BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 723
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SENATE THIRD READING
SB 723 (Correa)
As Amended April 23, 2013
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :36-0
LABOR & EMPLOYMENT 7-0 VETERAN AFFAIRS 8-0
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|Ayes:|Roger Hern�ndez, Morrell, |Ayes:|Muratsuchi, Ch�vez, |
| |Alejo, Chau, Gomez, | |Atkins, Brown, Eggman, |
| |Gorell, Holden | |Fox, Salas, Yamada |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
| | | | |
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APPROPRIATIONS 17-0
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|Ayes:|Gatto, Harkey, Bigelow, | | |
| |Bocanegra, Bradford, Ian | | |
| |Calderon, Campos, | | |
| |Donnelly, Eggman, Gomez, | | |
| |Hall, Holden, Linder, | | |
| |Pan, Quirk, Wagner, Weber | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Requires the Employment Development Department (EDD),
and the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA), on or before
January 1, 2015, to jointly send a report to the Legislature
containing best practices by state governments around the nation
in facilitating the credentialing/licensing of veterans by using
their documented military education and experience.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to Assembly Appropriations Committee
minor, absorbable costs to EDD and DCA to complete this report.
COMMENTS : According to the author, veterans are typically held
back, prevented, or discouraged from finding or securing
employment when either colleges or state boards establish
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policies that do not recognize military education and training.
The author argues that the recession has taken a tremendous toll
on the economy and returning veterans are competing with
non-veteran peers, many of whom enter the weakened job market
with the advantage of freshly earned college degrees. The
author concludes noting, the withdrawal of troops from Iraq and
Afghanistan, combined with ongoing troop reduction in each
military branch, make it increasingly difficult for young
service members to reenlist, forcing more of them into the
uneven competition for scarce civilian jobs and the unemployment
rate for veterans in unacceptably high.
Background : California is home to over 1.8 million veterans,
representing 8.3% of the total U.S. veteran population.
Seventy-two percent of the veteran population is fifty years of
age or above, and the number of veterans 85 years of age or
older is projected to increase 20% between 2010 and 2019.
Department of Veteran Affairs (Cal Vet) anticipates receiving an
additional 35,000-40,000 discharged members of the armed
services each year for the next several years - more than any
other state. According to the department, historically, the
largest demand for benefits and services for veterans occurs
immediately after discharge and again as the veteran population
ages and requires greater access to medical facilities and
long-term care services.
According to a January 2013 memorandum prepared by the Senate
Office of Research (SOR), titled Employment Opportunities for
(Semi-Skilled or Unskilled) Veterans, California does not
provide a coordinated, integrated system that streamlines
employment-related services to veterans. According to SOR,
veterans find many services fragmented and without a single
point of entry. SOR also examined the need to facilitate
veterans who want to receive licensure or certification
(academic) credit for military education, training, and
experience.
According to the author, in mid-March, the Joint Legislative
Audit Committee approved the author's request to conduct a
comprehensive audit of the EDD's effectiveness in providing
employment assistance and job training programs to veterans.
This includes determining if EDD has identified best practices
for translating military training and experience into comparable
civilian job skills. It also asked the Bureau of State Audits
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(BSA) to determine if EDD's strategic plan considers the unique
needs of veterans.
Reports on this issue : As part of the 2012-13 Budget, the
Legislature directed the DCA to prepare a report on the
implementation of Business and Profession Code Section 35
relating to military experience and licensure. The DCA was
specifically asked to provide a list of boards that accept
military experience and a description of the statutes and
regulations that authorize the acceptance of military experience
towards licensure. The DCA was also asked to provide a list of
boards that do not accept military experience and an explanation
as to why they do not.
In October 2012, DCA released its Report to the California State
Legislature: Acceptance of Military Experience & Education
Towards Licensure. According to the report, nine of DCA's
licensing programs have specific provisions in their statutes
and regulations that authorize the acceptance of military
experience or education towards licensure. Those programs
include the Bureau of Automotive Repair, Board of Barbering and
Cosmetology, Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors,
and Geologists, Board of Pharmacy, Physical Therapy Board of
California, Board of Registered Nursing, Respiratory Care Board,
Bureau of Security and Investigative Services and Board of
Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians. Many more
programs also have broad discretion in approving credit earned
in the military towards licensure.
In the report, DCA outlined the top three priority vocational
areas, as security, construction and automotive repair, based on
the large number of veterans who possess skills in these areas
when leaving the military.
Please see policy committee analysis for existing law and more
detailed information.
Analysis Prepared by : Lorie Alvarez/ L. & E. / (916) 319-2091
FN: 0002140
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