CA AB152

Establishes a Self-Employment Assistance Program administered by the Director of Employment Development, providing weekly allowances equal to regular unemployment benefits to eligible participants pursuing full-time self-employment activities.

Limits program participation to 5 percent of individuals receiving regular benefits in any given week and requires participants to be identified through an automated profiling system as likely to exhaust unemployment compensation.

Waives job search and work availability requirements for participants actively engaged in approved self-employment assistance activities including entrepreneurial training, business counseling, and technical assistance.

Provides funding through approximately $5.3 million in federal Self-Employment Assistance Program grants allocated to California, with $4.6 million available for implementation and administration.

Declares the act an urgency statute effective immediately to enable the Employment Development Department to submit a completed application by June 30, 2013, to receive federal funds.