BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1840
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ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB
1840 (Gipson)
As Amended April 11, 2016
Majority vote
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|Committee |Votes|Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
|Labor |5-0 |Roger Hernández, Chu, | |
| | |McCarty, O'Donnell, | |
| | |Thurmond | |
| | | | |
|----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
|Appropriations |15-5 |Gonzalez, Bloom, |Bigelow, Gallagher, |
| | |Bonilla, Bonta, |Jones, Obernolte, |
| | |Calderon, Chang, |Wagner |
| | |McCarty, Eggman, | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | |Eduardo Garcia, Chau, | |
| | |Holden, Quirk, | |
| | |Santiago, Weber, Wood | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY: Requires state agencies, when hiring for internships
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and student assistant positions, to give preference to homeless
youth and formerly incarcerated youth, as defined. Specifically,
this bill:
1)Requires any application for an internship and student
assistant position with a state agency to allow the applicant
to identify that the applicant is eligible for these
preferences, but would prohibit the application from requiring
the applicant to identify the specific category that entitles
him or her for eligibility.
2)Establishes for the purpose of this section, "Homeless youth"
means an applicant up to 26 years of age, who has been
verified as a homeless child or youth, as defined.
3)Establishes for the purpose of this section, "Formerly
incarcerated youth" means an individual who has been sentenced
to incarceration in, or the custody of, the Division of Adult
Operations in the Department of Corrections and
Rehabilitation, Division of Juvenile Justice in the Department
of Corrections and Rehabilitation, or county jail and released
from that incarceration or custody before the individual
attained 21 years of age.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Requires state agencies, when hiring for internships and
student assistant positions, to give preference, as defined,
to qualified applicants who are, or have been, dependent
children in foster care.
2)Requires the preference to be granted to applicants up to 26
years of age.
3)Establishes for the purpose of this section, "preference"
means priority over similarly qualified applicants for
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placement in the position.
FISCAL EFFECT: According the Assembly Appropriations Committee,
minor costs to state agencies to update their applications for
hiring interns and student assistant positions.
COMMENTS: The purpose of this bill is to improve long-term
employment outcomes for current and former homeless and formerly
incarcerated youth, by positioning them to be hired as student
assistants and interns in state agencies.
The author argues that homeless and formerly incarcerated youth
stand as two of the most economically challenged demographics,
with an incredible degree of intersectionality. Improving
employment opportunity has long been understood as a critical
component of providing these youth with a stable, viable future.
In a report by the California State Library titled, "Voices
from the Street: A Survey of Homeless Youth by their Peers," it
was found that over 90% of the respondents cited career
opportunities as their best chance for exiting homelessness.
Additionally, a study on youth incarceration, "The Importance of
Getting Started Right: Further Examination of the
Facility-to-Community Transition of Formerly Incarcerated
Youth," found that youth who were able to get a job placement
within six months were significantly less likely to reoffend
within 12 months, which is considered a critical time period for
gauging long-term recidivism.
According to the author, by providing these youth the
opportunity to gain priority for internships and student
assistant positions, we can ensure that California makes
cost-effective and meaningful efforts to provide on-the-job
training to a critically underserved resource in our community.
Given the sustainable life outcomes that are derived from
consistent employment, it is important to use every tool at our
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disposal.
Background on Student Assistant and Intern Positions in State
Government
State employees are hired under the civil service process, which
includes examinations and the development of job classification
lists. Once an individual is placed on a list, he or she is
eligible for that position classification in various state
agencies. According to the State Personnel Board, the state
establishes a preference in hiring for veterans. Specifically,
veterans receive additional points on their examinations.
Unlike state employees, student assistants and interns are not
subject to these civil servant requirements and as such,
individual state agencies are responsible for hiring for these
positions. The hiring process for student assistance and
interns is merit-based.
Arguments in Support
This bill is supported by the National Association for the
Education of Homeless Children and Youth. They state that,
"Consistently, youth identify employment as one of their top
unmet needs. Even college students struggle to find employment
in competitive markets, where work-study positions are scarce.
While many young people face this challenge, for those
experiencing homelessness, being unemployed can be the
difference between eating and going hungry, or being able to pay
for a safe place to sleep or staying outside or in an situation
where they are likely to be victimized. Without any income,
youth are unable to purchase food or clothing, pay for shelter,
ride a bus, or keep themselves safe.
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"The experience provided by internships and student assistant
positions can plant these youth securely on a pathway out of
homelessness. By including youth experiencing homelessness
within the existing hiring preference for foster youth, it
recognizes that for these youth, a job is a matter of basic
safety and health. This bill is a balanced policy that will
help some of California's most vulnerable young people."
There is no known opposition on file
Prior Related Legislation
AB 735 (Mitchell) Chapter 464, Statutes of 2011 requires state
agencies, when hiring for internships and student assistant
positions, to give preference to qualified applicants who are,
or have been, dependent children in foster care, requires
preference to be granted to applicants up to 26 years of age,
requires the county welfare department to provide dependent
children with information notifying them that they may be
eligible for this preference, and defines "preference" to mean,
priority over similarly qualified applicants for placement in
the position.
AB 12 (Beall) Chapter 559, Statutes of 2010 extends foster care
to age 21 by 2014, as a voluntary program for youth who meet
specified work and education participation criteria among other
provisions.
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Analysis Prepared by:
Taylor Jackson / L. & E. / (916) 319-2091 FN:
0002920