Existing law, the State Civil Service Act, prescribes a comprehensive civil service personnel system for the state and specifically provides certain preferences for veterans. Existing law requires a state agency to rank a veteran, widow or widower of a veteran, or spouse of a 100% disabled veteran in the top rank of an eligibility list for hiring when the person achieves a passing score on the examination.

Other existing law authorizes various state entities to require fingerprint images and associated information from a prospective employee whose duties would include access to confidential information and cash, among other things. Existing law generally requires a state entity that is required to conduct criminal background checks to comply with applicable federal requirements.

This bill would amend veterans’ preference provisions to require the department Department of Human Resources to collaborate with specified state entities to establish a veterans’ preference to be applied to employment opportunities within the field of cybersecurity that require a security clearance. background check. The bill would require a state agency, as defined, that hires for a position in cybersecurity that requires a security clearance background check to apply the veterans’ preference and to 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. The bill would request the Regents of the University of California to enact for the University of California veterans’ preference provisions that are equivalent to the veterans’ preference provisions added by the bill.