BILL ANALYSIS Ó SB 221 Page 1 SENATE THIRD READING SB 221 (Jackson) As Amended July 9, 2015 Majority vote SENATE VOTE: 40-0 ------------------------------------------------------------------ |Committee |Votes|Ayes |Noes | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------| |Public |6-0 |Bonta, Waldron, | | |Employees | |Cooley, | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Jones-Sawyer, | | | | |O'Donnell, Rendon | | | | | | | |----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------| |Veterans |8-0 |Irwin, Mathis, Alejo, | | |Affairs | |Brough, Brown, Daly, | | | | |Frazier, Salas | | | | | | | |----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------| |Appropriations |17-0 |Gomez, Bigelow, | | | | |Bloom, Bonta, | | | | |Calderon, Chang, | | | | |Nazarian, Eggman, | | SB 221 Page 2 | | |Gallagher, Eduardo | | | | |Garcia, Holden, | | | | |Jones, Quirk, Rendon, | | | | |Wagner, Weber, Wood | | | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------ SUMMARY: Provides any state employee who is hired on or after January 1, 2016, and who is a military veteran with a military service-connected disability rated at 30% or more with additional credit for sick leave with pay of up to 96 hours, as specified. Specifically, this bill: 1)Provides, in addition to any other entitlement for sick leave with pay, an additional credit for sick leave with pay of up to 96 hours to a state officer or employee hired after January 1, 2016, who is a military veteran with a military service-connected disability rated at 30% or more by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. 2)Requires the additional sick leave be for the purposes of undergoing medical treatment for a military service-connected disability. 3)Requires the additional sick leave to be credited on the first day of the eligible employee's employment and be available for use for the following 12 months of employment. 4)Prohibits any portion of the 96 hours of additional leave not used during the 12 month period from accruing to the employee and provides that any unused leave upon termination of the 12 month period will be forfeited. SB 221 Page 3 5)Permits employing agencies to require "submission of satisfactory proof" that the sick leave is being used for treatment of a service-connected disability, pursuant to rules adopted by the Department of Human Resources. 6)Specifies that this act shall be known, and may be cited, as the California Wounded Warriors Transitional Leave Act. EXISTING LAW provides each state officer and employee who is employed full time with one day of credit for sick leave with pay following the completion of one month of continuous service. Each state officer or employee is entitled to this leave with pay, on the submission of satisfactory proof of the necessity for sick leave as provided by rule of the department. Unused sick leave accumulates throughout the individual's employment. FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee: 1)Unknown, but potentially significant General and Special Fund costs to state agencies, in excess of $150,000, as a result of granting additional sick leave credit; potentially minor administrative costs to modify systems and procedures and monitor compliance. 2)Potential cost savings to state agencies that provide services to disabled veterans to the extent the additional sick leave affords those veterans greater access to their federal Veterans Affairs benefits. COMMENTS: According to the author, "Newly hired state employees begin their careers with no sick leave, and accrue it slowly, after their first month of employment, at a rate of 8 hours per SB 221 Page 4 month. As a result, disabled veterans who have recently entered the workforce may not have sufficient sick leave to attend medical appointments on a regular basis." "Many veterans are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with physical and mental health issues that require medical attention. VA appointments can be very hard to get and very difficult to reschedule. A shortage of mental health specialists in the VA makes it particularly important to follow up and attend appointments as soon as they are received." The author concludes, "For these disabled veterans, SB 221 will mean an easier transition from military to state service. For the state, this will mean a healthier and more productive workforce, and a way to show our continued commitment to the men and women who have served our country." Analysis Prepared by: Karon Green / P.E.,R., & S.S. / (916) 319-3957 FN: 0001639