BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 735
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Date of Hearing: May 18, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 735 (Mitchell) - As Amended: April 11, 2011
Policy Committee: Labor and
Employment Vote: 6-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
Yes Reimbursable: Yes
SUMMARY
This bill requires state agencies, when hiring for internships
and student assistant positions, to give preference to qualified
applicants who are, or have recently been, in foster care.
Specifically, this bill:
Requires county welfare departments, as part of existing
information provided to foster youth, to provide written
information to a foster child that he or she is granted a hiring
preference for student assistant or internship positions with
state agencies.
FISCAL EFFECT
Minor, absorbable one-time costs from various sources to modify
application forms, as specified. Since individual department
are responsible for the hiring process for student assistances,
the funding source used to pay these positions depends on the
funding source of the department and the job he or she is hired
to do.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale . There are currently 62,248 foster youth in
California and approximately 5,041 youth were emancipated as
of September 2010. According to the organization Honoring
Emancipated Youth (San Francisco, CA), 80% of foster youth did
not earn enough to be fully self-supporting 4 years after
leaving care. 45% of California's emancipated youth are
unemployed, 30% are on welfare. Likewise, one-third of former
foster youth have incomes at, or below, $6,000 per year, which
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is substantially below the federal poverty level of $10,400
for a single individual. An annual income of $25,693 is
needed for a single adult to be self-sufficient in San
Francisco.
According to the author, "Student Assistant positions already
exist within many state departments. These positions are
offered to students currently enrolled in school seeking on
the job experience. These positions are a great place for
students to learn a skill as well of make valuable contacts
within the department which will assist them in establishing a
pathway to a career. Some of the people most at risk for
homelessness and poverty are foster youth. The state has a
unique obligation to current and former foster youth and these
internships are excellent pathways to financial stability as
well as an added incentive to stay in school."
This bill requires state agencies, when hiring for internships
and student assistant positions, to give preference to
qualified applicants who are, or have recently been, in foster
care.
2)Student assistant positions in state government . State
employees are hired under the civil service process, which
includes examinations and the development of job
classification lists. Once an individual is placed on a list,
he or she is eligible for that position classification in
various state agencies. According to the State Personnel
Board, the state establishes a preference in hiring for
veterans. Specifically, veterans receive additional points on
their examinations.
Unlike state employees, student assistants are not subject to
these civil servant requirements and as such, individual state
agencies are responsible for hiring for these positions. The
hiring the process for student assistance is based on merit.
Analysis Prepared by : Kimberly Rodriguez / APPR. / (916)
319-2081
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