AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 22, 2023
SENATE BILL No. 831
Introduced by Senator Caballero
February 17, 2023
An act to amend Section 17002 of the Unemplo yment Insurance Code, relating to CalW ORKs. An act to add Article 9 (commencing with Section 12092) to Chapter 1 of P art 2 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, relating to agricultural workers.
legislative counsel’s digest
SB 831, as amended, Caballero. CalWORKs: job creation.
Department of Community Services and Development: pilot program:
lawful permanent residents.
Existing law sets forth the duties of the Department of Community Services and Development respecting certain community programs in the state, including administering the Naturalization Services Program that provides funding to community-based organizations to assist lawful permanent residents in obtaining citizenship.
This bill would authorize the Go vernor to enter into an a greement with the federal government to establish a workgroup to develop a pilot program for an agricultural employee, as defined, who meets specified eligibility criteria, including that the y have lived continuously in the United States for 5 year s, to be gr anted lawful permanent r esident status. The bill would authorize the department to administer the pilot program, and establish an application pr ocess and eligibility criteria for that program, as specified.
Existing la w creates the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids Act, which is referred to as CalWORKs. Existing law requires the Emplo yment De velopment Department to perform
98 specified duties relating to job creation in connection with CalWORKs, including establishing a council of corporate e xecutives to pro vide ongoing advice and assistance to the department in recruiting pri vate employers to hire recipients of aid. Existing law requires the department, in consultation with the council, to establish a clearinghouse for information for pri vate sector emplo yers to obtain information about assistance and resources for hiring CalWORKs recipients.
This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
line 1 SECTION 1. Article 9 (commencing with Section 12092) is line 2 added to Chapter 1 of P art 2 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the line 3 Government Code, to read:
line 4
line 5 Article 9. Lawful Permanent Resident Pilot Program line 6
line 7 12092. As used in this article, the following terms apply:
line 8 (a) “Agricultural employee” has the same meaning as that term line 9 is defined in subdivision (b) of Section 1140.4 of the Labor Code. line 10 (b) “Department” means the Department of Community Services line 11 and Development.
line 12 (c) “Lawful permanent resident” has the same meaning as that line 13 term is defined in Section 1101(a)(20) of Title 8 of the United line 14 States Code.
line 15 (d) “Pilot program” means the pilot program for an agricultural line 16 employee to be gr anted lawful permanent r esident status, as line 17 described in this article.
line 18 12092.1. The Governor, on behalf of this state, may enter into line 19 an agreement with the federal government to establish a workgroup line 20 to develop a pilot program for an agricultural employee who has line 21 lived continuously in the United States for five years to be granted line 22 lawful permanent resident status.
line 23 12092.2. (a) Upon implementation of the pilot pr ogram, the line 24 department may administer the pilot program.
line 25 (b) The department may establish an application pr ocess for line 26 the pilot program, which includes, but is not limited to, all of the line 27 following:
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line 1 (1) The payment of application fees to the department and any line 2 federal entity to obtain lawful permanent resident status. line 3 (2) A criminal history background check.
line 4 (3) A national security check.
line 5 12092.3. The department may establish eligibility criteria for line 6 an a gricultural employee to be eligible for lawful permanent line 7 resident status. An agricultural employee may be eligible for lawful line 8 permanent resident status under the pilot program if the individual line 9 meets all of the following:
line 10 (a) They have lived continuously in the United States for five line 11 years.
line 12 (b) They have demonstrated good moral character. line 13 (c) They have not been convicted of a crime.
line 14 SECTION 1. Section 17002 of the Unemployment Insurance line 15 Code is amended to read:
line 16 17002. In carrying out the pro visions of this di vision, the line 17 department shall conduct activities, including, but not limited to, line 18 all of the following:
line 19 (a) Establish a council of corporate executives consisting of 13 line 20 members drawn from the business community, including, but not line 21 limited to, retired or former chief e xecutive officers of major line 22 California corporations. Seven members shall be appointed by the line 23 Governor, three shall be appointed by the Senate Committee on line 24 Rules, and three shall be appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly. line 25 Appointments shall be made no later than January 31, 1998. This line 26 council shall pro vide ongoing advice and assistance to the line 27 department in recruiting pri vate employers to hire recipients of line 28 aid.
line 29 (b) In consultation with the council described in subdi vision line 30 (a), establish a clearinghouse for information on the internet or line 31 other forms of toll-free communication for private sector employers line 32 to obtain information about assistance and resources for hiring line 33 CalWORKs recipients and to re gister their pledges to assist the line 34 state in finding the jobs necessary to meet the local welfare-to-work line 35 goals throughout the state.
line 36 (c) In consultation with the council described in subdi vision line 37 (a), provide a forum for leaders in f aith-based communities, and 98 SB 831 — 3 —
line 1 other civic leaders, to assist the state in promoting welfare-to-work line 2 goals as part of the civic duty of their constituents.
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