AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 13, 2026

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 14, 2026

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 19, 2026

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

96

Introduced by Assembly Member Zbur

February 20, 2026

An act to add Section 14013.5 to the Unemployment Insurance Code, relating to workforce development.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: yes   Local program: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

The California Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act establishes the California Workforce Development Board to assist the Governor in the development, oversight, and continuous improvement of California’s workforce investment system and the alignment of the education and workforce investment systems to the needs of the 21st century economy and workforce. Existing law requires the board to administer, promote, expand, and provide field assistance for high road training partnerships, defined as an initiative or project that models strategies for developing industry-based, worker-focused training partnerships, including labor-management partnerships. Existing law requires high road training partnerships to demonstrate job quality standards and employment practices that include, among other things, adoption of mechanisms to include worker voice and agency in the workplace.

This bill would require the board, when awarding grants for a high road training partnership program or any successor program, to provide a scoring preference to an applicant that is either a bona fide labor-management cooperation committee, as defined, or is an entity applying on behalf of of, or in cooperation with, a bona fide labor-management cooperation committee, as specified. The bill would require the board to determine the amount of the scoring preference provided and to incorporate that preference into program guidelines and grant solicitations.

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

SECTION 1.

Section 14013.5 is added to the Unemployment Insurance Code, to read:

14013.5.

(a) For purposes of this section, “bona fide labor-management cooperation committee” means an entity established pursuant to the federal Labor Management Cooperation Act of 1978 (29 U.S.C. Sec. 175a) 175a), collective bargaining agreement, or memorandum of understanding that is jointly established and administered by one or more employers and one or more labor organizations for the purpose of improving labor-management relations, workforce training, job security, organizational effectiveness, enhancing economic development, and involving workers in decisions affecting their jobs.

(b) The California Workforce Development Board shall, when awarding grants for a high road training partnership program or any successor program, provide a scoring preference to an applicant that meets either of the following criteria:

(1) The applicant is a bona fide labor-management cooperation committee.

(2) The applicant is an entity applying on behalf of of, or in partnership with, a bona fide labor-management cooperation committee and submits written authorization from that committee as part of its application.

(c) The board shall determine the amount of the scoring preference provided pursuant to subdivision (b) and shall incorporate that preference into program guidelines and grant solicitations.

(d) This section does not require the board to award a grant to an applicant solely on the basis of the preference described in subdivision (b).