BILL ANALYSIS SB 950 Page 1 Date of Hearing: August 4, 2010 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Felipe Fuentes, Chair SB 950 (Wiggins) - As Amended: June 29, 2010 Policy Committee: Veterans AffairsVote: 9-0 (Consent) Judiciary 10-0 (Consent) Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: No SUMMARY This bill expands and clarifies the information that the administrator of a California veterans home must provide to a veteran upon his or her admission to a home regarding costs of care that may be incurred in excess of the member's contribution fee. Specifically, this bill: 1)Requires the admission information to include the terms and conditions under which member fees and costs can be changed. 2)Requires the notification provided to veterans to be written in plain language and to require a signature of the veteran acknowledging the he or she has read and understands the information. 3)Requires a copy of the notification to be conspicuously posted in each veterans' home FISCAL EFFECT Any costs to the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CDVA) will be minor and absorbable. COMMENTS Purpose . According to the author, this bill is intended to address the problem of insufficient notice of key terms and conditions of residence in veterans' homes, particularly those that could result in increased fees being charged to a member SB 950 Page 2 veteran unbeknownst to the veteran, or after the veteran dies, charged to the veteran's family. The author's office reports receiving many complaints from the Yountville Veterans Home after the 2009-10 Budget Act included a change in fees and charges to current residents, and the lack of information relevant to such changes in their original contracts. Analysis Prepared by : Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081