BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 151|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 151
Author: Olsen (R), et al.
Amended: 6/19/13 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE : 7-0, 7/9/13
AYES: Hueso, Knight, Block, Correa, Lieu, Nielsen, Roth
NO VOTE RECORDED: Vacancy
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 75-0, 4/11/13 (Consent) - See last page for
vote
SUBJECT : Local government: disabled veterans: assistance
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill authorizes the governing board of a county
to grant financial assistance, relief, and support to a disabled
veteran, as defined.
ANALYSIS : Existing law authorizes a county board of
supervisors to grant financial assistance, relief, and support
(as specified) to indigent veterans.
This bill authorizes a county board of supervisors to grant
financial assistance, relief, and support to a disabled veteran
(as defined).
Background
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State veterans benefits . Although most veterans' benefits are
provided by the federal government, California offers several
programs to support veterans. A partial list includes:
1.Waiver of college tuition fees for veterans' dependents at
California Community Colleges, the California State
Universities and the Universities of California system.
2.Free disabled veteran "DV" handicap parking license plates for
qualified veterans.
3.Waiver of municipal, county and state business license fees
and taxes for veterans for specified business activities.
4.Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) Program,
5.Preference in civil service examinations.
Local government assistance to indigent veterans . Existing law
allows county boards of supervisors to provide financial
assistance to indigent veterans. More specifically, Military and
Veterans Code Section 921 provides that:
"The board of supervisors of any county may grant financial
assistance, relief, and support to indigent veterans. Such
assistance, relief, and support shall be administered
through and by any military, naval, or marine organization
created for the purpose of aiding, relieving and supporting
such veterans under the terms and conditions set forth in
this article."
The above provision applies to an indigent person who qualifies
as a veteran, as defined as:
" . . . (A) person who has been honorably discharged from
the United States Army, United States Navy, United States
Air Force, United States Marine Corps, United States Coast
Guard, the Merchant Marine, or the American Red Cross, and
who has served in any war."
Similar programs for disabled veterans . The United States
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides federal grants to
military service members and veterans with certain permanent and
total service-connected disabilities to help purchase or
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construct an adapted home, or modify an existing home to
accommodate a disability. Two grant programs exist (1) the
Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grant and (2) the Special
Housing Adaptation (SHA) grant.
SAH Grant
1.SAH grants help veterans with certain service-connected
disabilities live independently in a barrier-free environment.
SAH grants can be used in one of the following ways:
A. Construct a specially adapted home on land to be
acquired.
B. Build a home on land already owned if it is suitable for
SAH.
C. Remodel an existing home if it can be made suitable for
SAH.
D. Apply the grant against the unpaid principal mortgage
balance of an adapted home already acquired without the
assistance of a VA grant.
SHA Grant
1.SHA grants help veterans with certain service-connected
disabilities adapt or purchase a home to accommodate the
disability. SHA grants may be used in one of the following
ways:
A. Adapt an existing home the veteran or a family member
already owns in which the veteran lives.
B. Adapt a home the veteran or family member intends to
purchase in which the Veteran will live.
C. Help a veteran purchase a home already adapted in which
the veteran will live.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No Local:
No
SUPPORT : (Verified 7/10/13)
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American Legion-Department of California
AMVETS, Department of California
California Association of County Veterans Service Officers
California State Association of Counties
California State Commanders Veterans Council
County of San Diego
Mono County Board of Supervisors
Rural County Representatives of California
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of California
Vietnam Veterans of America, California State Council
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author, "Each county
is entitled to collect fees for home modifications,
improvements, and inspections. Many military members who have
returned home from active duty must retrofit their homes in some
fashion to accommodate disabilities and other injuries sustained
during service. The process is often drawn out and expensive.
This becomes a burden for those who are trying to readjust to
civilian life?Counties are able to waive fees for low-income
veterans, but would like to be able to extend this service to
disabled veterans."
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 75-0, 4/11/13
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Bigelow, Bloom,
Blumenfield, Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Brown,
Buchanan, Ian Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chávez, Chesbro, Conway,
Cooley, Dahle, Daly, Dickinson, Donnelly, Eggman, Fong, Fox,
Frazier, Beth Gaines, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gordon, Gorell,
Gray, Grove, Hagman, Hall, Roger Hernández, Holden, Jones,
Levine, Linder, Logue, Maienschein, Mansoor, Medina, Melendez,
Mitchell, Morrell, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Nestande,
Olsen, Pan, Perea, V. Manuel Pérez, Quirk, Quirk-Silva,
Rendon, Salas, Skinner, Stone, Ting, Torres, Wagner, Waldron,
Weber, Wieckowski, Wilk, Williams, Yamada, John A. Pérez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Harkey, Jones-Sawyer, Lowenthal, Patterson,
Vacancy
AL:d 7/10/13 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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