BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT & RETIREMENT BILL NO: AB 1729
Lou Correa, Chair Hearing date: June 14, 2010
AB 1729 (Yamada) as amended 3/18/10 FISCAL: YES
CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATIONS: VETERANS' PREFERENCE POINTS
HISTORY :
Sponsor: Author
Prior legislation: AB 2550 (Blakeslee)
Chapter 494, Statutes 2006
ASSEMBLY VOTES :
PER & SS 5-0 4/07/10
Veteran Affairs 9-0 4/13/10
Appropriations 15-0 4/28/10
Assembly Floor 74-0 5/06/10
SUMMARY :
Extends from 6 months to 12 months the amount of time a
veteran may receive preference points on employment lists
resulting from open nonpromotional civil service
examinations.
BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS :
1) Existing law:
a) creates the state civil service, a merit system, in
which individuals compete, via an examination process,
for jobs and promotions. Applicants who successfully
compete in open nonpromotional exams are ranked and
placed on lists of individuals who are then eligible to
be hired.
b) allows veterans who have been honorably discharged
from military service, national guard members who have
served in active duty for at least at least 90 days,
widows and widowers of deceased veterans, and spouses of
100% disabled veterans to receive additional points
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(i.e., preference points) added to their exam scores.
c) requires veterans and national guard members to
submit proof to departments that they are eligible for
preference points.
d) allows an active member of the armed forces who has
passed a civil service exam and been placed on a hiring
list-for up to 6 months following the establishment of
that list-to qualify for veteran's preference points,
have those points added to his or her score, and have
the list re-ordered to reflect those additional points
as if that individual had those points from the time the
list was first established.
2) This bill would allow an active member of the armed
forces to qualify for preference points and have those
points added to his or her score for up to 12 months after
passing a civil service exam and being placed on an
employment list.
FISCAL IMPACT :
According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee analysis,
this bill creates minor and absorbable costs to the State
Personnel Board (SPB) to modify examination scoring
procedures for open nonpromotional examinations.
COMMENTS :
1) Argument in support
According to the author:
A new veteran may not learn within 6 months of being
honorably discharged of the availability of preference
points. Additionally, if a veteran misplaces pertinent
documentation proving his or her service and honorable
discharge, it may take more than 6 months to obtain
replacement forms from the federal government. Such forms
are needed to prove eligibility for preference points.
This bill will assist new veterans in re-entering the job
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market by extending their access to preference points for
state hiring.
2) SUPPORT :
American Legion, Department of California
AMVETS, Department of California
California Association of County Veterans Service
Officers
California Peace Officers' Association
California Police Chiefs Association
Vietnam Veterans of America, California State Council
3) OPPOSITION :
None to date
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Date: 6/7/10 Page 3