SB 1321: Employment Training Panel: employment training program: projects and proposals.

Existing law establishes the Employment Training Panel within the Employment Development Department and sets forth its powers and duties with respect to certain employment training programs. Existing law declares the intent of the Legislature that the purpose of provisions relating to the panel is to establish an employment training program to promote a healthy labor market in a growing, competitive economy and to fund only projects that meet specified criteria, including fostering retention of high-wage, high-skilled jobs in manufacturing. Existing law requires the panel, in funding projects that meet the above-described criteria, to give funding priority to projects that meet specified goals, including promoting the retention and expansion of the states manufacturing workforce.

This bill would also include in the above-described goals, among other things, promoting the hiring, training, and advancement of disadvantaged, marginalized, and underrepresented workers. The bill would authorize projects funded under the above-described provisions to include programs to provide training through apprenticeship programs that are registered with the Division of Apprenticeship Standards.

Existing law requires the panel to solicit proposals for the purpose of providing employment training, as specified. Existing law requires the panel to, among other things, establish minimum standards for the consideration of proposals, including evidence of labor market demand. Existing law prohibits a proposal from being considered or approved that proposes training for employment covered by a collective bargaining agreement unless the signatory labor organization agrees in writing.

The bill would require the panel to also include within the above-described minimum standards, among other things, an attestation of compliance with all state and federal labor and health and safety laws. The bill would also require an applicant to include an attestation affirming the applicant does not have a final determination, order, judgment, or award issued against them for violations of the labor law, as specified, and would prohibit a proposal from being considered or approved if an applicant fails to include this attestation. By expanding the crime of perjury, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the panel to provide a regularly updated list, at least every 60 days, and make the list available to the public, of all applicants that have submitted applications.

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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.