AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 18, 2026

AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 14, 2026

AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 15, 2026

AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 24, 2026

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

95

Introduced by Senator Smallwood-Cuevas

February 10, 2026

An act to amend Section 2716.5 of, and to add Section 2716.6 to, the Penal Code, relating to corrections.

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

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law establishes the Prerelease Construction Trades Certificate Program in the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to increase employment opportunities in the construction trades for inmates upon release. Existing law requires the department to establish a joint advisory committee composed of, among others, representatives from building and construction trades employee organizations to implement the program, as specified. Existing law establishes the California Conservation Camp program to provide for the training and use of the inmates and wards assigned to conservation camps in the furtherance of public conservation, including forest fire prevention and control.

This bill would additionally require the joint advisory committee, in consultation with various state entities, to facilitate the admission of graduates of the California Conservation Camp program, as defined, after release into state-approved apprenticeships and apprenticeship programs in the building and construction trades, for the construction craft laborer occupation, as specified. The bill would state that successful completion of the program participation in the program, beginning July 1, 2027, constitutes qualifying experience for a state-approved apprenticeship in the building and construction trades. for the construction craft laborer occupation. The bill would require the department, in partnership with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and the California Conservation Camp program to ensure that eligible individuals who complete successfully participate in the program receive a written certificate to ensure eligibility for state-approved apprenticeship programs in the building and construction trades. for the construction craft laborer occupation.

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

SECTION 1.

Section 2716.5 of the Penal Code is amended to read:

2716.5.

(a) There is hereby established the Prerelease Construction Trades Certificate Program, hereinafter referred to in this section as “the program,” in the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, hereinafter referred to in this section as the “department,” to increase employment opportunities in the construction trades for inmates upon release.

(b) The department shall establish a joint advisory committee to implement the program. The committee shall be composed of representatives from building and construction trades employee organizations, the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, joint apprenticeship training programs, the California Correctional Training and Rehabilitation Authority, the Division of Apprenticeship Standards, the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, and any other representatives the department determines appropriate. The responsibilities of the committee shall include, but are not be limited to, the following:

(1) Develop guidelines for the participation of inmates in preapprenticeship training programs, as described in subdivision (e) of Section 14230 of the Unemployment Insurance Code. The guidelines shall provide for the integration, for all inmate preapprenticeship training programs in the building and construction trades, of the multicraft core curriculum implemented by the State Department of Education for its California Partnership Academies pilot project and by the California Workforce Development Board and local boards.

(2) Develop and implement a prerelease construction trades certification that validates that an inmate completed instruction, skills, and competencies required by and recognized by the participating building and construction trades.

(3) Ensure compliance with any applicable requirements and regulations of the Division of Apprenticeship Standards.

(4) Evaluate prerelease on-the-job training opportunities to compare and match competencies with those of registered apprentices in the building and construction trades.

(5) Explore the feasibility of the electronic tracking of each participating inmate’s relevant activities to efficiently capture competencies related to the certification.

(6) Explore the prerelease awarding of formal credit for apprenticeship hours recognized by joint apprenticeship training programs and the Division of Apprenticeship Standards.

(7) Facilitate the admission of graduates of inmate preapprenticeship programs and graduates of the California Conservation Camp program, after release, into state-approved apprenticeship programs and for apprenticeship programs to evaluate such individuals for admission with advanced standing based on prior coursework and work experience.

(c) For purposes of this article, “graduates of the California Conservation program” means graduates individuals who have successfully participated in California Conservation Camp programs as an incarcerated individual hand crewmember. crewmember pursuant to Section 1203.4b.

SEC. 2.

Section 2716.6 is added to the Penal Code, to read:

2716.6.

(a) The joint advisory committee described in Section 2716.5, in consultation with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Department of Industrial Relations, and the California Conservation Camp program, shall facilitate the admission of graduates of the program, after release, into any relevant state-approved apprenticeship and for state-approved apprenticeship programs in the building and construction trades, including those in general construction, state-approved apprenticeship programs for the construction craft laborer occupation and for those programs, to evaluate such individuals for admission with advanced standing based on prior coursework and work experience.

(b) Successful completion of participation in conservation camp programs, including, but not limited to, wildland firefighter training, such as environmental remediation and forestry management, management and emergency response, and hazardous waste cleanup, shall constitute qualifying experience for a state-approved apprenticeship in the building and construction trades for the construction craft laborer occupation under the Division of Apprenticeship Standards.

(c) The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shall, in partnership with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the California Conservation Camp program, ensure that all eligible individuals who complete successfully participate in the program receive a written certification acknowledging their fire camp training and work experience reflective of the training completed to ensure eligibility for state-approved apprenticeship programs in the building and construction trades. for the construction craft laborer occupation.

(d) Nothing in this section shall preclude state-approved apprenticeship programs outside of the building and construction trades under the Division of Apprenticeship Standards for occupations other than the construction craft laborer occupation, including occupations within and outside of the building and construction trades, from evaluating graduates of the California Conservation Camp program for admission with advanced standing based on prior coursework and work experience.