BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1268
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Date of Hearing: April 24, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
Roger Hernández, Chair
AB 1268 (John Pérez) - As Introduced: February 22, 2013
SUBJECT : Unemployment insurance: veterans: Veterans Workforce
Development and Employment Office.
SUMMARY : Establishes the Veterans Workforce Development and
Employment Office (Office) within the Labor and Workforce
Development Agency (Agency), as specified. Specifically, this
bill :
1)Creates the Office within the Agency for the purpose of
coordinating state veterans workforce development and
employment services and requires the Office to do all of the
following:
a) Administer specified state and federal unemployment
programs and services for veterans currently covered by the
Employment Development Department (EDD);
b) Develop a plan, by May 1, 2014, in collaboration with
the EDD for the transfer of its veterans program and
service administrative responsibilities from EDD to the
Office;
c) Transfer all support staff responsible for
administration of the Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program
(DVOP) and the federal Local Veterans' Employment
Representatives (LVER) programs from the EDD to the Office
according to the plan; and,
d) Coordinate its efforts with the state Department of
Veterans Affairs and the Governor's Interagency Council on
Veterans.
2)Provides that the Office shall coordinate and consult with
appropriate state agencies, departments, veterans'
organizations and veterans' service providers to:
a) Research the needs of veterans throughout the state and
develop a profile of veterans' employment and training
needs;
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b) Develop a plan for the equitable distribution of the
employment funds for veterans' employment services;
c) Develop a strategy and program for identifying employers
and small businesses interested in hiring veterans and
establish the means by which any appropriate training and
placement may occur; and,
d) Seek federal and other funding for the research and
development of veterans' employment and training needs.
3)Repeals existing law referencing the annual report required
from EDD to the Legislature following any fiscal year in which
state funds support the Veterans Employment Training services
program and instead states that the Office shall provide an
annual report to the Legislature regarding specified
performance measures.
4)Makes related findings and declarations.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Authorizes the EDD within the Agency to perform various
functions and duties with respect to job creation and
retention activities.
2)Requires the EDD to research and develop a profile of the
employment and training needs of veterans throughout the state
and to develop a plan to distribute employment funds for
veterans' employment services, additionally requires the EDD
to seek federal funding for these purposes.
3)Requires the EDD to submit an annual report to the
Legislature, as specified, following any fiscal year in which
state funds support the Veterans Employment Training services
program.
4)Authorizes the EDD, in coordination with the California
Workforce Investment Board (CWIB) to administer the federal
Jobs for Veterans State Grant Program, and oversees the
federal LVER, the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), and the
DVOP.
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FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : The author points out that, "recent U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics reports indicate that many veterans, especially
younger veterans, women veterans, and members of the National
Guard, experience significant difficulty and challenges finding
employment. These issues will be compounded as larger numbers
of soldiers and military personnel separate from service due to
the wind down of the war in Afghanistan and additional federal
defense budget cuts reduce the number of active duty personnel.
Unfortunately, performance outcomes for California's
federally-funded veterans' employment services indicate
California lags behind most other states in helping veterans
find and retain jobs."
According to the author, the goal in establishing this Office is
to better coordinate state veteran workforce development and
employment services with the workforce training and employment
programs administered by other state agencies and departments,
including the California Workforce Investment Board (CWIB),
Employment Training Panel (ETP), and the Employment Development
Department.
The author also notes this Office could also serve as the
liaison with other state agencies and departments that need
assistance in determining whether a veteran's military
experience and training can be taken into consideration for
purposes of any professional licensing or credentialing
requirements.
The author concludes, "This bill will help integrate and
coordinate the state's veteran workforce programs so that
California's veterans more fully take advantage of the
increasing interest within the employer community to hire
veterans. Part of this effort would include more widely
informing employers and veterans of the availability of federal
veteran hiring tax credits.
Moreover, as the economy continues to recover and the state and
its local governments invest in major public works projects,
including any veteran job training and employment programs
resulting from the passage of Proposition 39, our state
government needs to be better positioned organizationally to
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more effectively respond to and take advantage of the
opportunities available to train and hire our veterans."
Veterans' Program within EDD :
The EDD partners with Local Workforce Investment Boards and
other public and private service entities that provide resources
and networking within a statewide workforce system and local
One-Stop Career Centers. The EDD, among other things, assists
veterans and their eligible spouses to maximize their employment
and training opportunities. Veterans are entitled to many
resources designed to help in their search for employment, among
those resources is the Veterans' Program.
The Veterans' Program is a grant-funded program within the EDD's
Workforce Services Branch. Each year under the U.S. Department
of Labor-Veterans' Employment and Training Service EDD is
awarded the Jobs for Veterans State Grant (JVSG) to support the
services to veterans provided by the Disabled Veterans' Outreach
Program specialist (DVOP) and the federal Local Veterans'
Employment Representative (LVER).
There is Veterans' Program staff at the local One-Stop Career
Centers statewide to coordinate, along with partnered agencies,
a wide array of services, including but not limited to,
employment services, job training, vocational education,
supportive services, and participation in community college
programs.
The DVOP specialists, also known as the Veterans Employment
Service Specialists, focus their efforts on those economically
or educationally disadvantaged veterans who can reasonably be
expected to benefit from improved employability as a result of
receiving intensive services within the One-Stop Career Center
system.
The LVER staff, also known as the Veteran Workforce Specialist,
conducts outreach to employers, assist veterans in job
development contacts, conducting job search workshops, and
establish job search groups. They also facilitate employment,
training, and placement services to promote the hiring of
veterans. The LVER concentrates on individualized job
development services for veterans, especially those determined
to be job ready after receipt of intensive services from the
DVOP specialists.
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Under this legislation, the veterans' services within EDD would
be transferred to and administered by the newly created Office.
This bill is double-referred to the Assembly Veterans Affairs
Committee upon passage out of this Committee.
PRIOR LEGISLATION :
AB 171 (Chávez) of 2013 establishes the California Veterans
Services and Workforce Development Division within the
Department of Veterans Affairs for the purpose of coordinating
and administering veterans' assistance programs in the state.
AB 171 is in Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee.
AB 1931 (Gorell) of 2012 would have established the California
Veterans Services and Workforce Development Division within the
Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) for the purpose of
coordinating and administering veterans' assistance programs,
and would have transferred those programs from the EDD to the
DVA. The bill was held under submission by the Senate
Appropriations Committee.
AB 2143 (Gilmore) of 2010 would have required the California
Employment Development Department (EDD) in coordination with the
California Department of Veteran Affairs (CDVA) to conduct a
study and report to the Legislature, as specified. AB 2143 died
without a hearing in the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.
AB 1806 (Committee on Budget) Chapter 69, Statutes of 2006
requires an annual report from EDD following any fiscal year in
which state funds support the Veterans Employment Training
services program. No report has been completed
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
AMVETS-Department of California
California Association of County Veterans Service Officers
California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO
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San Diego Gas & Electric
Southern California Gas Company
VFW-Department of California
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Lorie Alvarez / L. & E. / (916)
319-2091