AB 338: Workforce development: the Counties of Los Angeles and Ventura: 2025 wildfires. - California

10/10/25 - Chaptered → AB338 · 1 edit

MINOR

No substantive policy changes were made between these two versions of AB 338. The diff reflects a reformatting of the same enacted bill text from a chaptered document layout (with page numbers and formal headers) into a web page display format (with navigation menus, search bars, and metadata). The actual legislative content - all sections, funding amounts, eligibility criteria, and requirements - is identical.

TECHNICAL

The bill text was reformatted from a chaptered document layout with page numbers and formal state headers into a web page presentation format with navigation elements, version history links, and publication metadata. No policy language was changed.

09/05/25 - Amended Senate → 09/15/25 - Enrolled · 1 edit · Sep 15, 2025

MINOR

AB 338 moved from its final Senate amendment to enrolled (final) form. The only substantive policy change was the removal of a requirement in Section 14017.2(d) that the California Workforce Development Board determine the most expeditious allocation, deployment, and redeployment of funds based on greatest need, considering the number of impacted low- to moderate-income individuals. All other changes are formatting adjustments associated with the enrolled bill layout.

REQUIREMENT

Section 14017.2(d) no longer requires the California Workforce Development Board to determine the most expeditious allocation, deployment, and redeployment of funds based on greatest need or to consider the number of underemployed and unemployed low- to moderate-income individuals impacted by the fires or needed for the rebuild. The subsection now only retains the subcontracting authorization.

08/29/25 - Amended Senate → 09/05/25 - Amended Senate · 4 edits · Sep 5, 2025

MODERATE

The September 5 Senate amendment to AB 338 makes three substantive policy changes: it removes the conditional language requiring a future appropriation before funds must be allocated (making allocation mandatory), increases the state administration cap from 2 percent to 5 percent, and broadens subcontracting authority from limited local workforce development boards to any entities. It also narrows the employment focus requirement to apply only to the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity rather than jointly with the Economic Development Collaborative.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the phrase 'Upon appropriation of funds for this purpose' from Section 14017.2(a), making the board's obligation to allocate the $5 million to the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity unconditional rather than contingent on a future appropriation.

FISCAL

Increased the California Workforce Development Board's state administration cap from 2 percent to 5 percent of the total allocation, allowing up to $250,000 (instead of $100,000) for administrative costs.

SCOPE

Broadened subcontracting authority in subdivision (d) from 'other local workforce development boards in the County of Los Angeles, including the City of Los Angeles' to 'other entities,' giving the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity flexibility to contract with a wider range of organizations.

Removed the Economic Development Collaborative from the employment focus requirement in subdivision (f), so only the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity is now required to focus on specified industries such as construction, firefighting, and health care. The Collaborative still receives $600,000 but is no longer bound by this specific industry focus mandate.

09/15/25 - Enrolled → 10/10/25 - Chaptered · 2 edits · Oct 10, 2025

MINOR

This diff reflects the transition of AB 338 from its enrolled version to its chaptered (signed) version. No substantive policy changes were made; the statutory text is identical. The only differences are formatting: legislative tracking information was replaced with the official chapter designation (Chapter 532), the Governor's approval date (October 10, 2025) was added, and page numbering and layout were adjusted for the final published form.

TECHNICAL

The bill was assigned Chapter number 532 and the Governor's approval date of October 10, 2025 was recorded, confirming it became law.

Enrolled-version tracking elements (dates passed by each chamber, clerk signatures, blank governor receipt date/time fields) were removed in favor of the official chaptered format.

05/23/25 - Amended Assembly → 08/29/25 - Amended Senate · 6 edits · Aug 29, 2025

MODERATE

The Senate amendment fundamentally changed the funding mechanism: instead of appropriating a new $50 million from the General Fund, the bill now directs the California Workforce Development Board to allocate $5 million already appropriated in the Budget Act of 2025 (as amended by AB 102). The Senate also added a requirement for the LA County Department of Economic Opportunity to reallocate $600,000 to the Economic Development Collaborative, increased the state administration cap from 2 percent to 5 percent, broadened subcontracting authority beyond local workforce development boards to any entities, and qualified the expedited licensing requirement with 'if feasible.'

FISCAL

Removed the new $50 million General Fund appropriation. Replaced with a directive to allocate funds already appropriated in the Budget Act of 2025 (Section 19.56(b)(4), as amended by AB 102), which the digest identifies as $5 million.

New subsection requires the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity to reallocate $600,000 to the Economic Development Collaborative for the purposes specified in the section.

REQUIREMENT

State administration cap increased from up to 2 percent to up to 5 percent of the total allocation.

Expedited licensing and certification requirement now qualified with 'if feasible,' making it a best-efforts obligation rather than an absolute one.

SCOPE

Subcontracting authority broadened: the board shall allow the LA County Department of Economic Opportunity to subcontract with 'entities to fulfill the provisions and intent of subdivision (a)' instead of being limited to 'other local workforce development boards in the County of Los Angeles, including the City of Los Angeles.'

TECHNICAL

Appropriation vote changed from 'yes' to 'no' since the bill no longer makes a new appropriation. Terminology updated from 'workforce strategies' to 'workforce development strategies' throughout.

01/28/25 - Introduced → 04/21/25 - Amended Assembly · 9 edits · Apr 21, 2025

MAJOR

AB 338 was substantially amended to shift primary implementation authority from the South Bay Workforce Investment Board to the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity, expand the types of workforce programs funded (adding preapprenticeships, transitional jobs, stipends, and business support services), and give the state California Workforce Development Board direct control over fund allocation and redeployment. The bill now also funds new or expanded job centers near fire zones and allows up to 2 percent for state administration.

SCOPE

The Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity replaces the South Bay Workforce Investment Board as a primary recipient of the $50 million appropriation, broadening which local entity leads workforce programs in LA County.

New or expanded job and business centers near fire zones are now explicitly funded, ensuring programs and services are physically close to dislocated workers and impacted businesses.

The bill now funds rapid response, layoff aversion, recruitment services, financial incentives for businesses, and customized training opportunities for businesses hiring impacted workers, expanding the bill beyond individual worker training to include employer-side support.

The list of target industries adds childcare and expands the disaster-related focus to include regional economic development and resilience, broadening the economic recovery mission beyond immediate rebuilding.

REQUIREMENT

The California Workforce Development Board is given authority to determine the most expeditious allocation, deployment, and redeployment of funds based on greatest need, centralizing state-level control over how money is distributed.

The Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity is authorized to subcontract with other local workforce development boards in LA County, including the City of Los Angeles, enabling broader local coordination.

FISCAL

Up to 2 percent of the total $50 million allocation may be used by the California Workforce Development Board for state administration costs.

ELIGIBILITY

Workforce strategies are expanded to explicitly include high road training partnerships, preapprenticeships, transitional jobs, and supportive services including stipends, giving recipients more flexibility in program design.

ENFORCEMENT

Quality standards enforcement shifts from requiring local boards to demonstrate compliance to requiring the state California Workforce Development Board to impose quality standards on recipients.

04/21/25 - Amended Assembly → 05/23/25 - Amended Assembly · 4 edits · May 23, 2025

MODERATE

The May 23 amendment makes two major structural changes to AB 338: it shifts the recipient of $50 million from the South Bay Workforce Investment Board to the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity and the Economic Development Collaborative, and it converts the bill from a direct appropriation into a conditional framework that only allocates funds 'upon appropriation of funds for this purpose.' The digest now reads 'Appropriation: no,' meaning the bill no longer directly spends money but sets up the mechanism for future funding.

FISCAL

The bill changed from a direct appropriation of $50 million to a conditional structure. Funds will only be allocated 'upon appropriation of funds for this purpose,' and the digest now states 'Appropriation: no' instead of 'Appropriation: yes.' This means the bill creates the framework but does not itself spend money.

SCOPE

The primary recipient of funds changed from the South Bay Workforce Investment Board to the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity and the Economic Development Collaborative. This shifts control of the program from a local workforce board to a county economic development agency.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the explicit verbs 'train, upskill, and retrain' from the purpose clause, replacing them with the broader phrase 'for workforce strategies.' The overall intent remains the same but the language is less prescriptive about specific training activities.

DEFINITION

Section 3 findings expanded to include 'economic development and resilience' alongside rebuilding and recovery as goals for the affected counties.

Workforce development: the Counties of Los Angeles and Ventura: 2025 wildfires.

What changed between versions

How they voted

Actions timeline

Sponsors