AB 1268, as introduced, John A. Pérez. Unemployment insurance: veterans’ unemployment: Veterans Workforce Development and Employment Office.
Existing law authorizes the Employment Development Department within the Labor and Workforce Development Agency to perform various functions and duties with respect to job creation and retention activities. Existing law requires the department to research the needs of veterans throughout the state and develop a profile of veterans’ employment and training needs and to develop a statewide plan for the equitable distribution of employment funds for veterans’ employment services. Existing law further requires the department to seek federal funding for these purposes and to submit an annual report to the Legislature, as provided, following any fiscal year in which state funds support the Veterans Employment Training services program. Under existing law, the expense of administration of these programs is paid out of the Unemployment Administration Fund, a continuously appropriated fund.
This bill would establish the Veterans Workforce Development and Employment Office within the Labor and Workforce Development Agency for the purpose of coordinating state veterans workforce development and employment programs and services. The bill would require the office to administer specified state and federal unemployment programs and services for veterans, and would require the office to develop a plan, by May 1, 2014, in collaboration with the department for the transfer of its responsibilities from the department, and to transfer staff from the department to the office according to that plan. The bill would further require the office to research the needs of veterans throughout the state, develop a profile of veterans’ employment and training needs, develop a statewide plan for the equitable distribution of employment funds for veterans’ employment services, and develop a strategy and program for identifying employers and small businesses interested in hiring veterans and establish the means by which appropriate training and placement may occur. The bill would also require the office to seek federal and other funding for these research and development purposes and to submit an annual report to the Legislature, as specified. By authorizing expenditure of money in the Unemployment Administration Fund for a new purpose, the bill would make an appropriation.
Vote: 2⁄3. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:
3(a) Many veterans, especially post-9/11 veterans, experience
4higher unemployment rates than the general public.
5(b) California’s veteran employment programs are
6underperforming compared to other states.
7(c) Federal tax credits and other federal initiatives exist for
8veterans and for employers interested in hiring veterans that need
9to be better promoted to encourage their use by an increasing
10number of employers that are interested in hiring veterans.
11(d) The voters’ approval of
Proposition 39 at the November 6,
122012, statewide general election, holds the potential of generating
13significant funding for veteran job training and employment
P3 1opportunities and, therefore, supports the establishment of an office
2within the Labor and Workforce Development Agency.
3(e) The Veterans Workforce Development and Employment
4Office established by this act will coordinate veteran job training
5and employment programs, and will furthermore coordinate those
6efforts with the work of the Workforce Investment Board, the
7Employment Training Panel, and the Employment Development
8Department.
Section 325.5 of the Unemployment Insurance Code
10 is repealed.
The department, in consultation and coordination with
12veterans’ organizations and veteran service providers, shall do all
13of the following:
14(a) Research the needs of veterans throughout the state and
15develop a profile of veterans’ employment and training needs.
16(b) Develop a statewide plan for the equitable distribution of
17employment funds for veterans’ employment services.
18(c) Seek federal funding for purposes of subdivision (a).
Section 325.6 of the Unemployment Insurance Code
20 is repealed.
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that state supported
22Veterans Employment Training services meet the same
23performance standards as those required by the federal Workforce
24Investment Act for services provided to veterans.
25(b) Following any fiscal year in which state funds support the
26Veterans Employment Training services program, the Employment
27Development Department shall provide an annual report to the
28Legislature, on or before November 1, regarding the following
29performance measures:
30(1) The number of veterans receiving individualized, case
31managed services.
32(2) The number of veterans who receive individualized, case
33managed services entering employment.
34(3) The retention rate for veterans who enter employment.
35(4) The average earnings for veterans entering employment.
Article 2 (commencing with Section 337.01) is added
37to Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Unemployment
38Insurance Code, to read:
For purposes of this article, the following definitions
5apply:
6(a) “Department” or “EDD” means the Employment
7Development Department.
8(b) “DVOP” means the Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program.
9(c) “LVER program” means the federal Local Veterans’
10Employment Representatives program.
11(d) “Office” means the Veterans Workforce Development and
12Employment Office, as established under Section 337.05.
The Veterans Workforce Development and
14Employment Office is hereby established within the Labor and
15Workforce Development Agency for the purpose of coordinating
16state veterans workforce development and employment services.
17The office shall do all of the following:
18(a) Administer the programs and services described in the federal
19Jobs for Veterans State Grant Program, including, but not limited
20to, overseeing the federal LVER program and the DVOP, as
21currently administered by the department.
22(b) Collaborate with the EDD and develop a plan, on or before
23May 1, 2014, whereby responsibility for the administration of these
24programs shall be transferred from the EDD to the office.
25(c) Transfer all administrative and support staff responsible for
26the administration of the DVOP and the LVER programs from the
27EDD to the office, in accordance with the plan developed under
28subdivision (b).
29(d) Coordinate its efforts with the Department of Veterans
30Affairs in this state and the Governor’s Interagency Council on
31Veterans.
The office, in consultation and coordination with
33appropriate state agencies and departments, veterans’ organizations,
34and veterans service providers, shall do all of the following:
35(a) Research the needs of veterans throughout the state and
36develop a profile of veterans’ employment and training needs.
37(b) Develop a statewide plan for the equitable distribution of
38employment funds for veterans’ employment services.
39(c) Develop a strategy and program for
identifying both major
40employers and small businesses interested in hiring veterans and
P5 1establish the means by which any appropriate training and
2placement may occur.
3(d) Seek federal and other funding for purposes of subdivision
4(a).
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that
6state-supported veterans employment training services meet the
7same performance standards as those required by the federal
8Workforce Investment Act for services provided to veterans.
9(b) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code,
10the office shall provide an annual report to the Legislature, on or
11before November 1 of each year, regarding the following
12performance measures:
13(1) The number of veterans receiving individualized, case
14managed state employment services.
15(2) The number of veterans who receive individualized, case
16managed state employment services entering employment.
17(3) The retention rate for veterans who enter employment.
18(4) The average earnings for veterans entering employment.
19(c) A report submitted pursuant to this section shall be submitted
20in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
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