BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 960
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 960 (Campos)
As Introduced February 22, 2013
Majority vote
GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION 17-0 APPROPRIATIONS 17-0
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|Ayes:|Hall, Nestande, Bigelow, |Ayes:|Gatto, Harkey, Bigelow, |
| |Chesbro, Cooley, Gray, | |Bocanegra, Bradford, Ian |
| |Hagman, | |Calderon, Campos, |
| |Roger Hern�ndez, Jones, | |Donnelly, Eggman, Gomez, |
| |Jones-Sawyer, Levine, | |Hall, Ammiano, Linder, |
| |Medina, Perea, V. Manuel | |Pan, Quirk, Wagner, Weber |
| |P�rez, Salas, Torres, | | |
| |Waldron | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Requires one of the seven public members appointed by
the Governor to serve on the Commission on the Status of Women
and Girls (Commission) to be a veteran or a member of the
military.
EXISTING LAW creates within state government the Commission on
the Status of Women and Girls. The Commission shall consist of
17 members to be appointed as follows:
1)Three Members of the Senate and one public member appointed by
the Senate Rules Committee.
2)Three Members of the Assembly and one public member appointed
by the Speaker.
3)One public member appointed by the Superintendent of Public
Instruction, and the Chief of the Division of Industrial
Welfare in the Department of Industrial Relations.
4)Seven public members appointed by the Governor, with the
consent of the Senate.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, there are no significant costs associated with this
legislation.
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COMMENTS :
Purpose of the bill : According to the author, this bill helps
to ensure the Commission fulfills its newly expanded mission by
requiring that one of the seven public members appointed by the
Governor to be a veteran or a member of the military. An
appointed Commissioner with military background would be
invaluable as the Commission strives to meet its newly stated
mission.
The Commission was originally created to study general problems,
needs and opportunities for women and to advise local women
organizations in meeting the needs of women. Last year, SB 1038
reformulated the Commission to become a center of information on
seven specific issues affecting women and girls.
There are nearly 167,000 women veterans living in California,
making up 8% of California's 2.1 million veteran population.
That is the largest percentage of women veterans of any state.
Women of color make up almost 40% of California women veterans.
With the January 2013 announcement that the U.S. military will
formally end its ban on women serving in front-line combat, the
percentage of female veterans is expected to increase to 11% in
2020. This bill ensures that the soldier's perspective and
specific issues affecting women veterans will have a voice on
the Commission.
The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls : The
Commission was established as an Advisory Committee in 1965 by
Governor Gerald "Pat" Brown. It was made a permanent Commission
by the Legislature and signed into law by Governor Ronald Reagan
in 1971. It is the only state agency that looks specifically at
all issues impacting women and provides a gender analysis of
proposed legislation and other state action.
The Commission is an independent voice within state government
for California women and girls. It serves as an important link
between many communities and the government, including working
families, incarcerated women, immigrant women, and those with
the least access to state government and services.
In 2012 legislation was signed into law that required the
Commission to, among other things, study women in the military,
women veterans, and military families. All but $2,000 of the
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commission's projected 2011-12 Budget of $267,000 came from the
state's General Fund. Nearly 89% of those funds were spent on
salaries and benefits; the rest for operating expenses and
equipment.
The proposed budget for 2012-13 was zeroed out after Governor
Jerry Brown called for the Commission's elimination. The
California State Assembly announced in April 2012 that it was
transferring $150,000 from its operating budget to the
Commission to fund it until the end of the year. The Commission
is currently fundraising for its 2013-14 Budget, which they
expect will all be from private funds.
Arguments in support : Supporters of the measure simply state
that they believe it is important for the Commission to have a
member that represents the female soldier's perspective and
provide critical input and influence the work of the Commission.
Analysis Prepared by : Felipe Lopez / G. O. / (916) 319-2531
FN: 0000640