BILL ANALYSIS �
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Kevin de Le�n, Chair
SB 989 (Galgiani) - Veteran Services
Amended: April 22, 2014 Policy Vote: VA 6-0
Urgency: No Mandate: No
Hearing Date: May 5, 2014 Consultant: Maureen Ortiz
This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense file.
Bill Summary: SB 989 authorizes the Employment Development
Department (EDD) to make available informational materials
relating to veterans benefits and services in its field offices,
and requires EDD to send completed forms to the Department of
Veterans Affairs (DVA) on a quarterly basis.
Fiscal Impact:
Unknown, potentially over $50,000 impact to the EDD
(General)
Although the bill is written to only authorize, and not require,
EDD to provide brochures, forms, and posters in its field
offices, there is cost pressure on the department if it chooses
to do so. These costs are unknown and will be dependent on the
amount of materials offered, and how many individuals seeking
employment assistance will be interested in learning more about
veterans' benefits. The department will incur possibly
significant training and operational costs associated with the
distribution, collection, and forwarding of the veteran
information forms.
To the extent that the DVA enters into agreements with other
state departments and agencies to ascertain the veteran status
of all persons receiving services, benefits, or assistance from
those agencies and departments, there could be significant costs
depending on the procedures that are established to accomplish
this goal.
Background: Federal law provides an array of benefits and
services to qualified military veterans and family members.
Approximately only 11% of California veterans who are eligible
for these benefits are participating in these programs.
SB 989 (Galgiani)
Page 1
Proposed Law: SB 989 will authorize the EDD to make available
in its field offices brochures, forms, and posters in order to
inform veterans of available benefits and services. The EDD
will be required to collect and send voluntarily completed forms
to the Department of Veterans Affairs on at least a quarterly
basis. EDD will also be required to add a link on its Internet
Web site that directs parties to the DVA's Internet Web site.
Additionally, SB 989 states legislative intent that the
Department of Veterans Affairs enter into memoranda of
understanding or interagency agreements with other state
agencies or departments to ascertain the veteran status of all
persons receiving services, benefits, or assistance from those
state agencies and departments.
Staff Comments: As written, SB 989 is silent on how the EDD
will obtain the informational materials that is will make
available at all field offices. In addition, the bill requires
EDD to forward voluntarily completed forms to DVA, but does not
provide any information on what this form entails. If it is a
form that an individual may fill out to request further
information about veterans' benefits, sending the information to
the DVA every three months may not provide an adequate service
that would be of any help to the veteran who is in need of
information on available services.
Recommended Amendments: Staff recommends SB 989 be amended to
uncodify the Legislative Findings and Declarations and the
Intent language in the interest of code clarity and efficiency.