BILL NUMBER: AB 1823	CHAPTERED
	BILL TEXT

	CHAPTER  158
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  JULY 23, 2012
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR  JULY 23, 2012
	PASSED THE SENATE  JULY 2, 2012
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  JULY 5, 2012
	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 14, 2012

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Yamada
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Norby and Williams)
   (Coauthor: Senator Evans)

                        FEBRUARY 21, 2012

   An act to amend Section 1035.6 of the Military and Veterans Code,
relating to veterans.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1823, Yamada. Veterans' homes: accounting for charges.
   Under existing law, a member of a veterans' home is required to
pay fees and charges as determined by the Department of Veterans
Affairs. Existing law requires the administrator of the home to
provide each member with a quarterly statement or accounting of all
charges for the costs of care rendered to the member in excess of the
member fee, as defined.
   This bill would require the quarterly statement or accounting of
all charges to include information relating to payment of any
outstanding charges at the time of the veteran's death, including the
use of a deceased veteran's personal property or money for payment
of outstanding charges, and a statement advising the member to seek
counsel from a legal expert to protect his or her assets.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 1035.6 of the Military and Veterans Code is
amended to read:
   1035.6.  (a) The administrator shall provide each member of the
home with a quarterly statement or accounting of all charges for the
costs of care rendered to the member in excess of the member fee, as
defined in subdivision (b). The quarterly statement or accounting of
charges shall include, in plain, straightforward language, avoiding
technical terms as much as possible and using a coherent and easily
readable style, all of the following:
   (1) A statement that the charges for the excess costs of care are
provided to the member for informational purposes only.
   (2) A statement that, if the veteran is a resident of the home at
the time of death, the home may use his or her money or personal
property that is in possession of the home for payment of
unreimbursed excess costs of care.
   (3) A statement that advises the member to seek counsel from a
legal expert to protect his or her assets.
   (b) "Costs of care in excess of the member fee" means all costs
that are not covered by the member contribution fee, including, but
not limited to, the unreimbursed costs of medical or dental services
rendered to the member, either by the home or under contract with the
home. The Department of Veterans Affairs shall promulgate
regulations specifying the costs that are in excess of the member
contribution fee and constitute the unreimbursed costs of care.