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