AB 2974: Workforce development: local workforce development board.

The federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 provides for various workforce investment activities and requires that local workforce development boards be established in each local area of a state, which are required to submit a local plan that meets specified requirements. Existing law establishes local workforce development boards to perform duties related to the implementation and coordination of local workforce development activities and requires each local board to perform specified duties consistent with the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, including leading efforts to engage with a diverse range of employers and with entities in the region involved to do specified things.

This bill would also require a local board to lead those efforts in order to provide support to the efforts of employers to align with public contracting needs in a manner that will support local workforce opportunities. By increasing the duties of the local workforce development board, 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.