AB 2

Current law requires the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) to

establish a statewide workforce investment system to meet the employment,

training, and educational needs of persons in this state; to plan, coordinate,

administer, and implement a youth apprenticeship program and such other

employment and education programs as the governor may assign to DWD; to make

grants to persons providing employment and training activities to dislocated

workers; and to award grants to public and private organizations for the

development and implementation of workforce training programs for the training of

both new and incumbent employees of businesses in this state.

This bill decreases the general purpose revenue supplemental appropriation to

the Joint Committee on Finance by $35,400,000 in the 2013-15 state fiscal biennium

and increases the workforce training program grants appropriation to DWD by that

amount in that biennium and requires DWD to allocate that amount for all of the

following:

1. Grants to technical colleges for the reduction of waiting lists for enrollment

in programs and courses in high-demand fields, as determined by DWD.

2. Grants for collaborative projects among school districts, technical colleges,

and businesses to provide high school pupils with industry-recognized certifications

in high-demand fields, as determined by DWD.

3. Grants to public and private organizations or services provided by DWD to

enhance employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.

4. Administration of the grants under the bill to technical colleges, grants

under the bill for collaborative projects, and grants or services under the bill to

enhance employment opportunities for persons with disabilities and, if DWD

determines that the full amount of the appropriation increase under the bill will not

be needed for those grants and services and for that administration, grants for

workforce training programs for the training of new and incumbent employees under

current law.

The bill requires DWD, in submitting information to the Department of

Administration for purposes of the 2015-17 biennial budget act, to submit

information for the workforce training program grants appropriation as though the

increase in the dollar amount in that appropriation under the bill had not been made.

As a result, the amount of that increase is not included in the base amount for the

2015-17 biennial budget.