AB 2263: Golden State Apprenticeship and Vocational Training Emergency Assistance Grant Program.

This article shall be known, and may be cited, as the Golden State Apprenticeship and Vocational Training Emergency Assistance Grant Program.

As used in this article, the following definitions apply, unless the context requires otherwise:

(a)Apprenticeship or vocational program means an apprenticeship or vocational program included on the states Eligible Training Provider List established and maintained by the California Workforce Development Board.

(b)Grant means an award under the Golden State Apprenticeship and Vocational Training Emergency Assistance Grant Program under this article.

(c)Program means the Golden State Apprenticeship and Vocational Training Emergency Assistance Grant Program established by this article.

(a)(1)The Golden State Apprenticeship and Vocational Training Emergency Assistance Grant Program is hereby established under the administration of the commission. Under the program, the commission shall make available one-time grants to applicants who meet the requirements of paragraph (2) of subdivision (c).

(2)The Golden State Apprenticeship and Vocational Training Emergency Assistance Grant Fund is hereby established as the initial depository of all moneys appropriated, donated, or otherwise received for the program. Upon appropriation by the Legislature, the commission shall distribute moneys in the fund to eligible recipients in accordance with this article.

(b)(1)The commission shall determine the amount of each grant award awarded under the program so that each grant is not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) and not more than three thousand dollars ($3,000). In determining the amount of a grant, the commission shall consider the eligible recipients financial need and apprenticeship or vocational program costs. The commission shall only award a grant to an eligible recipient in financial need, as determined by the commission. The commission shall give grant priority to applicants with the greatest financial need.

(2)The commission shall use one-half of the funding appropriated for purposes of the program to award grants to eligible recipients with one or more dependent children who are under 18 years of age in the calendar year of the application.

(c)In awarding grants to eligible applicants under the program, the commission shall do all of the following:

(1)Develop an application for a prospective applicant to request a grant.

(2)(A)Require an applicant to meet all of the following in order to receive a grant:

(i)Is a California resident.

(ii)Is enrolled in an apprenticeship or vocational program.

(iii)Meets the financial need requirements determined by the commission pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b).

(iv)Self-certifies their financial need at the time of application.

(v)Is not enrolled in any postsecondary educational institution at the time the applicant applied.

(vi)Agrees to use the grant to pay for education-related expenses associated with the applicants apprenticeship or vocational program of participation, including, but not limited to, food, clothing, housing, tools, training manuals, and childcare.

(B)The commission shall verify that the applicant satisfies the requirements of subparagraph (A) before awarding the grant.

(d)A grant recipient may opt to exit the applicants apprenticeship or vocational training program to attend a public postsecondary educational institution. The grant provided to an applicant described in this subdivision shall be used to supplement and not supplant other sources of student financial aid.

(e)A grant recipient may request and receive no more than one grant under the program.

(f)An eligible recipient shall have their grant provided directly to the recipient.

(g)The commission shall collaborate with providers of apprenticeships and vocational programs to solicit grant applicants and facilitate the awarding of grants under the program.

(h)The commission may use up to 1 percent of the amount appropriated for purposes of the program to support its direct costs of administering the program.

(i)The Legislature finds and declares, within the meaning of subsection (d) of Section 1621 of Title 8 of the United States Code, that undocumented persons shall be eligible to receive grants under this article.

(j)It is the intent of the Legislature to appropriate state funding in the annual Budget Act or another statute to support the provision of a grant to an eligible recipient who meets, or could meet in a future year, the requirements for an exemption from nonresident tuition pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 68130.5.

(k)The commission may adopt regulations it deems necessary for the implementation of the program. If the commission adopts regulations pursuant to this subdivision, these regulations shall be adopted on or before December 31, 2023, and shall be adopted as emergency regulations in accordance with the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code). For purposes of the Administrative Procedure Act, including Section 11349.6 of the Government Code, the adoption of those regulations shall be deemed to be an emergency and necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, or general welfare, notwithstanding subdivision (e) of Section 11346.1 of the Government Code.

On or before December 31, 2023, the commission shall report to the Legislature, in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, and to the Governor on the number of grants provided directly to recipients, providers of apprenticeships and vocational programs on behalf of recipients, and public postsecondary educational institutions on behalf of a recipient. Information reported pursuant to this section shall be disaggregated by the categories described in this section.

This article shall become operative only upon an appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or another statute for its purposes.