BILL ANALYSIS ------------------------------------------------------------ |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 1127| |Office of Senate Floor Analyses | | |1020 N Street, Suite 524 | | |(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | | |327-4478 | | ------------------------------------------------------------ UNFINISHED BUSINESS Bill No: SB 1127 Author: Oropeza (D) Amended: 8/2/10 Vote: 21 SENATE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE : 4-0, 4/13/10 AYES: Denham, Correa, Negrete McLeod, Cedillo NO VOTE RECORDED: Wyland, Vacancy, Vacancy SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8 SENATE FLOOR : 35-0, 6/1/10 (Consent) AYES: Aanestad, Alquist, Ashburn, Calderon, Cedillo, Cogdill, Corbett, Correa, Cox, Denham, DeSaulnier, Ducheny, Dutton, Florez, Hancock, Harman, Hollingsworth, Huff, Kehoe, Leno, Liu, Lowenthal, Negrete McLeod, Padilla, Pavley, Price, Romero, Runner, Simitian, Steinberg, Strickland, Wolk, Wright, Wyland, Yee NO VOTE RECORDED: Oropeza, Walters, Wiggins, Vacancy, Vacancy ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 78-0, 8/12/10 (Consent) - See last page for vote SUBJECT : Department of Veteran Affairs: Internet resources for veterans and their family members SOURCE : Author CONTINUED SB 1127 Page 2 DIGEST : This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) to make specific Internet and printed material related to veteran ailments available to family members of veterans returning from active duty. Assembly Amendments require DVA to update its Internet Web site to prominently display a link to the Network of Care for Veterans and Service Members site. ANALYSIS : This bill: 1. Requires the DVA to make available to family members of veterans returning from active duty user friendly Internet resources that provide information on the signs of pertinent ailments from various conflicts, including, but not limited to, all of the following: A. Exposure to Agent Orange and post-traumatic stress disorder from the Vietnam War. B. Exposure to depleted uranium and Gulf War Syndrome from Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. C. Traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. 2. Stipulates that the Internet resources shall provide links to the appropriate agency or person that may help the family members of the veteran address any issues arising from these ailments. 3. Requires printed material regarding these ailments to be available at any public function of the DVA. 4. Requires DVA to make specific Internet and printed material related to veteran ailments available to family members of veterans returning from active duty. Comments CONTINUED SB 1127 Page 3 According to the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee analysis, returning war veterans can often have problems reintegrating to society. In the modern era, American society witnessed the problem of reintegration in the early 1980s when it was discovered that many of the people on skid row were Vietnam Veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, now known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Traditionally it is the Federal Government's responsibility to take care of veterans, but as more and more unseen ailments such as PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury are affecting veterans who are being discharged without diagnosis and without notification to the federal Veterans' Administration (VA). As a result of unseen and undiagnosed ailments these veterans then fall through the cracks of the VA health system and land on county mental health systems, which according to the funding in that county, may or may not cover that particular ailment. When these conditions go untreated some veterans turn to drugs and alcohol and can often lose what few benefits they have. The loss of these benefits only continues the downward spiral. When veterans return home undiagnosed and outside of the VA system, their family is often the only asset left to help get these veterans help. On Monday, May 23, 2009, the Administration announced the launch of the Network of Care for Veterans Web site. In an effort with other departments the DVA combined efforts to provide assistance for deserving veterans who have served. Through the Network of Care, Californians can show their support for those who serve and have served their state and nation. The Administration has said, "Fighting in a war is a life-changing experience. A veteran can leave the battlefield but leaving behind the pain, the anguish and the terrible memories is much more difficult and much more challenging to do." County mental health directors widely recognize the needs of returning soldiers and their families, and in their community mental health plans have included programs and CONTINUED SB 1127 Page 4 resources to meet those needs. They used Mental Health Services Act funds to develop a public-private partnership to develop what they labeled convenient, easy-to-use online resource specific to the needs of veterans and service members, the Network of Care. It is a one-stop resource for access to community mental health services in all 58 of our California counties. It is not only for veterans; it is for their families too. FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes Local: No SUPPORT : (Verified 8/12/10) American Legion, Department of California AMVETS, Department of California Vietnam Veterans of America, California State Council ASSEMBLY FLOOR : AYES: Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Arambula, Bass, Beall, Bill Berryhill, Tom Berryhill, Blakeslee, Block, Blumenfield, Bradford, Brownley, Buchanan, Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter, Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon, DeVore, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong, Fuentes, Fuller, Furutani, Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick, Gatto, Gilmore, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill, Huber, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Lieu, Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Monning, Nava, Nestande, Niello, Nielsen, V. Manuel Perez, Portantino, Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Audra Strickland, Swanson, Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Tran, Villines, Yamada, John A. Perez NO VOTE RECORDED: Norby, Vacancy TSM:mw 8/16/10 Senate Floor Analyses SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE **** END **** CONTINUED