California Assembly Bill AB1509 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1509AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 25, 2014 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Fox  (   Coauthors:   Assembly Members   Brown   and Quirk-Silva   )  JANUARY 14, 2014 An act to add Section 90 to the Military and Veterans Code, relating to veterans. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1509, as amended, Fox. Veterans: transition assistance. Existing law establishes the Department of Veterans Affairs, which is responsible for administering various programs and services for the benefit of veterans. This bill would require, by  January   July  1, 2015, the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop a transition assistance program for veterans who have been discharged from the Armed Forces of the United States or the National Guard of any state  within the previous 18 months  , as specified. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.   The Legislature finds and declares the following:   (a)     California veterans should receive ample resources and information to assist their transition into civilian life. Though California is home to nearly 1.9 million veterans, California veterans utilize fewer benefits than their peers at the national level. Further, 50 percent of post 9/11 veterans experience difficulty transitioning to civilian life and are experiencing higher rates of   disabilities than previous generations of veterans. Young post 9/11 veterans   also experience higher unemployment rates than their civilian counterparts.   (b) The Federal "Transition Assistance Program Goals, Plans and Success" (TGPS) Program, formerly known as the Transition Assistance Program, was created in 1990 to inform and assist veterans in understanding their Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits. However, TGPS workshops provide information specific to the state where a veteran is immediately ending his or her service and not to the location of permanent residence. Veterans who were planning to move to California after their service do not receive information about how to best coordinate their VA benefits with existing California benefits. A California specific transition assistance program would ensure that all veterans residing in California receive the resources and information they need to successfully transition into civilian life.   SECTION 1.   SEC. 2.  Section 90 is added to the Military and Veterans Code, to read: 90.  (a)    By  January   July  1, 2015, the Department of Veterans Affairs shall develop a transition assistance program for veterans who have been discharged from the Armed Forces of the United States or the National Guard of any state  within the previous 18 months  . The program shall be designed to assist veterans in successfully transitioning from military to civilian life in California and to complement the transition program offered by the Department of Defense. The program shall include, but shall not be limited to,  the following  California-specific transition assistance  information, California   information:  higher education benefits and program information, vocational training assistance,  apprenticeship programs,   small business resources and information, health care programs and services, mental health   resources and information,  military sexual trauma (MST) resources and information, and housing information.  (b) It is the intent of the Legislature that the department utilize its existing personnel and other resources, including its existing internet-based CalVet Internet Web site, to disseminate this information.