BILL NUMBER: AB 498	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 22, 2009
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 16, 2009

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Hayashi

                        FEBRUARY 24, 2009

   An act to  add Section 998.415 to, and to  add Chapter
2.8 (commencing with Section 728) to Division 4 of  ,  the
Military and Veterans Code, relating to military housing.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 498, as amended, Hayashi. Affordable housing: veterans.
   Existing law establishes the Multifamily Housing Program under the
administration of the Department of Housing and Community
Development to provide a standardized set of program rules and
features applicable to all housing types based on the department's
California Housing Rehabilitation Program. Existing law authorizes a
sponsor, as defined, of a supportive housing development funded by
the Multifamily Housing Program, to restrict occupancy of a project
to persons with veteran status under specified circumstances.
   This bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to
collaborate with the Department of Housing and Community Development
to facilitate the development of multifamily housing for military
veterans and their families. The bill would require the department to
take action to ensure that if land is donated to the state for the
express purpose of providing land for military veterans' housing, or
if the department receives funding for a housing project restricted
for the use of military veterans, any such housing built on that
land, or using that source of funds  ,   shall, only
  may  be used  only  for housing for
military veterans.
   This bill would also require the department, in collaboration with
the Department of Housing and Community Development, not later than
July 1, 2010,  and annually   thereafter,  to
prepare and submit to the Legislature a study evaluating the most
effective ways to increase the supply of affordable housing for
military veterans and their families, including specified information
and recommendations, as prescribed. 
   This bill would provide for submission of an amendment to the
Veterans' Bond Act of 2008 to the voters at the November 2, 2010,
statewide general election in accordance with specified law. 
   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 all of the
following:
   (a) Veterans returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan could
increase demand for affordable rental housing.
   (b) Because rental assistance is not an entitlement, not all
veterans who are eligible receive assistance.
   (c) In 2005, an estimated 2.3 million veteran renter households
had low incomes. Further, an estimated 1.3 million, or about 56
percent of these low-income veteran households, have housing
affordability problems where rental costs exceed 30 percent of
household income.
   (d) California has significantly more low-income veteran renter
households than any other state, more than 236,000, or about 10
percent of all such households nationwide.
   (e) More than one-third of low-income veteran renter households
include a veteran who is elderly or has a disability.
  SEC. 2.    Section 998.415 is added to the  
Military and Veterans Code  , to read:  
   998.415.  Notwithstanding any other law, the proceeds from the
issuance of bonds under this act may also be used for purposes of
making available to veterans affordable, multifamily rental housing
in a rental housing development, as defined by subdivision (d) of
Section 50675.2 of the Health and Safety Code. 
   SEC. 2.   SEC. 3.   Chapter 2.8
(commencing with Section 728) is added to Division 4 of the Military
and Veterans Code, to read:
      CHAPTER 2.8.  MULTIFAMILY MILITARY HOUSING


   728.  (a) The department shall collaborate with the Department of
Housing and Community Development to facilitate the development of
multifamily housing for military veterans and their families.
   (b) To the extent permitted under existing state and federal fair
housing laws, the department shall take action to ensure that if land
is donated to the state for the express purpose of providing land
for military veterans' housing, or if the department receives funding
for a housing project restricted for the use of military veterans,
any housing built on that land, or using that source of funds,
 shall only be used   may be used only  for
housing for military veterans.
   SEC. 3.   SEC. 4.   (a) The Department
of Veterans Affairs, in collaboration with the Department of Housing
and Community Development shall, not later than July 1, 2010, 
and annually thereafter,  prepare and submit to the Legislature,
a study evaluating the most effective ways to increase the supply of
affordable housing for military veterans and their families.
   (b) The study required to be prepared pursuant to subdivision (a)
shall evaluate and provide recommendations on all of the following:
   (1) Financing options that may be implemented to create funding
and other economic incentives for the development of multifamily
housing developments for military personnel and their families,
including an analysis of tax incentives and public-private housing
development partnerships.
   (2) Methods of collaborating with nonprofit organizations and
members of private industry in the development of low-income and
affordable housing for military veterans.
   (3) Statutory changes that may be necessary to authorize the
Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Housing and
Community Development to, jointly, develop housing projects for
military veterans. 
   (4) The number of veterans who are homeless.  
   (5) The number of veterans who are at risk of being homeless.
 
   (6) The number of veterans who need permanent supportive housing.
 
   (7) Transitional housing needs of the veterans' community. 

   (8) Affordable housing needs of the veterans' community. 

   (9) Single family housing needs.  
   (10) Seniors' housing needs.  
   (11) Cost-effectiveness of keeping veterans in private residences
rather than transferring them to domiciliary-level care in veterans'
homes.  
   (c) The studies under this section shall be funded by the
administrative funds retained by the department for administration of
veterans' housing bonds. 
   SEC. 5.    Sections 2 and 3 of this act shall take
effect upon the approval by the people as submitted to the voters
pursuant to Section 6 of this act. 
   SEC. 6.    (a) Notwithstanding Sections 9040, 9043,
9044, 9061, 9094, and 13115 of the Elections Code or any other
provision of law, a ballot measure that sets forth Section 2 and 3 of
this act, shall be submitted to the voters at the November 2, 2010,
general election.  
   (b) The Secretary of State shall ensure the placement of the
ballot measure as set forth in Sections 2 and 3 of this act on the
November 2, 2010, general election ballot, in substantial compliance
with any statutory time requirements applicable to the submission of
statewide measures to the voters at a statewide election.  
   (c) Notwithstanding Section 13115 of the Elections Code, Sections
2 and 3 of this act and any other measure placed on the ballot by the
Legislature for the November 2, 2010, general election after the
131-day deadline set forth in Section 9040 of the Elections Code
shall be placed on the ballot, following all other ballot measures,
in the order in which they qualified as determined by chapter number.
 
   (d) Notwithstanding Section 9051 of the Elections Code, the
Attorney General shall prepare and return to the Secretary of State a
ballot title for the provisions contained in Sections 2 and 3 of
this act as expeditiously as possible, but not later than two days
after the effective date of this act.  
   (e) The Secretary of State shall include, in the ballot pamphlet
mailed pursuant to Section 9094 of the Elections Code, the
information specified in Section 9084 of that code regarding the
provisions contained in Sections 2 and 3 of this act.  
   If that inclusion is not possible, the Secretary of State shall
publish a supplemental ballot pamphlet regarding those provisions to
be mailed with the ballot pamphlet. If the supplemental ballot
pamphlet cannot be mailed with the ballot pamphlet, the supplemental
ballot pamphlet shall, notwithstanding Section 9094 of that code, be
mailed at least 14 days before the election. 
   SEC. 7.    (a) Notwithstanding any other law, all
ballots at the election shall have printed thereon, in a square, the
words: "Amendment to the Veterans' Bond Act of 2008" and in the same
square, under the words, the following in 8-point type: "This act
provides for an amendment to the bond issued to provide farm and home
aid for California veterans." Opposite the square, there shall be
left spaces in which the voters may place a mark in the manner
required by law to indicate whether they vote for or against the act.
 
   (b) Notwithstanding Sections 13247 and 13281 of the Elections
Code, the language in subdivision (a) shall be the only language
included in the ballot label for the condensed statement of the
ballot title, and the Attorney General shall not supplement, subtract
from, or revise that language, except that the Attorney General may
include the financial impact summary prepared pursuant to Section
9087 of the Elections Code and Section 88003 of the Government Code.
The ballot label is the condensed statement of the ballot title and
the financial impact summary.  
   (c) Where the voting of the election is done by means of voting
machines used pursuant to law in the manner that carries out the
intent of this section, the use of the voting machines and the
expression of the voters' choice by means thereof are in compliance
with this section. 
   SEC. 8.    Notwithstanding Section 9054 of the
Elections Code or any other law, the translations of the ballot title
and the condensed statement of the ballot title required pursuant to
Section 9054 of the Elections Code may be made available for public
examination at a later date than the start of the public examination
period for the ballot pamphlet, provided that the translations of the
ballot title and the condensed statement of the ballot title must
remain available for public examination for 20 days.