BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 1291
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 1291 (Evans)
As Amended May 25, 2012
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :25-14
INSURANCE 11-2 APPROPRIATIONS 12-5
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|Ayes:|Solorio, Hagman, |Ayes:|Gatto, Blumenfield, |
| |Bradford, Fong, Carter, | |Bradford, Charles |
| |Feuer, Hayashi, Olsen, | |Calderon, Campos, Davis, |
| |Skinner, Torres, | |Fuentes, Hall, Hill, |
| |Wieckowski | |Cedillo, Mitchell, |
| | | |Solorio |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Beth Gaines, Miller |Nays:|Harkey, Donnelly, |
| | | |Nielsen, Norby, Wagner |
| | | | |
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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 (UI) 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.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, variable costs based on the number of program
participants. The Assembly Appropriations Committee estimated
the following based on the assumption that 1,000 to 2,500
teachers would participate, each participant would qualify for
the maximum weekly benefit amount of $450, and would receive
benefits for the entire 26 week training extension time period.
This bill would increase annual benefit payments between $11.7
SB 1291
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million and $29.3 million per year from the School Employees
Fund (SEF).
COMMENTS : According to the author, this bill will help retain
thousands of laid off teachers by authorizing UI 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.
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 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).
California has the largest teacher workforce in the country,
with over 305,000 teachers but only 40,000 of these are
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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.
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
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.
Analysis Prepared by : Paul Riches / INS. / (916) 319-2086
FN: 0004972