AB 2263,
as amended, Bradford. Veterans servicebegin delete ombudsman:end deletebegin insert advocate:end insert correctional facilities.
Existing law establishes the Department of Veterans Affairs, which is responsible for administering various programs and services for the benefit of veterans, and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to oversee the state prison system. Existing law also authorizes each county board of supervisors to appoint a county veterans service officer to perform specified veterans-related services, including assisting veterans in pursuing claims for federal or state veterans’ benefits. Under existing law, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is required to develop guidance policies relative to the release of veterans who are inmates with the intent to assist veterans who are inmates in pursuing claims for federal veterans’ benefits, or in establishing rights to any other privilege, preference, care, or compensation provided under federal or state law because of honorable service in the military. In developing those policies, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is authorized to coordinate with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the county veterans service officer or veterans service organizations.
This bill wouldbegin delete require a staff member toend deletebegin insert authorize a veterans service organization to volunteer toend insert serve as a veterans servicebegin delete ombudsmanend deletebegin insert advocateend insert at each facility that is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Thebegin delete veterans service ombudsmanend deletebegin insert
advocateend insert would be responsible forbegin delete assisting inmates who are veterans in pursuing claims for veterans’ benefits, as specified.end deletebegin insert
developing a veterans economic recidivism prevention plan. The bill would require, in order to assist with the development and execution of that plan, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to, among other things, provide the advocate with access, subject to restrictions, to inmates who are veterans andend insertbegin insert to existing resources, as specified, that would assist the advocate in implementing the veterans economic recidivism prevention plan.end insert The bill would require thebegin delete veterans service
ombudsmanend deletebegin insert advocateend insert to coordinate with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and county veterans service officers, as specified.begin insert The bill would define “advocate” and “veteran” for these purposes, and would include a related statement of legislative intent.end insert
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
It is the intent of the Legislature to help inmates
2who have served in the military to access federal and state veterans’
3benefits earned from military service so that those inmates are
4better equipped to successfully reintegrate into the community,
5thereby reducing costs to the state.
Section 2695.1 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
At each facility that is under the jurisdiction of the
8Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation,begin delete there shall be a staff begin insert a veteransend insertbegin insert service organization may volunteer
9member who shallend delete
10toend insert serve as a veterans servicebegin delete ombudsmanend deletebegin insert advocateend insert.
Section 2695.2 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
begin insert(a)end insertbegin insert end insert Thebegin delete ombudsman described in Section 2695.1end delete
13begin insert advocateend insert shall be responsible forbegin delete assisting inmates who are begin insert
developing a veterans economic recidivism
14veterans, including, but not limited to, facilitating access of inmates
15who are veterans to county veterans service officers, United States
P3 1Department of Veterans Affairs and California Department of
2Veterans Affairs officers and personnel, and facilitating access to
3the inmates who are veterans by those officers and personnel, so
4that the inmates who are veterans may pursue claims for federal
5veterans’ benefits or any other privilege, preference, care, or
6compensation provided under federal or state law because of
7service in the military.end delete
8prevention plan within 180 days prior toend insertbegin insert an inmate’s release date.end insert
9(b) The veterans economic recidivism prevention plan shall
10include, but not be limited to, the following:
11(1) Facilitating access of each inmate who is a veteran to county
12veterans service officers, California Department of Veterans Affairs
13and United States Department of Veterans Affairs officers and
14personnel, so that the inmate may pursue claims for federal
15veterans’ benefits or any other privilege, preference, care, or
16compensation
provided under federal or state law because of the
17inmate’s service in the military.
18(2) Developing a plan for how an inmate who is a veteran will
19access earned veterans’ benefits that he or she may be eligible for
20upon the inmate’s release.
21(c) In order to assist with the development and execution of the
22veterans economic recidivism prevention plan, the Department of
23Corrections and Rehabilitation shall do both of the following:
24(1) (A) Facilitate access by the advocate to each inmate who
25is a veteran.
26(B) Access by
the advocate is subject to those department
27screening and clearance guidelines and training requirements that
28are imposed on other visitors and volunteers.
29(C) Access by the advocate shall be allowed to the extent it does
30not pose a threat to the security or safety of the facility, or to
31inmates and staff.
32(2) Provide the advocate with access to existing resources,
33including, but not limited to, computer and Internet access, that
34would assist the advocate in implementing the veterans economic
35recidivism prevention plan, to the extent it does not pose a threat
36to the security or safety of the facility, or to inmates and staff.
Section 2695.3 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
Thebegin delete ombudsman described in Section 2695.1end deletebegin insert advocateend insert
39 shall coordinate with the United States Department of Veterans
P4 1Affairs in order to providebegin delete inmates who are veteransend deletebegin insert each inmate
2who is a veteranend insert with access to earned veterans’ benefits.
Section 2695.4 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
Thebegin delete ombudsman described in Section 2695.1end deletebegin insert advocateend insert
5 shall coordinate with the California Department of Veterans Affairs
6and the county veterans service officer in the county in which the
7facility is located for advice, assistance, and training, and to
8evaluate the effectiveness of thebegin delete programend deletebegin insert veterans economic
9recidivism prevention planend insert.
begin insertSection 2695.5 is added to the end insertbegin insertPenal Codeend insertbegin insert, to read:end insert
begin insertFor purposes of this article, the following definitions
12shall apply:
13(a) “Advocate” means a veterans service organization that is
14federally certified and has volunteered to serve as a veterans
15service advocate pursuant to this title.
16(b) “Veteran” means a person who has been discharged from
17the United States Army, United States Navy, United States Air
18Force, United States Marine Corps, United States Coast Guard,
19the Merchant Marine, or the American Red Cross.
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