Lola Smallwood-Cuevas

Existing law 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. Existing law requires the board to assist the Governor in specified activities for this purpose. Existing law requires each local workforce development board to develop and submit to the Governor a comprehensive 4-year local plan and to establish at least one full service one-stop career center, as specified.

This bill would require the California Workforce Development Board to develop a workplace rights curriculum in partnership with subject matter experts and would require the local boards to ensure provision of a workplace rights training consistent with that curriculum to individuals receiving services through the California workforce system. The bill would require each local plan to include a description of how the local board plans to comply with this training requirement. The bill would state the intent of the Legislature to provide this training to individuals receiving services through the one-stop system, as specified. The bill would require the California Workforce Development Board, in partnership with the Employment Development Department and the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, to ensure local compliance with these provisions. By imposing new requirements on local workforce development boards, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

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 the statutory provisions noted above.