimants meet all other eligibility criteria.
Claimants who do not enter into training under the above
circumstances may be eligible for other approved training if
they meet other requirements.
Claimants determined eligible for the CTB program are exempt
from the statutory requirements of being available for work
and actively seeking work while attending state-approved
training. Individuals participating in CTB who are otherwise
eligible for UI benefits may receive their regular UI benefits
during the period of CTB approved training. There is also a
Training Extension claim which provides additional benefits up
to a combined maximum of 52 weeks (26 weeks for the regular UI
claim plus 26 weeks for the Training Extension claim).
3)Teacher Workforce . California has the largest teacher
workforce in the country, with over 305,000 teachers but only
40,000 of these are specialized in mathematics or science.
California has faced similar challenges in maintaining an
adequate supply of special education teachers. In order to
become a science, mathematics, or special education teacher,
an employee must demonstrate competency through exams and
other assessment methods specific to the desired teaching
specialty in addition to a general assessment on basic
educational skills. As a result, the population of teachers
who choose to specialize in a particular subject is scarce
relative to those who are only generally credentialed.
Fiscal conditions have required school districts across the
state to dismiss 32,000 teachers since 2007-2008 which has
exacerbated the scarcity of specialized teachers. According
to a 2007 study from The Center for the Future of Teaching and
Learning, California will face a deficit of 33,000 science and
math teachers over the next ten years due to attrition and
retirement. The same study also found that California's
current rate of teacher production, particularly in
specialized areas, is insufficient to bridge the gap.
4)Cost . Public school districts and community colleges do not
pay unemployment insurance taxes. Instead they contribute to
the SEF. All 72 community college districts and 1,298 county
offices of education, public school districts, and charter
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schools participate in the SEF. Money deposited in the SEF is
used to reimburse the UI Trust Fund for the cost of UI
benefits paid to former employees. The SEF has a projected
fund balance of over $300 million as of June 30, 2012. The
costs of paying the additional benefits from this bill will be
borne by the SEF.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
California Labor Federation
California Teachers Association
California Workforce Association (CWA)
Commission on Teacher Credentialing (Commission)
Numerous Individuals
Opposition
None received.
Analysis Prepared by : Paul Riches / INS. / (916) 319-2086