BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 585
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 585 (Fox)
As Amended January 21, 2014
Majority vote
VETERANS AFFAIRS 8-1 APPROPRIATIONS 16-0
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|Ayes:|Quirk-Silva, Atkins, |Ayes:|Gatto, Bigelow, Allen, |
| |Brown, Eggman, Fox, | |Bocanegra, Bradford, Ian |
| |Melendez, Muratsuchi, | |Calderon, Campos, Eggman, |
| |Salas | |Gomez, Holden, Linder, |
| | | |Pan, Quirk, |
| | | |Ridley-Thomas, Wagner, |
| | | |Weber |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Chávez | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Pertains to a plan for utilization of real property
owned by the California Department of Veterans Affairs
(Department). Specifically, this bill requires the Department
to develop a master plan by July 1, 2016, for the use of unused
or underutilized non-residential real property owned by the
Department, considering the property as a system, and to make a
preferred recommendation for use of the property for purposes
that will benefit California veterans, as specified.
EXISTING LAW : The Department has specified powers and duties
relating to various programs serving veterans. The Department
constitutes a public corporation that is authorized to hold
property on behalf of the state.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, DVA (California Department of Veterans Affairs)
estimates a property master plan may require the equivalent of
one personnel year, which would be less than $150,000 (GF). It
appears, however, that this work could be done within existing
resources, as the land at issue largely involves the state's
eight veterans' homes, with which the department has
considerable familiarity.
COMMENTS : According to the author, "AB 585 ensures that veteran
property owned by the state become centers of veteran activity
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and support services. Specifically, AB 585 requires the
California Department of Veteran Affairs to develop a master
plan for the use of unused or underutilized land owned by the
state department."
From the opening of the Yountville Veterans Home in 1884, the
California Veterans Home System has steadily grown and
flourished. The Department now owns and operates eight veteran
homes throughout the state. According to the Department:
1)Yountville - Located in the heart of Napa Valley, the Veterans
Home of California Yountville is a community of and for
veterans.
2)Barstow - Located in the high desert of Southern California,
off interstate 15 and midway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas
and about an hour's drive from Ontario Airport.
3)Chula Vista - Located on a 30-acre site off Telegraph Canyon
Road, adjacent to Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center and located
in coastal, urban Southern California.
4)Fresno - Located on 27 acres in the heart of the fertile San
Joaquin Valley near to the City of Fresno.
5)Lancaster - The William J. "Pete" Knight Veterans Home of
California-Lancaster is located in the high-desert area of
Southern California, just off the Antelope Valley Freeway.
6)Redding - Located on 27 acres in the heart of the Northern
Sacramento Valley.
7)Ventura - Located near the gleaming California Pacific Ocean
coastline, about an hour's drive northwest of Los Angeles, 35
miles south of Santa Barbara.
8)West Los Angeles - Located in the County of Los Angeles. These
veteran homes provide veterans rehabilitative, residential,
and medical care in a home-like environment.
In summary, from their modest beginnings as a single home, the
State Veterans Homes have grown into a state-wide system of
healthcare, housing, community, and support for thousands of our
veterans. This bill recognizes that what we have now is a
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system and the State Veterans Homes should be considered as such
in the Department's long term planning process.
Some of the homes are located on a very limited real property
footprint. However, some have substantial real property
appurtenant to them, owned by the Department. The Department
may or may not own some very limited amount real property not
contiguous with the Homes, and the Department owns real property
received in foreclosure or similar proceedings arising out of
its Farm and Home Loan program. This latter category is not
included in the scope of this bill.
The bill directs the Department to make a plan for utilization
of non-residential real property owned by it, property which is
unused or underutilized, to maximize its use for serving
veterans. This bill does not direct the Department to assign
any particular use(s) to particular properties. This bill
recognizes that "campus like" and clustered services/uses are
efficient and convenient for veterans. This bill promotes using
property already owned by the Department to the maximum
practicable extent to serve veterans, which is an efficient use
of state resources.
Analysis Prepared by : John Spangler / V. A. / (916) 319-3550
FN: 0003001