BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT & RETIREMENT BILL NO: SB 1563
Gloria Negrete McLeod, Chair
Hearing date: April 18, 2012
SB 1563 (Cannella) as introduced 2/24/12 FISCAL: YES
STATE CIVIL SERVICE EXAMS: VETERAN'S PREFERENCE POINTS
HISTORY :
Sponsors: American Legion, Department of California
Vietnam Veterans of America-California State Council
AMVETS, Department of California
Prior legislation: AB 2550 (Blakeslee)
Chapter 494, Statutes of 2006
SB 637 (Baca)
Chapter 404, Statutes of 1999
SUMMARY :
SB 1563 requires that a veteran who has completed acceptable
training in the United States Armed Forces as a peace officer
shall receive 15 preference points in an examination for an
open peace officer position in state employment and states
legislative intent with regard to veterans' abilities to
become state peace officers.
BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS :
1) Existing law :
a) establishes the state civil service system, which
requires a hiring process that is to be based on merit
ascertained by competitive examination.
b) allows state employing agencies to hold open exams for
nonpromotional positions in civil service, in which
applicants receive points, and based on their scores are
placed on ranked hiring lists and are then eligible to be
hired into state civil service.
Pamela Schneider
Date: 4/12/12 Page 1
c) identifies certain groups of individuals who shall
receive additional points based on their status or prior
experience, after becoming eligible for a hiring list by
obtaining a passing score on an open, nonpromotional
exam.
d) establishes a number of provisions that provide
additional exam points for veterans, disabled veterans,
spouses of 100 percent disabled veterans, and widows and
widowers of veterans who obtain passing scores on state
civil service exams.
e) allows a veteran to have 10 points added, and allows a
disabled veteran to have 15 points added, to a passing
score on an open, nonpromotional exam.
2) This bill :
a) allows a veteran who has completed acceptable training
in the United States Armed Forces as a peace officer to
receive an additional 15 points upon obtaining a passing
score on an open, entrance examination for a peace
officer position in state civil service.
COMMENTS :
1) Arguments in Support :
According to the author:
"Returning veterans are at a disadvantage in finding
employment upon return from their military service, due
to the fact that many have not been able to receive
training and experience in any civilian career fields
while they were away. Historically, much of the training
that service members receive while in military service
does not correlate with many civilian career fields.
Veterans often have years of work experience, but have no
way of putting it to use for themselves. The intent of
this legislation is to do just that. Military police
training does correlate to a civilian career field and
this is an excellent opportunity for veterans to utilize
Pamela Schneider
Date: 4/12/12 Page 2
training that they already received in order to gain
employment. It is the duty of California's Legislature
to take care of veterans and their families.
The Sponsors state: We support this effort to help some of
our returning veterans to utilize their military training
to help get civilian jobs, turning boots into badges and
giving our veterans credit for their training."
2) SUPPORT :
American Legion Department of California, Co-sponsor
Vietnam Veterans of America, California State Council,
Co-sponsor
AMVETS Department of California, Co-sponsor
California Association of County Veterans Service Officers
California State Commanders Veterans Council
3) OPPOSITION :
None to date
#####
Pamela Schneider
Date: 4/12/12 Page 3