BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS
JEFF DENHAM, CHAIRMAN
Bill No: AB 748
Author: Gilmore
Version: As amended June 10, 2010
Hearing Date: June 22, 2010
Fiscal: Yes
SUBJECT OF BILL
The California Veterans and Workforce Development Division
PROPOSED LAW
1. Makes several legislative findings, including:
California has the largest veteran population
which faces challenges readjusting to civilian life;
the complex system of veteran assistance
programs compounds the readjustment to civilian
life;
California lags well behind Texas in claiming
its veteran benefits.
bringing California up to Texas's participation
level would add an additional $330 million per annum
for California veterans; and
the intent of this legislation is to
consolidate veterans' assistance programs.
1. Adds section 64.5 to the Military and Veterans Code
(MVC), which does the following:
establishes the California Veterans and
Workforce Development Division under the
Secretary of the California Department of
Veterans Affairs (CDVA);
charges the division with coordinating
with other state agencies to provide services to
veterans;
transfer the administration of the
Transition Assistance Program (TAPS), Disabled
Veterans Outreach Program (DVOP), and oversee
Local Veterans' Employment Representatives (LVER)
from the Employment Development Department (EDD)
to CDVA by April 1, 2011;
requires notification of any programs to
other state agencies; and
requires transfer costs are to be
absorbed by CDVA and the Jobs for Veterans State
Grant Program.
EXISTING LAW AND BACKGROUND
1. Establishes the Department of Veterans Affairs.
2. County Veteran Service Organization Survey, CDVA
January 2010: In January, 2010, the
California Department of Veterans Affairs surveyed
County Veteran Service Offices (CVSOs). A total of 32
CVSO representatives completed the questionnaire,
which addressed such issues as training, use of work
studies, claim submissions, transportation options,
and program budget cuts. The summary below is a
selection of the survey's findings, primarily focused
on workforce development needs of veterans.
The three top priority "needs" of veterans were
reported as advocacy and assistance with benefits,
employment, and healthcare. Other high priority
issues included financial assistance, housing and
homelessness, and dental care.
The most pressing administrative issue
identified was having very limited funding for
support staff, which impaired the ability of the
CVSO to provide outreach, file claims, and generally
meet local veterans' needs in a timely fashion.
While 65.6% of all CVSOs served veterans on
both an appointment and walk-in basis, 62.5%
reported having waiting lists for veterans who have
requested assistance with claims or a benefit
analysis.
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1. Since 1946, California has received an annual
workforce development grant called the Jobs for
Veterans State Grant Program from the federal
Department of Labor (DOL). Federal guidance defines
the funds as a limited use "staffing grant." Recent
changes have shifted the funding from a "staffing
grant" to now being considered a "resource." The
Employment Development Department (EDD) administers
the program through a five- year Business Plan.
2. Key Objectives of the business plan are as follows
implementation of AB 3065, Chapter 590,
Statutes of 2008, which allows veterans without
civil service status to take promotional exams;
partnerships with public utilities and
community colleges to train and employ veterans;
development of business relationships with
various organizations in the health care, banking,
transportation and green industries, as well as
other emerging technology fields;
continuing to assess and target
veteran-friendly industries for additional
recruiting and marketing programs to veterans;
providing Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funds
to public and private sector entities in partnership
with the EDD for job training and placement for
veterans in high-growth fields such as health care,
emergency medical technology, construction,
security, law enforcement and computer services; and
recruiting, training, and preparing Veteran
Workforce Specialists and Veteran Employment Service
Specialist staff in anticipation of higher than
average retirement of eligible employees over the
next five years.
1. California has low veteran participation rates in
federal programs compared to other states with large
veteran populations such as Texas.
2. AB 716 (Huber) of 2009 was intended to help CDVA
identify veterans in the state with the help of EDD
and the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The bill
was vetoed by the governor: He said CDVA was already
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doing this.
3. AB 1378 (V. Manual Perez), which is also being
heard today, deals with this subject matter in seeking
to evaluate expenditures of the DOL Grant.
COMMENT
1. The language in this bill was formerly in AB 2143
(Gilmore).
2. According to the author's office, "In March of this
year the Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee, in
cooperation with the Assembly Jobs Committee, held an
information hearing on Keeping the Promise:
Examination of Workforce Training and Job Development
Services for Veterans. At that hearing, members were
briefed by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the
Employment Development Department on their efforts to
provide such training to our men and women in uniform
being discharged from the military.
"Throughout the winter recess in 2009 and early 2010,
the California Research Bureau sponsored site visits
to several locations to review the various programs
and how those programs service veterans. Topics from
workforce development to mental health and
homelessness were covered.
"The main factor that recurred over and over at these
events was the lack of coordination by CDVA with other
state agencies and departments that offer services and
programs to veterans and the lack of appropriate
outreach necessary to funnel these veterans to the
proper program.
"Attempts are being made now to create advisory
councils and evaluate the programs California
currently has to test their effectiveness and whether
or not they are serving veterans. Creating advisory
councils and evaluations will reveal what we already
know about CDVA's effectiveness or the inability to
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provide meaningful programs to our veterans."
3. Texas used to have similarly low participation
rates such as California now has. In 2005, Texas
ranked 32nd amongst states in veteran employment.
Texas now has more veterans collecting federal
benefits than California does in spite of the fact
that California has 400,000 more veterans than Texas
does.
4. Most attribute Texas's success to the fact that in
2006 it transferred its veteran workforce program from
its workforce commission to its veterans commission.
According to the author's office, "Texas' prior poor
performance was attributed of a lack focus and limited
ability to provide direct assistance to unemployed
veterans. The veteran representatives at the Texas
One Stops served a variety of client groups including
veterans. Once the workforce programs were
transferred, the TVC convened a veteran stakeholder
focus group to develop clear performance standards and
reporting requirements to help guide the program. In
addition, the veteran representatives at the One Stops
were directed to exclusively serve veterans as guided
by the newly established standards."*
5. This bill is attempting to duplicate the success of
the Texas restructuring.
*TVC stands for Texas Veterans Commission
PRIOR ACTIONS
(As AB 2143)
Assembly Veterans 7-0
AB 716 of 2009 (Huber) 9/1/2009
Denham Aye
Correa Aye
Cedillo Aye
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Negrete McLeod Aye
Wyland No Vote Recorded
SUPPORT
American Legion, Department of California
AMVETS, Department of California
California Mental Health Directors' Association
Vietnam Veterans of America, California State Council
OPPOSE
None received
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