20250AB__215798AMD INTRODUCED 2026-02-18 AMENDED_ASSEMBLY 2026-05-18 AB AMD Introduced by Assembly Members Connolly and Bryan LEAD_AUTHOR ASSEMBLY Connolly LEAD_AUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bryan

An act to repeal

Section of the Unemployment Insurance Code, relating to workforce development. workforce development Workforce development: Displaced Oil and Gas Worker Pilot Program: extension. Existing law establishes, until July 1, 2027, the Displaced Oil and Gas Worker Pilot Program, to be administered by the Employment Development Department (department), for the purpose of addressing employment dislocations associated with oil, gas, and related industries.

That program requires the department, using funds to be appropriated by the Legislature for purposes of the program, to award grants on a competitive basis to qualified applicants, as specified, for specified eligible activities. This bill would extend the program indefinitely by removing the July 1, 2027, repeal date. MAJORITY NO YES NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1. (

a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) The economic threats facing oil and gas workers are immense as refineries shut down across the state.

(2) In and 2021, the closure of Marathon’s Martinez Refinery and the closure of the Phillips Santa Maria Refinery displaced over full-time workers and between and 2,500 contract workers.

(3) More than full-time workers experienced layoffs after the Phillips refinery closure in Los Angeles at the end of 2025.

(4) Additionally, the Valero Benicia refinery closure in stands to impact hundreds of additional workers.

(5) Surveys of impacted workers reveal that, more than a year after their layoffs, many remain unemployed or underemployed and struggle to pay basic bills.

(6) Oil and gas workers are best positioned to understand the needs of impacted communities and craft effective responses. (

b) Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature to do both of the following:

(1) Provide urgent and practical solutions for oil and gas workers to remain full and active participants in California’s economy as an increasing number face industry closure and layoffs.

(2) Establish a program that will provide the comprehensive approach needed to successfully transition workers into new, secure, high-skill careers, while maintaining economic stability for workers, their families, and their communities. SEC. 2.

Section of the Unemployment Insurance Code is repealed. <caml:Num>SEC. 3.</caml:Num><caml:ActionLine action="IS_ADDED" xlink:href="urn:caml:codes:UIC:caml#xpointer(%2Fcaml%3ALawDoc%2Fcaml%3ACode%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'DIVISION'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'3.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'PART'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'1.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'CHAPTER'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'2.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'ARTICLE'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'7.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawSection%5Bcaml%3ANum%3D'9925.'%5D)" xlink:label="fractionType: LAW_SECTION" xlink:type="locator">Section is added to the <caml:DocName>Unemployment Insurance Code</caml:DocName>, to read:</caml:ActionLine><caml:Fragment><caml:LawSection id="id_55AF67F8-9B49-457C-968B-E8FB19FA5E4A"><caml:Num>9925.</caml:Num><caml:LawSectionVersion id="id_920E326B-540E-42C8-B565-AA1B59BBFFB2"><caml:Content><xhtml:p>(a)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/><xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>(1)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Upon appropriation by the Legislature, the department shall contract within days with the University of California, Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education to complete an assessment analyzing the success of the pilot program and make recommendations on policies the state shall use to turn the pilot program into a permanent program that is able to support displaced fossil fuel workers during the clean energy transition.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(2)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>(A)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>The assessment shall specifically analyze how the program met or did not meet the most urgent needs of the state’s displaced oil workers during the pilot period by evaluating certain benchmarks.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(B)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>The benchmarks shall include, but are not limited to, the number of workers supported, speed of service delivery, and quality of comprehensive support provided in order to maintain economic well-being, including, but not limited to, career navigation, wage replacement, retirement assistance, wraparound services, access to training, and access to certifications.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(b)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>(1)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>The department, as part of its assessment under subdivision (a), shall work with the University of California, Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education to develop a recommended program design for turning the pilot program into a permanent program that is able to support displaced fossil fuel workers during the clean energy transition.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(2)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>At minimum, the program design shall include all of the following:</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(A)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Review of best practices from other federal, state, and regional models in supporting displaced fossil fuel workers.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(B)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Design of wage replacement and bridge to retirement strategies that can be incorporated into the structure of the program, in addition to individual assessment, career navigation, training, credentialing and skills certifications, wraparound services, and other in-demand services.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(C)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Design worker transition pathways for the most at-risk fossil fuel occupations by identifying industries best suited to utilize displaced workers’ skill sets, and by developing policy and programmatic strategies to support worker transitions into these aligned industries statewide. </xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(D)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Design of criteria for future program grantees based on the assessment of pilot program success.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(E)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Estimate of how many workers in the state are likely to require the services provided by this program, potential costs, and the timeline of need.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(F)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Implementation recommendations for program structure and staffing to accomplish program objectives, including, but not limited to, strategies for leveraging stakeholder expertise on an ongoing basis.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(c)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>The assessment required by this

section shall be submitted, in compliance with

Section of the Government Code, to the Legislature no later than months after the execution of the contract.</xhtml:p></caml:Content></caml:LawSectionVersion></caml:LawSection></caml:Fragment></caml:BillSection>"?>