California Workforce Investment Act: federal funding.

(1) The federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 provides for workforce investment activities, including activities in which states may participate. Existing law contains various programs for job training and employment investment, including work incentive and employment training outreach programs. Existing law establishes local workforce investment boards to implement and administer various workforce training and development programs in the state, and requires those local boards to establish at least one comprehensive one-stop career center in each local workforce investment area. Existing law further declares that it is the intent of the Legislature to deliver comprehensive workforce services to jobseekers, students, and employers at those comprehensive one-stop career centers to, among other things, make job outreach, intake, job search and placement assistance, and other related services available in one location. This bill would also declare that it is the intent of the Legislature that other intensive services, such as out-of-area job search assistance, literacy activities related to workforce readiness, relocation assistance, internships, and work experience programs also be provided at those one-stop career centers to individuals who have met specified requirements, based on an assessment or individual employment plan. The bill would prescribe eligibility criteria for recipients of financial assistance in the form of needs-related payments, as described, and would require the one-stop career centers, given sufficient resources, to take various actions with respect to the coordination and delivery of supportive services, as described, to individuals who are enrolled in job training programs. The bill also would require local boards to develop a policy on supportive services, as specified. By imposing new duties on local entities, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law requires the Employment Development Department to report annually to the Governor, the Legislature, and the California Workforce Investment Board, no later than November 30, regarding the training expenditures made by local workforce investment boards in the prior fiscal year, as provided. This bill would revise the above reporting requirement, as specified. (3) Existing law establishes the California Workforce Investment Board (CWIB) , and requires the CWIB to assist the Governor with promoting the development, oversight, and continuous development of a well-educated and highly skilled workforce, and development of the State Workforce Investment Plan. This bill would require the CWIB to develop policies, funding recommendations, and strategies that will maximize funding across all workforce programs for developing and enhancing the skills of Californians in order to meet the needs of California's businesses, as specified. The bill would require funding available through the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to be for increasing training services, and would require training priorities to be consistent with those identified in that act. (4) This bill would incorporate additional changes in Section 14230 of the Unemployment Insurance Code made by AB 3 that would become operative if both bills are enacted and this bill is enacted after AB 3. (5) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.