Article 7 - Hire UP Program

California Education Code — §§ 78080-78084

Sections (5)

Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 54, Sec. 27. (AB 183) Effective June 30, 2022. Inoperative March 15, 2029, pursuant to Section 78084. Repealed January 1, 2030, pursuant to Section 78084.

This article shall be known, and may be cited, as the Hire UP Pilot Program.

§ 78081

Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 54, Sec. 27. (AB 183) Effective June 30, 2022. Inoperative March 15, 2029, pursuant to Section 78084. Repealed January 1, 2030, pursuant to Section 78084.

(a)The Hire UP Pilot Program is hereby established, to be administered by the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, for purposes of providing justice-involved individuals access to the credential programs and workforce support needed to enter, participate, and compete in California’s economy.

(b)(1) The office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges may enter into agreements with up to 10 community college districts for a five-year pilot program to provide funding for stipends to formerly incarcerated individuals, CalWORKs recipients, and former foster youth.

(2)Stipends provided under this article shall be equal to

the state minimum wage for the duration of the academic program in which the student is enrolled.

(3)The stipend amount shall be determined based on the number of hours in the academic program, up to 40 hours per week for a full-time program.

(4)Students receiving stipends pursuant to this article shall have access to all supportive, academic, and professional services available through the Rising Scholars Network and their partners, or any services and programs offered by the participating community college district that are designed to benefit justice-involved students.

(5)Stipends provided pursuant to this article to students shall be distributed by their community college financial aid office.

(c)(1) The chancellor’s office

shall develop an application for community college districts wishing to participate to apply for funding pursuant to this article by November 1, 2022, with funding distributed by May 1, 2023. The application shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following information:

(A) Current participation in the Rising Scholars Network or in another dedicated reentry program.

(B) A description of the mechanism the community college district will use to measure program and student success.

(C) A demonstration that the community college district has sufficient staff and resources to serve students in the program, including one dedicated student outreach and recruitment staff position and one dedicated workforce and industry development staff position.

(D) A commitment to serve a specified number of students, as established by the chancellor’s office.

(E) A description of the partners and services available to students participating in the program.

(F) A description of the local employers, industry recruiters, trade groups, career centers, and other workforce placement entities that the community college district will engage for the purpose of establishing a career pathway for students receiving a stipend pursuant to this article.

(2)The chancellor’s office shall establish requirements for community college districts related to program data collection and the number of stipend recipients per district.

(d)A community college student enrolled in a certificate or degree program at a

California community college is eligible for a stipend if either of the following apply:

(1)The student has been released from incarceration within the last three years and is a current participant in the Rising Scholars Network or in another dedicated reentry program.

(2)The student is a CalWORKs recipient or former foster youth.

§ 78082

Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 9, Sec. 9. (AB 123) Effective June 27, 2025. Inoperative March 15, 2029, pursuant to Section 78084. Repealed January 1, 2030, pursuant to Section 78084.

(a)(1) The Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall submit a report to the Legislature on or before March 1, 2025, and annually thereafter until a final report is submitted on March 1, 2029, on the implementation of the pilot program, including, but not limited to, all of the following information:

(A) The number of students receiving a stipend pursuant to this article.

(B) The degree or training program the student has completed or is participating in.

(D) The outcomes for all participants, including employment, additional education, or business startups.

(E) The percentage of students employed in the field in which they received a degree or completed training.

(F) The degree to which Hire UP supportive services acknowledge and address historic racial inequity and socioeconomic barriers to workforce participation for the target population groups.

(G) The impact of the pilot program on the target population

groups, including key conclusions and policy recommendations to provide guidance to the Legislature and the Governor.

(2)The report submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

(b)Participating community college districts shall provide all of the information in subdivision (a) to the chancellor’s office to facilitate pilot program evaluation.

(c)Participating community college districts and community partners may be required to participate in technical assistance activities, including, but not limited to, convening practice communities to identify and help replicate evidence-based practices and facilitate an assessment and evaluation of the performance and success of the pilot program.

§ 78083

Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 54, Sec. 27. (AB 183) Effective June 30, 2022. Inoperative March 15, 2029, pursuant to Section 78084. Repealed January 1, 2030, pursuant to Section 78084.

Funding for the Hire UP pilot program shall be subject to appropriation by the Legislature for purposes of this article, up to a total of thirty million dollars ($30,000,000). Funding for the Hire UP pilot program shall not draw from, supplant, or redirect existing state or federally funded education, workforce development, or employment services programs, except that those funds may, but shall not be required to, be used as leverage with Hire UP funding.

§ 78084

Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 9, Sec. 10. (AB 123) Effective June 27, 2025. Repealed January 1, 2030, by its own provisions. Note: Repeal affects Article 7 commencing with Section 78080.

This article shall become inoperative on March 15, 2029, and as of January 1, 2030, is repealed.