18980.
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature to authorize state departments and agencies that require background checks to recognize the security clearances held by veterans transitioning from the military in order to remove barriers to employment and accelerate transition to civilian employment within cybersecurity.(b) The department shall collaborate with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Office of Emergency Services, the Department of Technology, the Department of the California Highway Patrol, and the Military Department to establish a veterans’ preference to be applied to employment opportunities within the field of cybersecurity that require a background check.
(c) A state agency that hires for a position in cybersecurity that requires a background check shall apply the veterans’ preference established in subdivision (b) and shall establish a uniform hiring policy for veterans who have held a security clearance in the last year and have left the military in good standing or were honorably discharged.
(d) For the purposes of this section, “state agency” means any state office, officer, department, division, bureau, board, commission, or agency of the state, including the California State University.