Chapter 9. Public Employment Offices of California Unemployment Insurance Code >> Division 1. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 9.

The State of California accepts the provisions of the Wagner-Peyser Act, approved June 6, 1933, as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-220) passed by the Congress of the United States, and entitled "An act to provide for the establishment of a national employment system and for cooperation with the states in the promotion of the system, and for other purposes," in conformity with Section 4 thereof, and will observe and comply with the requirements of that act. The department is the agency of this state for the purposes of that act.

The director may cooperate with any authority of the United States having powers and duties under the Wagner-Peyser Act, and may do and perform all things necessary to secure to this State the benefits of that act in the promotion and maintenance of a system of public employment offices.

All money received by the State under the Wagner-Peyser Act and paid into the Unemployment Administration Fund shall be expended as provided by this division and by that act of Congress.

(a) The director shall:
  (1) Establish, maintain, and operate adequately staffed public employment offices for men, women, and youth who are legally qualified to engage in gainful occupations and shall maintain a veterans' placement service to be devoted to securing work for veterans and a farm placement service to promote the placement and clearance of agricultural labor, and a youth placement service to promote the placement of youth in suitable fields of employment. The director shall also establish and maintain a job counseling and placement service for those persons who are encountering, or may be expected to encounter difficulty in securing or keeping a job principally because of their age. The maintenance of a farm placement service shall not be required during such time as applicable federal laws provide for a system of farm labor placement financed from federal funds which is separate and apart from the general system of public employment offices. Adequate records and statistics on all the classifications specified in this subdivision shall be compiled and kept, and a report of these records, statistics, applications, and placements shall be made semiannually.
  (2) Procure, by lease or otherwise, suitable offices, and incur the necessary expenses in the conduct thereof.
  (b) It is the policy of this state to make every reasonable effort to assist men and women who are leaving active duty with the armed services of the United States in obtaining employment in the civilian workforce. These efforts shall include outreach to those service personnel who will be leaving active duty in the near future, including job seminars and job fairs at military bases.
  (c) The director shall perform the duties required by this section within existing budgetary resources of the agency within which the department operates.

Free public employment offices shall be maintained in the Cities of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Oakland and Sacramento, and, whenever the director deems it necessary, in other cities.

The director may:
  (a) Create unemployment districts.
  (b) Promulgate such rules as he finds desirable for the registration of unemployed persons, and for placing them in available employment. To this end he may accept financial contributions from any governmental unit or agency, or private persons.

For the purpose of establishing and maintaining free public employment offices, the director may enter into agreements with the Railroad Retirement Board, or any other agency of the United States charged with the administration of an unemployment compensation law, with any political subdivision of this State, or with any private, nonprofit organization, and as a part of any such agreement, may accept money, services, quarters, or other valuable consideration as a contribution to the employment service account in the Unemployment Administration Fund.

The department shall cooperate with other departments, agencies, and institutions both public and private in providing youth placement services and in the development of youth employment programs. The department shall maintain current information on operations within the State of all types of youth employment programs such as the Youth Employment Service (Y.E.S.) and the Youth Employment Organization (Y.E.O.) plans, the work experience experimental program of the Department of Education, the Berkeley Workreation program, the effort by the Congress of Youth Coordinating Councils, and other similar programs. Upon request the department shall distribute to public and private agencies and groups information concerning any or all recognized plans for developing youth employment programs, the cooperative services offered by the various state and other public agencies in the field of youth employment, and the methods of initiating and developing such programs.

For the purpose of implementing the program set forth in Chapter 2.5 (commencing with Section 10650) of Part 2 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, the department may utilize funds available to provide training and placement for present and potential recipients of public assistance to the extent permitted by federal law.

It is the intent of the Legislature in adopting this section to ensure that job order information registered with the Job Service of the Employment Development Department and the One-Stop Career Centers System be shared as expeditiously and thoroughly as possible between the department's field offices and one-stop career centers both in the local labor market and throughout the state. The Legislature finds that job order sharing will result in better service to employers and more efficient service to job seekers. The provisions of this section shall be subject to the limitations of federal budgetary constraints.