(a) Persons described in Section 14415.1 shall be selected for participation as a program member on the basis of motivation, hard work, personal development, and public service, and without regard to their prior employment or educational background. Program member enrollment shall follow the same policies as corpsmember enrollment within the corps. Program enrollment shall be for a period of up to one year with the opportunity to extend program participation in accordance with corps policy. The director, in conjunction with the Employment Development Department, shall prioritize developing and executing plans to assist program members in obtaining continued employment following participation in the program. During participation in the program, program participants shall receive a stipend consistent with the current corpsmember pay system. Program participants shall also be eligible for benefits offered to all corpsmembers.
(b) Subject to the discretion and approval of the director, the corps may enter into a planning agreement with appropriate state and local agencies, including, but not limited to, local community conservation corps and organizations providing reentry and counseling services, to develop reentry and job training opportunities for individuals described in subdivision (a) of Section 14415.1 who do not otherwise qualify for corps enrollment under corps policies, such as age limitations. This subdivision does not require acceptance into the corps as a corpsmember of any individual over 25 years of age.
(Added by Stats. 2019, Ch. 587, Sec. 1. (AB 1668) Effective January 1, 2020.)