BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 1258
Page 1
Date of Hearing: June 26, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS
Paul J. Cook, Chair
SB 1258 (Wolk) - As Amended: May 29, 2012
SENATE VOTE : 38-0
SUBJECT : California Department of Veterans Affairs: monitoring
outcomes for veterans: Director of Employment Development:
disclosure of information.
SUMMARY : This bill requires the California Department of
Veterans Affairs (CDVA) to establish a system for monitoring
outcomes for veterans including employment and
employment-related earnings, incidence of suicide, higher
education, and involvement with the child welfare system and
with the criminal justice system. Specifically, this bill :
a) Authorizes the CDVA to receive data from other state
agencies or departments as long as access to that data is
not limited by state or federal law.
b) Requires the CDVA to ensure confidentiality of the
information it receives from other departments.
c) Authorizes CDVA to utilize advisory bodies as necessary,
and suggests using the California Interagency Council on
Veterans as an advisory body.
d) Requires CDVA to provide a progress report to the
Legislature by March 1, 2015, and to report annually
beginning March 1, 2016 on the outcomes identified by the
department.
e) Requires the Director of the Employment Development
Department (EDD) to release quarterly wage data to the
CDVA.
EXISTING LAW : In August 2011, Governor Brown issued Executive
Order B-9-11 which created the California Interagency Council on
Veterans and ordered that the Secretaries of the Labor and
Workforce Development Agency, California Volunteers, the
Business Transportation and Housing Agency, the Health and Human
Services Agency, and the Department of Corrections and
SB 1258
Page 2
Rehabilitation, the Adjutant General of the Military Department,
and the Directors of the Employment Development Department, the
Department of Consumer Affairs, the Department of
Rehabilitation, and the Department of Housing and Community
Development are appointed as members of the California
Interagency Council on Veterans. The purpose of the Council is
to identify and prioritize the needs of California's veterans,
and to coordinate the activities at all levels of government in
addressing those needs.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, approximately $20,000 one-time from the General Fund.
COMMENTS : The ultimate goal of this bill is to create a system
to assess veterans' status, what happens to them, and what
benefits they obtain so that an accurate picture of how well
their needs are being met can be compiled, thereby driving
future decision making with regard to veterans. However, what
the bill requires is an interim step, a report on which "outcome
indicators" are important, how to establish a system to track
those outcome indicators, and what the barriers might be to
establishing such a system. Assessing the status of veterans,
tracking the success of programs for veterans, and measuring the
extent to which veterans' needs are being met seems aligned with
existing public policy and in particular with the recent
establishment of the Interagency Council on Veterans.
Suggestions for clarification: The proposal in the bill is
somewhat vague in its use of the phrase "outcome indicators."
The bill does specify some of these, such as, "?employment and
employment-related information including employment earnings,
incidence of suicide, higher education including access to
higher education, involvement with the child welfare system, and
involvement with the criminal justice system?" however, several
of these items are still very broad categories. Without more
specific direction, the report which is produced as a result of
the bill may not be what is contemplated by the author.
PROPOSED AMENDMENTS:
Staff is informed that the author plans to offer amendments in
committee to address staff concerns raised above. The proposed
amendments clarify that the outcome and related indicators
selected should be chosen to assess the overall status of
veterans in California, to monitor the quality of programs
SB 1258
Page 3
intended to serve them, and to guide decision-making on how to
improve those services on an ongoing basis into the future. The
proposed amendments would clarify the bill, help to provide the
Department guidance on what kinds of indicators should be
selected, and make it more likely that the report produced in
response to the bill will contain what the author intends.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees,
AFL-CIO
American Legion, Department of California
AMVETS- Department of California
California Association of County Veterans Service Officers
Vietnam Veterans of America- California State Council
California Association of Veteran Service Agencies
California Senior Legislature
Opposition
None at this time.
Analysis Prepared by : John Spangler / V. A. / (916) 319-3550