SB 776: Corrections: veterans’ benefits.

Existing law establishes the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and charges it with certain duties and powers, including, among others, the operation of state prisons. 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 to provide one employee for every 5 state prisons, who is trained and accredited by the department, to assist incarcerated veterans in applying for and receiving any federal or other veterans benefits for which they or their families may be eligible. The bill would require the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to give the Department of Veterans Affairs employees access to the hardware, software, and those computer networks as are reasonably necessary to perform their duties while at the prison, while taking all necessary safety precautions. The bill would also require the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to cooperate and collaborate to ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs employees have the greatest access and effectiveness practicable, while taking all necessary safety precautions, in order to assist veterans incarcerated within the state prisons.