California Conservation Corps: Green Collar Certification Program.

Existing law establishes the California Conservation Corps and requires young adults participating in the corps program to be generally engaged in projects that, among other things, directly contribute to the conservation of energy. This bill would instead require young adults participating in the corps program to be generally engaged in projects that, among other things, directly contribute to and promote the conservation of clean energy, enhance climate resilience, and develop sustainable climate infrastructure. Existing law provides that it is the intent of the Legislature that the corps blend academic and job skills training with personal growth opportunities in order to develop productive youths who can make substantial contributions as California workers and citizens. This bill would require the Director of the California Conservation Corps to establish a Green Collar Certification Program that provides young persons participating in the corps with skills and education relating to reducing carbon emissions in residential and nonresidential buildings, preparing communities for environmental disasters, and developing conservation infrastructure projects that stabilize shorelines and restore ecological habitats, as provided. The bill would require the director to issue a Green Collar Certificate to a corpsmember who successfully completes the program. The bill would authorize the director to apply for and accept grants or donations of funds from any public or private source that are provided for specified purposes relating to the program. The bill would establish the Green Collar Certification Program Fund and would require the grants or donations described above to be deposited into the fund. The bill would continuously appropriate the moneys in the fund to the director for specified purposes relating to the program. By providing for the continuous appropriation of fund moneys to the director, this bill would create an appropriation.