BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó




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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                       SB 1227|
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                                   THIRD READING 


          Bill No:  SB 1227
          Author:   Lara (D) 
          Introduced:2/18/16  
          Vote:     21 

           SENATE NATURAL RES. & WATER COMMITTEE:  9-0, 3/29/16
           AYES:  Pavley, Stone, Allen, Hertzberg, Hueso, Jackson,  
            Monning, Vidak, Wolk

           SENATE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE:  5-0, 4/12/16
           AYES:  Nielsen, Hueso, Allen, Nguyen, Roth

           SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE:  7-0, 5/27/16
           AYES:  Lara, Bates, Beall, Hill, McGuire, Mendoza, Nielsen

           SUBJECT:   California Conservation Corps


          SOURCE:    Author

          DIGEST:   This bill requires the California Conservation Corps  
          (corps) to collaborate with the Department of Veteran Affairs  
          (CalVet) and the Employment Development Department (EDD) to  
          assist any corpsmember who is a veteran in obtaining permanent  
          employment after participating in the corps.


          ANALYSIS:  


          Existing law:


          1)Establishes the corps and requires the corps to implement and  
            administer the conservation corps program.








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          2)Requires the corps, in conjunction with EDD, to place an  
            emphasis on developing and executing plans to assist  
            corpsmembers in obtaining employment following their  
            participation in the corps program.


          This bill requires the corps to collaborate with CalVet and EDD  
          to assist any corpsmember who is a veteran in obtaining  
          permanent employment after participating in the corps.


          Background


          The corps was created in 1976 and employs for one year young  
          adults between the ages of 18 - 25 (veterans up to the age of 29  
          may participate in some circumstances).  The corps offers both  
          residential and nonresidential programs throughout the state and  
          aims to, among other things, provide youth with educational and  
          training opportunities and increase their understanding and  
          appreciation of the environment.  Over 120,000 individuals have  
          participated in the program to date with roughly 3,000 new  
          corpsmembers joining each year.  


          According to a 2013 report by the California Research Bureau,  
          California has the largest veteran population at approximately  
          1.9 million of any state, and over half of the state's veterans  
          are over the age of 60.  While the statewide employment rates  
          for both female and male veterans of all ages is greater than  
          for non-veterans, young veterans have higher unemployment rates.  
           Male veterans between the ages of 18 - 24 have a 4% higher  
          unemployment rate than their civilian peers (20.4% vs. 16.4%),  
          and female veterans between the ages of 25 - 34 years of age  
          have a 3.3% higher unemployment rate (11.6% vs. 8.3%).


          CalVet estimates that 35,000 - 40,000 veterans will return to  
          California each year for the next few years as the military  
          downsizes following the reduction in troop deployments to Iraq  








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          and Afghanistan.  In addition, according to the U.S. Equal  
          Opportunity Commission, 25 percent of recent veterans have  
          service-connected disabilities, compared to about 13 percent of  
          all veterans, which aggravates the veteran employment situation.


          EDD assists Californians, including veterans, with obtaining  
          employment through its Workforce Services Branch.  All veterans  
          receive priority for workforce services through U.S. Department  
          of Labor funding.  In addition, the Jobs for Veterans State  
          Grant also provides funding for specialized staff to assist  
          veterans in finding work and to conduct outreach to employers on  
          behalf of veterans.  


          There have been and are veterans-specific programs at the corps.  
           According to the corps, there are numerous corps crews composed  
          of veterans active today.  Two current active programs are in  
          fisheries and firefighting. For eligible veterans, participating  
          in corps programs is one method to return to the civilian  
          workforce.  According to 2011 - 2016 data from the corps, 554  
          veterans participated in corps programs for veterans of which  
          about 57% either found employment after completion (289) or  
          enrolled in school or returned to the military (28).


          Comments


          This bill mandates broad and expanded collaboration between the  
          corps, CalVet and EDD.  Existing law already requires the corps,  
          in conjunction with EDD, to place an emphasis on developing and  
          executing plans to assist corpsmembers in obtaining employment  
          following their participation in the corps.  EDD has existing  
          expertise and existing programs in place that emphasize veteran  
          employment.  No metrics are included to monitor or assess the  
          impact of this expanded collaboration.




          FISCAL EFFECT:   Appropriation:    No          Fiscal  








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          Com.:YesLocal:   No

          According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:


           CalVet estimates the need for one ongoing position and about  
            $100,000 General Fund to implement the collaboration required  
            by this bill.  This assumes resources to enable CalVet to work  
            with closely with veteran corpsmembers to assist them in  
            obtaining employment.  To the extent the intent of this bill  
            would be satisfied by the corps simply consulting with the  
            CalVet in this effort, costs would likely decrease.  


           Minor and absorbable costs to the corps and EDD.  When  
            individuals complete their work with the corps, EDD provides  
            them with services that help them obtain other employment.   
            (General Fund and federal funds).




          SUPPORT:   (Verified5/27/16)


          American G.I. Forum of California
          AMVETS-Department of California
          California Association of County Veterans Service Officers
          California Association of Local Conservation Corps
          Conservation Corps of Long Beach
          Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles
          Hon. Val Lerch, former Vice Mayor, City of Long Beach
          Military Officers Association of America, California Council of  
          Chapters
          Paramount American Legion Post #134
          Three individuals
          VFW-Department of California
          Vietnam Veterans of America-California State Council


          OPPOSITION:   (Verified5/27/16)









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          None received

          ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT:  According to the author, "SB 1227, the  
          California VET (Veteran Employment & Training) Initiative would  
          require the [corps] to collaborate with the California  
          Department of Veterans Affairs in addition to the Employment  
          Development Department to better assist corpsmembers who are  
          veterans transition to employment after completion of the  
          [corps] program."

          The author continues that while transition services for  
          corpsmembers currently exist, existing law provides no specific  
          direction to the corps on employment assistance for veterans,  
          and he notes that veterans may face unique transition needs due  
          to the differences between civilian workplace culture and the  
          military or multiple combat deployments.  The author states that  
          CalVet's experience in helping veterans makes them best suited  
          to assist the existing efforts of the corps and EDD in finding  
          work placement for veterans.

          "These brave women and men fought for us, it's time that we  
          fight for them."



          Prepared by: Katharine Moore / N.R. & W. / (916) 651-4116
          5/28/16 16:57:35


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