Bill Text: CA AJR46 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Chaptered

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Bill Title: Unemployment: Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 39-4)

Status: (Passed) 2016-09-07 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Res. Chapter 177, Statutes of 2016. [AJR46 Detail]

Download: California-2015-AJR46-Chaptered.html

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BILL NUMBER: AJR 46	CHAPTERED
	BILL TEXT

	RESOLUTION CHAPTER  177
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  SEPTEMBER 7, 2016
	ADOPTED IN SENATE  AUGUST 30, 2016
	ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 25, 2016
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 25, 2016
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 23, 2016

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Bonta
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Alejo, Arambula, Atkins, Bloom,
Brown, Calderon, Campos, Chávez, Chiu, Chu, Cooley, Dababneh, Eggman,
Frazier, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez,
Gonzalez, Gordon, Holden, Irwin, Jones-Sawyer, Lackey, Levine,
Linder, Low, McCarty, Medina, Mullin, Nazarian, O'Donnell, Quirk,
Rendon, Rodriguez, Salas, Mark Stone, Waldron, Weber, Williams, and
Wood)

                        JUNE 23, 2016

   Relative to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AJR 46, Bonta. Unemployment: Workforce Innovation and
Opportunities Act.
   This measure would request that the United States Congress modify
the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act state allotment
formula to include unemployment rates by race and ethnicity.



   WHEREAS, The Legislature acknowledges that California's economy
has significantly improved since the Great Recession, with
unemployment rates down to 5.4 percent in March 2016, according to
the Employment Development Department. California has added 2,134,400
jobs since the recovery began in February 2010; and
   WHEREAS, The Legislative Analyst's Office notes that while
unemployment rates are improving, California still has the second
highest unemployment rate in the United States, an indicator of the
depth of job loss experienced during the great recession and the size
of California's economy; and
   WHEREAS, The United States Department of Labor, in coordination
with the United States Department of Education and Department of
Health and Human Services, is working diligently to ensure that
states, local areas, other grantees, and stakeholders are prepared
for the implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities
Act (WIOA), signed by President Obama on July 22, 2014; and
   WHEREAS, The Public Policy Institute of California also found that
while jobs have been growing for five continuous years, 45 percent
of Californians believed economic bad times were likely in 2015,
while only 44 percent predicted good times; and
   WHEREAS, Pew Charitable Trusts found that California ranked among
the bottom 10 states in bringing people 25 through 54 years of age
back to employment. In 2014, 73.6 percent of California's prime
working population had jobs compared with 77.9 percent in 2007; and
   WHEREAS, California's economy generates jobs at a rate similar to
the national rate, but it is not enough to keep up with the state's
fast-growing population; and
   WHEREAS, California has also had an uneven economic recovery, with
the coastal regions rebounding with more economic vigor relative to
inland areas of the state. However, employment disparities continue
to persist at a city level even in counties that have high rates of
economic and job growth; and
   WHEREAS, The San Francisco bay area as a region is closest to
closing the employment gap since 2007, while county averages continue
to hide persistent unemployment among certain populations. In
Alameda County, where unemployment dropped to 4.3 percent in March
2016, African-American and Latino unemployment in the City of Oakland
is still high at 18 percent and 16 percent, respectively; and
   WHEREAS, The Legislature recommends that the United States
Congress implement a racial equity lens when structuring workforce
investment proposal requirements under the WIOA to ensure that
unemployment rates are analyzed from multiple perspectives and not
only average unemployment rates; and
   WHEREAS, For every dollar of wealth a median Caucasian household
has, a median Asian household has about 81 cents, a median Hispanic
family has 7 cents, and a median African-American family has 6 cents.
The disparity in employment exists not just by region in California,
but also by race; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
California, jointly, That the Legislature requests that the United
States Congress modify the WIOA state allotment formula to include
unemployment rates by race and ethnicity. In making this change, no
community in California shall receive less funds under WIOA. This
change is intended to better reflect the employment conditions in
states with high levels of income inequality and bring more funding
to address the real workforce needs of the population; and be it
further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United
States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the
Majority Leader of the Senate, to each Senator and Representative
from California in the Congress of the United States, and to the
author for appropriate distribution.