Bill Text: CA AB2642 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Removing Barriers to Employment Act: Breaking Barriers to Employment Initiative.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-2)

Status: (Failed) 2016-11-30 - From committee without further action. [AB2642 Detail]

Download: California-2015-AB2642-Introduced.html

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BILL NUMBER: AB 2642	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Members Eduardo Garcia, Eggman, Cristina
Garcia, Gomez, and Maienschein

                        FEBRUARY 19, 2016

   An act to add Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 14600) to
Division 7 of the Unemployment Insurance Code, relating to workforce
development, and making an appropriation therefor.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2642, as introduced, Eduardo Garcia. Removing Barriers to
Employment Act.
   The California Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
establishes the California Workforce Development Board as the body
responsible for assisting the Governor in the development, oversight,
and continuous improvement of California's workforce investment
system and the alignment of the education and workforce investment
systems to the needs of the 21st century economy and workforce.
   This bill would enact the Removing Barriers to Employment Act,
which would require the California Workforce Investment Board to work
with the Employment Development Department to create a grant program
to provide funds to local workforce investment boards and
community-based organizations working in partnership on proposals
that will address the needs of persons who have multiple barriers to
employment, to prepare them for training, apprenticeship or
employment opportunities that will lead to self-sufficiency and
economic stability. The bill would additionally appropriate an
unspecified amount from an unspecified fund to the California
Workforce Investment Board for administration of the grant program.
   Vote: 2/3. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


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

  SECTION 1.  Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 14600) is added to
Division 7 of the Unemployment Insurance Code, to read:
      CHAPTER 6.  REMOVING BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT ACT


   14600.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
   (a) The economy in California continues to improve as shown by
lower unemployment rates and job growth, but poverty is still an
issue in many of our cities and among many of our citizens. The
California Poverty Measure reported in 2015 that 78 percent of
Californians in poverty live in families with at least one adult
working, with 69 percent of those working full time. Low-income
families continue to struggle to pay for the basic cost of supporting
their families. With low wages and lack of job skills, this target
population falls further behind and cannot escape poverty.
   (b) Lack of formal education, low English literacy and lower-level
job skills prevent upward mobility in pay and job stability. There
is a need for improved access and funding to provide "career pathways"
services, particularly for the poor.
   (c) Increased funding for supportive services such as child care,
transportation, English language improvement training, adult
education, high school diploma and GED acquisition, skills training,
work experience, on-the-job training, earn-as-you-learn, industry
certifications, mentoring, case management and more is needed to
bridge the gap to gainful employment for the more difficult to reach
in our population.
   (d) Local community-based organizations, government agencies and
workforce investment boards throughout California struggle to provide
adequate services to the increasing number of poor residents who
need career pathways services. In particular, funding is needed for
case management, career guidance, and support services that enhance
training/job retention and the ability to meet family basic expense
needs while pursuing a career opportunity.
   (e) Special emphasis is needed to make sure that programs reach
those among us with the most difficult needs with the goal of
preparing those persons for training, educational, apprenticeship or
employment opportunities.
   14601.  (a) The California Workforce Investment Board shall work
with the Employment Development Department to create a grant program
to provide funds to local workforce investment boards and
community-based organizations working in partnership on proposals
that will address the needs of persons who have multiple barriers to
employment to prepare them for training, apprenticeship or employment
opportunities that will lead to self-sufficiency and economic
stability.
   (b) The grant program shall require grant proposals to meet the
following:
   (1) Grant proposals shall demonstrate how the grant recipient will
address the needs of one or more of the following populations:
   (A) Youths who are disconnected from the education system or
employment.
   (B) Women seeking training or education to move into
nontraditional fields of employment.
   (C) Workers displaced by the movement of an employer or those who
are long-term unemployed.
   (D) Unskilled or under-skilled, low-earning workers looking to
advance into better-paying employment opportunities.
   (E) Persons for whom English is not their primary language.
   (F) Economically disadvantaged persons who face barriers to
reaching training or apprenticeship opportunities for sustainable
careers.
   (G) CalWORKS participants.
   (H) Persons who are incarcerated and soon to be released or
formerly incarcerated.
   (I) Armed services veterans who face barriers due to skills that
are not applicable to employment, training, apprenticeship
opportunities in the region in which they live, or because of mental
health, health, or other barriers that serve as impediments to those
opportunities.
   (J) Native Americans or migrant, seasonal farmworkers.
   (K) People with developmental or other disabilities.
   (2) Grant proposals shall include a method to measure success of
any program funded by the grant. Measurements of success may include,
but are not limited to:
   (A) The number of participants in the program who have completed a
high school diploma or received a GED.
   (B) The number of participants in the program who have completed a
remedial education program.
   (C) The number of participants in the program who have completed a
work readiness program.
   (D) The number of participants who have received assistance to
enroll their children in after school programs while the program
participant enroll in secondary or postsecondary education or
maintains employment.
   (E) The number of participants who have obtained access to
reliable transportation or received a driver's license since
enrollment in the program.
   (F) The number of participants who have completed a certified drug
treatment or mental health program.
   (G) The number of participants who have obtained and maintained
safe housing.
   (H) The number of participants who have completed a
pre-apprenticeship program.
   (c) The amount of ___ is appropriated from the ____ fund to the
California Workforce Investment Board to carry out this section.