Bill Text: CA SB1258 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

---

Bill Title: Department of Veterans Affairs: monitoring outcomes for

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Vetoed) 2012-09-29 - In Senate. Consideration of Governor's veto pending. [SB1258 Detail]

Download: California-2011-SB1258-Introduced.html

---

BILL NUMBER: SB 1258	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senators Wolk and Correa

                        FEBRUARY 23, 2012

   An act to add Section 712 to the Military and Veterans Code,
relating to veterans.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1258, as introduced, Wolk. Department of Veterans Affairs:
monitoring outcomes for veterans.
   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 the Department of Veterans Affairs, for
the purpose of ensuring the adequacy of services being provided to
veterans and that the needs of veterans are being addressed in
California, to establish a system for monitoring specified outcomes
for veterans and to report these outcomes. This bill would require
the department to submit reports to the Senate and Assembly
Committees on Veterans Affairs on the establishment of the system and
on any outcomes for veterans identified by the department, as
provided.
   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.  Section 712 is added to the Military and Veterans Code,
to read:
   712.  (a) The department shall, for the purpose of ensuring the
adequacy of services being provided to veterans and that the needs of
veterans are being addressed in California, do both of the
following:
   (1) Establish a system for monitoring outcomes for veterans,
including, but not limited to, employment and employment-related
information including employment earnings, incidence of suicide,
higher education including access to higher education, involvement
with the child welfare system, and involvement with the criminal
justice system.
   (2) Report the outcomes specified in paragraph (1).
   (b) The department may access any data, the access to which is not
restricted by any state or federal law, that is necessary to monitor
the outcomes specified in subdivision (a), including, but not
limited to, data held by other state agencies or departments.
   (c) The department shall prescribe a manner in which to ensure the
confidentiality of information in the possession of the department
accessed pursuant to this section, that is equal to, or greater than,
the protections in place for data accessed through other state
agencies or departments.
   (d) The department may establish one or more advisory bodies to
guide and inform the selection of outcomes and the strategy for
monitoring and reporting those outcomes, as determined by the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Any existing state entity that
involves diverse representation of state and local veterans,
including, but not limited to, the Interagency Council for Veterans,
may act as an advisory body for purposes of this section.
   (e) (1) The department shall report to the Senate and Assembly
Committees on Veterans Affairs both of the following:
    (A) On or before March 1, 2015, the progress on the establishment
of the system required pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a).
The report shall specify any barriers faced by the department in
accessing the information necessary to report the outcomes for
veterans, and shall specify any outcomes identified by the department
as required pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a).
   (B) On or before March 1, 2016, and on or before March 1 of each
year thereafter, any outcomes identified by the department pursuant
to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a).
   (2) The reports required to be submitted pursuant to this
subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the
Government Code.