Assembly Bill 186 mandates the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) to conduct a study on establishing a job guarantee and full employment grant program. This program aims to provide grants to public and nonprofit employers in the care economy, which includes sectors such as health care, child care, and social services, to create job opportunities for specific groups. These groups include individuals with disabilities, heads of households earning 150% or less of the federal poverty line, long-term unemployed individuals, previously incarcerated individuals, and young adults aged 18 to 24. The study will assess the necessary positions, costs, eligibility, training strategies, and pathways to full-time employment, with a focus on jobs covered by collective bargaining agreements.

To support this initiative, the bill includes an appropriation of $250,000 for the fiscal year 2025-26 to fund the study and the subsequent report that DWD is required to submit within 18 months of the bill's effective date. The report will include findings and recommendations based on the study's outcomes, which will be distributed to the governor and legislative committees. The bill is set to take effect the day after publication or on the second day after the publication of the 2025 biennial budget act, whichever is later.