BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  AB 1509
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          CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
          AB 1509 (Fox)
          As Amended  August 19, 2014
          Majority vote
           
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          |ASSEMBLY:  |64-5 |(May 28, 2014)  |SENATE: |36-0 |(August 21,    |
          |           |     |                |        |     |2014)          |
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           Original Committee Reference:    V.A.  

           SUMMARY  :  Requires, by July 1, 2015, the Department of Veterans  
          Affairs to develop a California transition assistance program  
          (CalTAP) for veterans who have been discharged from the Armed  
          Forces of the United States or the National Guard of any state  
          as specified.

           The Senate amendments  are mostly technical in nature.  The  
          amendments move the intent language previously to be included in  
          the code into the findings and declarations section and add  
          language declaring the further intent of the Legislature that  
          the Department of Veterans Affairs utilize the work and research  
          produced by the California Interagency Council on Veterans  
          Employment (ICV) CaLTAP Sub-Workgroup.

           EXISTING LAW  :  The Federal Transition Goals, Plans and Successes  
          (TGPS) program, formerly known as TAP, was established to offer  
          job search assistance and other related services to separating  
          members of the military during their transition into civilian  
          life.  TGPS is comprised of a partnership among the Federal  
          Departments of Labor, Defense, Homeland Security, and Veterans  
          Affairs.  With this partnership, separating service members and  
          their eligible spouses receive employment and training  
          information within one year prior to separation or two years  
          prior to retirement from the military. 
           
          FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Senate Appropriations  
          Committee, approximately $200,000 in one-time costs to develop  
          the program (General Fund).  The Department of Veterans Affairs  
          indicates the need for two limited term analysts (Associate  
          Governmental Program Analysts) for development of the program.   
          Actual implementation costs are unknown at this time and will be  
          determined after the plan is completed.









                                                                  AB 1509
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           COMMENTS  :  According to the author:

               Service members of the armed forces participating in  
               the TGPS attend comprehensive three-day workshops at  
               selected military installations worldwide (the makeup  
               and form of the workshops vary by service type).   
               However, the curriculum for these workshops is  
               entirely maintained by the federal government, leaving  
               little to no state specific employment, education,  
               business and other career choices information. 

               Work to create a Cal TAP has already started.  Created  
               by Governor Jerry Brown on August 23, 2011 through  
               Executive Order B-09-11, the California Interagency  
               Council on Veterans (ICV) works to "identify and  
               prioritize the needs of California's veterans, and to  
               coordinate the activities at all levels of government  
               in addressing those needs." 

               Within the ICV, one priority of the ICV Employment  
               CalTAP Sub-workgroup is to "provide a post military  
               transitional assistance program for veterans returning  
               to California." AB 1509 creates a vehicle for the ICV  
               workgroup to fully implement its number one priority. 

          TGPS is an improvement on the previous federal TAP.  However, in  
          some respects it still falls short:  

          1)TGPS is implemented by a federal contractor which controls the  
            curriculum.  The ability of the State of California to bring  
            in California-specific information to TGPS is severely  
            limited.  CalTAP would focus on California-specific  
            information.  

          2)Servicemembers receive TAP in the state where they discharge,  
            thus, to the extent there is any state-specific information  
            included in the version of TGPS they experience, it is for the  
            state of discharge, not the state of servicemembers residence  
            after discharge.  CalTAP would, of course be given in  
            California to any veteran, regardless of where he or she  
            discharged from the military.

          3)Finally, one of the criticisms of TAP was that servicemembers  
            may need some time after leaving the military in order be  
            ready to make their post-military plans.  As was TAP, TGPS is  








                                                                  AB 1509
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            available to servicemembers only prior to their separation or  
            discharge from military service.  CalTAP would be available to  
            veterans after discharge, at a time of the veteran's choosing.

          This bill only requires the department to develop a program,  
          and, as noted by the fiscal analysis, funding program  
          implementation would be the subject of further analysis and  
          legislative action.


           Analysis Prepared by  :    John J. Spangler / V. A. / (916)  
          319-3550 



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