BILL ANALYSIS �
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UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Bill No: SB 1563
Author: Cannella (R)
Amended: 8/6/12
Vote: 21
SENATE PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT & RETIRE. COMM. : 5-0, 04/18/12
AYES: Negrete McLeod, Walters, Gaines, Padilla, Vargas
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
SENATE FLOOR : 38-0, 5/7/12
AYES: Alquist, Anderson, Berryhill, Blakeslee, Calderon,
Cannella, Corbett, Correa, De Le�n, DeSaulnier, Dutton,
Emmerson, Evans, Fuller, Gaines, Hancock, Harman,
Hernandez, Huff, Kehoe, La Malfa, Leno, Lieu, Liu,
Lowenthal, Negrete McLeod, Padilla, Pavley, Price, Rubio,
Simitian, Steinberg, Vargas, Walters, Wolk, Wright,
Wyland, Yee
NO VOTE RECORDED: Runner, Strickland
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 79-0, 8/16/12 (Consent) - See last page
for vote
SUBJECT : Civil service examinations: veterans
preference points
SOURCE : American Legion, Department of California
AMVETS, Department of California
Vietnam Veterans of America-California State
Council
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DIGEST : This bill requires that a veteran who has
completed acceptable training in the United States Armed
Forces as a military law enforcement 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.
Assembly Amendments require the Commission on Peace Officer
Standards and Training (POST) to establish, by regulation,
what constitutes "acceptable training" for purposes of the
provision. They also change terminating of a peace officer
to military law enforcement officer.
ANALYSIS : Existing law:
1.Establishes the state civil service system, which
requires a hiring process that is to be based on merit
ascertained by competitive examination.
2.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.
3.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.
4.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.
5.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.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
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Local: No
According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee:
Absorbable special fund costs to POST to provide
guidelines on what constitutes acceptable training.
Negligible costs/savings to the extent state entities
that hire peace officers, such as the Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation, CHP and Fish and Game opt
to hire former military police officers who may or may
not be more qualified than their non-military
competition.
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/17/12)
American Legion, Department of California (co-source)
AMVETS, Department of California (co-source)
Vietnam Veterans of America-California State Council
(co-source)
California Association of County Veterans Service Officers
California State Commanders Veterans Council
Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office
OPPOSITION : (Verified 8/17/12)
Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (unless
amended)
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 training that they
already received in order to gain employment. It is the
duty of California's Legislature to take care of veterans
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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."
ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION : The Commission on Peace Officer
Standards and Training states that they oppose this bill,
"?unless it is substantially amended. Although the intent
of this bill is commendable regarding the enhancement of
veteran's preference points, it is severely lacking in
three fundamental areas: (1) There is no nexus between
military and civilian law enforcement training
requirements, (2) SB 1563 creates a costly, new regulation
that violates existing POST regulations, under Title II,
�and] (3) SB 1563 does not resolve the Military Services
historical opposition to releasing training curriculum.
"If POST were required to evaluate between military police
training as part of its basic course waiver process, it
would incur both one-time and ongoing costs. One-time
costs are estimated in excess of $150,000 (General Fund)
for research, development, validation, and approval of an
equivalency process. It is estimated that the matrix would
take 15-18 months to develop, as the disparity in training
and missions between the five branches of the armed forces
would require pilot testing of the courses to address
differences and bring the applicants to a common standard.
To support the process upon implementation, POST estimates
an annual cost of $206,000 (General Fund) to administer the
program."
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 79-0, 8/16/12
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall,
Bill Berryhill, Block, Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford,
Brownley, Buchanan, Butler, Charles Calderon, Campos,
Carter, Cedillo, Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Davis, Dickinson,
Donnelly, Eng, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong, Fuentes, Furutani,
Beth Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick, Gatto, Gordon, Gorell,
Grove, Hagman, Halderman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Roger
Hern�ndez, Hill, Huber, Hueso, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones,
Knight, Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mansoor, Mendoza,
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Miller, Mitchell, Monning, Morrell, Nestande, Nielsen,
Norby, Olsen, Pan, Perea, V. Manuel P�rez, Portantino,
Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Swanson, Torres, Valadao,
Wagner, Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada, John A. P�rez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Lara
DLW:n 8/17/12 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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