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AB-2425 Community colleges: Hire UP: From Corrections to Career Pilot Program.(2021-2022)

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Date Published: 05/23/2022 05:09 PM
AB2425:v96#DOCUMENT

Amended  IN  Assembly  May 23, 2022
Amended  IN  Assembly  May 19, 2022
Amended  IN  Assembly  March 24, 2022

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 2425

Introduced by Assembly Member Bryan
(Coauthor: (Coauthors: Assembly Member Members Medina and Santiago)

February 17, 2022

An act to add and repeal Article 7 (commencing with Section 78080) of Chapter 1 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code, relating to community colleges.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 2425, as amended, Bryan. Community colleges: Hire UP: From Corrections to Career Pilot Program.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state and authorizes them to operate campuses and provide instruction. Existing law authorizes the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to establish a program, named the Rising Scholars Network, to enter into agreements with up to 50 community colleges to provide additional funds for services in support of postsecondary education for justice-involved students, as defined.
This bill would establish the Hire UP: From Corrections to Career Pilot Program, to be administered by the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the Student Aid Commission. Colleges. The bill would authorize the chancellor’s office to enter into agreements with up to 10 community college districts to provide funding for stipends to formerly incarcerated individuals, CalWORKs recipients, and former foster youth. The bill would require the chancellor’s office to develop an application for community college districts wishing to participate to apply for funding. Under the bill, a community college student enrolled in a certificate or degree program at a California community college would be eligible for a stipend if the student was released from incarceration within the last 3 years and is a current participant in the Rising Scholars Network or in another dedicated reentry program, or if the student is a CalWORKs recipient or former foster youth. The bill would make funding for the pilot program subject to an appropriation by the Legislature for these purposes, up to $60,000,000 annually. a total of $60,000,000. The bill would require the chancellor’s office to submit an annual report to the Legislature on the implementation of the pilot program, including key conclusions and policy recommendations.
This bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2029.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) Recognizing that college can break the cycle of recidivism and transform formerly incarcerated individuals into community leaders and role models, and that college can alleviate economic barriers faced by the formerly incarcerated, CalWORKs recipients, and former foster youth and enable families to enjoy the fruits of economic mobility, the Legislature establishes the Hire UP: From Corrections to Career Pilot Program.
(b) All efforts funded under Hire UP are intended to supplement and be aligned with the broader workforce and education system in the state. The pilot program is intended to focus on best practices for addressing racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in the labor market and promote equitable opportunities for those with involvement in the criminal justice system.
(c) In a survey conducted of all California Community Colleges, the top three overall challenges for the state’s community colleges in serving justice-involved individuals were “lack of financial resources to compensate dedicated program staff,” “knowing who is formerly incarcerated,” and “meeting students’ nonacademic needs.”
(d) The primary purpose of Hire UP is to provide justice-involved individuals with the services and training needed to reenter the labor market and achieve economic mobility. Those who complete training through the community colleges should have the skills and competencies necessary to successfully enter the labor market, retain employment, and earn wages that lead to self-sufficiency, and, eventually, economic mobility and security.
(e) The distinguishing characteristic of Hire UP is the provision of stipends for formerly incarcerated individuals, CalWORKs recipients, and former foster youth, while they are participating in a credential attainment program in furtherance of a career through the California Community Colleges. This will allow Hire UP participants to focus on training while receiving a stipend equivalent to the state minimum wage.

SEC. 2.

 Article 7 (commencing with Section 78080) is added to Chapter 1 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code, to read:
Article  7. Hire UP: From Corrections to Career Program

78080.
 This article shall be known, and may be cited as, the Hire UP: From Corrections to Career Pilot Program.

78081.
 (a) The Hire UP: From Corrections to Career Pilot Program is hereby established, to be administered by the Student Aid Commission and the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, for purposes of providing justice-involved individuals access to the credential programs and workforce support needed to enter, participate, and compete in California’s economy.
(b) (1) The Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges may enter into agreements with up to 10 community college districts for a five-year pilot program to provide funding for stipends to formerly incarcerated individuals, CalWORKs recipients, and former foster youth.
(2) Stipends provided under this article shall be equal to the state minimum wage for the duration of the academic program in which the student is enrolled.
(3) The stipend amount shall be determined based on the number of hours in the academic program, up to 40 hours per week for a full-time program.
(4) Students receiving stipends pursuant to this article shall have access to all supportive, academic, and professional services available through the Rising Scholars Network and their partners, or any services and programs offered by the participating community college district that are designed to benefit justice-involved students.
(c) (1) The chancellor’s office shall develop an application for community college districts wishing to participate to apply for funding pursuant to this article. The application shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following information:
(A) Current participation in the Rising Scholars Network or in another dedicated reentry program.
(B) A description of the mechanism the community college district will use to measure program and student success.
(C) A demonstration that the community college district has sufficient staff and resources to serve students in the program, including one dedicated student outreach and recruitment staff position and one dedicated workforce and industry development staff position.
(D) A commitment to serve a specified number of students, as established by the chancellor’s office.
(E) A description of the partners and services available to students participating in the program.
(F) A description of the local employers, industry recruiters, trade groups, career centers, and other workforce placement entities that the community college district will engage for the purpose of establishing a career pathway for students receiving a stipend pursuant to this article.
(2) The chancellor’s office shall establish requirements for community college districts related to program data collection and the number of stipend recipients per district.
(d) A community college student enrolled in a certificate or degree program at a California community college is eligible for a stipend if either of the following apply:
(1) The student has been released from incarceration within the last three years and is a current participant in the Rising Scholars Network or in another dedicated reentry program.
(2) The student is a CalWORKs recipient or former foster youth.

78082.
 (a) (1) The Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall submit an annual report to the Legislature on the implementation of the pilot program, including, but not limited to, all of the following information:
(A) The number of students receiving a stipend pursuant to this article.
(B) The degree or training program the student has completed or is participating in.
(C) The name of each community college district participating pursuant to this article.
(D) The outcomes for all participants, including employment, additional education, or business startups.
(E) The percentage of students employed in the field in which they received a degree or completed training.
(F) The degree to which Hire UP supportive services acknowledge and address historic racial inequity and socioeconomic barriers to workforce participation for the target population groups.
(G) The impact of the pilot program on the target population groups, including key conclusions and policy recommendations to provide guidance to the Legislature and the Governor.
(2) The report submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(b) Participating community college districts shall provide all of the information in subdivision (a) to the chancellor’s office to facilitate pilot program evaluation.
(c) Participating community college districts and community partners may be required to participate in technical assistance activities, including, but not limited to, convening practice communities to identify and help replicate evidence-based practices and facilitate an assessment and evaluation of the performance and success of the pilot program.

78083.
 Funding for the Hire UP pilot program shall be subject to appropriation by the Legislature for purposes of this article, up to a total of sixty million dollars ($60,000,000) annually. ($60,000,000). Funding for the Hire UP pilot program shall not draw from, supplant, or redirect existing state or federally funded education, workforce development, or employment services programs, except that those funds may, but shall not be required to, be used as leverage with Hire UP funding.

78084.
 This article shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2029, and as of that date is repealed.