BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS Senator Ben Hueso, Chair BILL NO: AB 1518 HEARING DATE: 6/24/14 AUTHOR: Eggman VERSION: 5/23/14 FISCAL: No VOTE: Majority SUBJECT Military: National Guard: youth challenge program. DESCRIPTION Existing law: 1.Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to use the California National Guard (CalGuard) to conduct a civilian youth opportunities program-the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program, which consists of at least a 22-week residential program and a 12-month post-residential mentoring period. (Title 32 United States Code § 509) 2.Provides that the Adjutant General of the CalGuard may enter into a cooperative agreement with the governing board of a school district or a county office of education for the purpose of establishing, pursuant to existing authority in the Education Code, a military academy to be operated as a charter school or as one of the existing alternative education options available under the Education Code. 3.Provides that a new CalGuard Youth Program, except for the California Cadet Corps, may only be established as provided in this section if funds are appropriated for purposes of the program in the annual Budget Act or any other act. (Military and Veterans Code § 532) This bill: Codifies the authority in federal law for the existing California National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program and specify certain geographic areas to be served, subject to the availability of funding. Specifically, this bill: 1.Requires the Adjutant General to conduct a civilian youth opportunities program, to be known as the "National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program," which shall consist of at least a 22 week residential program and a 12 month post-residential mentoring period, and subject to funds appropriated for this purpose in the annual budget. 2.Provides that the program shall serve at risk teens in areas of the state, including, but not limited to, the San Joaquin Valley and Northern California, and shall be subject to all of the following: a. The program shall seek to improve life skills and employment potential of participants by providing military-based leadership development, promoting fellowship and community service, developing life-coping skills and job skills, improving physical fitness, providing health and hygiene training, and assisting participants to receive a high school diploma or its equivalent. b. The Adjutant General may accept federal funding to implement the program and may appoint a director and other service members and employees, permanent or temporary, to operate the program. c. The California Military Department (CMD) shall enter into a memorandum of agreement with an appropriate school district or a county office of education for the purpose of providing educational services for students enrolled in a program. The school district or county office of education with which the department contracts shall be responsible for ensuring compliance with any applicable requirements imposed by the Education Code. 3.Requires that a new program, except the California Cadet AB 1518 (Eggman) 2 Corps, may only be established if funds are appropriated in the annual Budget Act or any other act. BACKGROUND The CMD is a state department located within the executive branch. According to MilVets Code §51, the CMD is comprised of several components, the largest being the 23,000-member CalGuard. The CalGuard is the largest of the 54 "state-level" National Guards located in U.S. states and territories. In addition to its national security missions as part of the professional United States Armed Forces, the CalGuard, when under control of the Governor, performs missions that directly benefit the State of California. These include several community-based programs that lead, train and mentor at-risk youth intended to help the youth become productive citizens. The Guard's youth programs include: California Cadet Corps: A school-based cadet program for grades 6-12, located in multiple locations throughout California National Guard Youth Challenge: Oakland Military Institute: Serving grades 6-12 college preparatory school located in Oakland. National Guard Youth ChalleNGe: Serving 16-18 year old high school students. - Grizzly Youth ChalleNGe San Luis Obispo. - Sunburst Youth ChalleNGe Los Alamitos. The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program currently is authorized and funded through the Department of Defense. This intensive residential and mentoring program is aimed at high school dropouts ages 16-18. The program currently operates in 27 states and Puerto Rico and is designed to prevent at-risk youth AB 1518 (Eggman) 3 from dropping out of high school. Program participants, called cadets, are housed together, typically on a National Guard base or at a training center, for the first 22 weeks of the program. During these weeks, the program immerses cadets in a quasi-military environment in which they focus on discipline, academic excellence, teamwork, physical fitness, leadership, and service to the community. COMMENT Author Comments : According to the author's office, there are two National Guard Youth Challenge programs in California-one in Los Alamitos and one in San Luis Obispo. The programs are successful, serving approximately 800 students per year. However, demand for these programs is high with half of their 1,600 annual applicants being turned away each year. Additionally, the programs serve students from all over the state and many parents and students prefer not to be distant from one another. The author's office also indicates the high school dropout rate in San Joaquin County has regularly exceeded the statewide average of 13.1 percent. There is a strong correlation between dropout rates and violent crime, and San Joaquin County also leads the state's other counties in youth and young adult homicides, with a per capita rate nearly three times California's overall rate. Adding another program could help prevent future dropouts. In 2012, the RAND Corporation published, A Cost-Benefit Analysis of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program and determined that the program is extremely cost effective, with a return on investment of $2.66 for every dollar spent. POSITIONS Sponsor: Author. AB 1518 (Eggman) 4 Support: California State PTA Oppose: None on file. Analysis by: Wade Cooper Teasdale AB 1518 (Eggman) 5