BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  AB 585
                                                                  Page  1

          CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
          AB 585 (Fox)
          As Amended  August 6, 2014
          Majority vote
           
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          |ASSEMBLY:  |72-1 |(January 27,    |SENATE: |35-0 |(August 20,    |
          |           |     |2014)           |        |     |2014)          |
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           Original Committee Reference:    H. & C.D.  

           SUMMARY  :  Requires the department, by July 1, 2016, to create a  
          prioritized list of unused or underutilized nonresidential real  
          property owned by the California Department of Veterans Affairs  
          (department) and to propose one or more potential uses that will  
          benefit California veterans, as specified, and to make a  
          preferred recommendation for use of the property as specified.

           The Senate amendments  are mostly technical and in the nature of  
          clarification and they:  
           
          1)Delete the requirement that a master plan be developed and  
            instead substitute the creation of a list with the same  
            considerations as were in the version of this bill considered  
            by the Assembly.

          2)Include a declaration of legislative intent that after a use  
            option for a given location is identified, further study and  
            evaluation may be necessary in order to fully determine the  
            feasibility of that use option and take steps toward its  
            implementation.
           
          FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Senate Appropriations  
          Committee, minor costs to the Department of Veterans Affairs  
          (General Fund).
           
          COMMENTS  :  According to the author,
           
             AB 585 seeks to ensure that veteran land owned by the  
            state become centers of veteran activity and support  
            services.  AB 585 requires the California Department of  
            Veteran Affairs, or CalVet, to identify unused or  
            underutilized land owned by the state department and to  
            develop prioritized proposals for potential uses of this  








                                                                  AB 585
                                                                  Page  2

            land in ways that benefit California veterans.  

            Currently, CalVet operates 8 veteran homes that provide  
            residential care and support for veterans across the  
            state. Some of these homes, including but not limited to  
            Yountville, Lancaster and Ventura, have excess real  
            property around their locations with the potential for  
            further development.  AB 585 will ensure that these  
            underutilized lands are developed as a system of homes to  
            become centers of veteran activity and support services.

             AB 585 directs CalVet to take inventory of their assets  
            and plan how to best utilize all their real property to  
            better serve California veterans. 

          The Senate amendments address some of the concerns raised about  
          the bill in its use of the term, "master plan" by deleting that  
          term and substituting the term "list" in its place.  The  
          statement of legislative intent also clarifies that what is  
          contemplated by the measure is not a fully detailed master plan  
          but a list of possible preferred use options which will then be  
          subject to further study and evaluation in order to fully  
          determine the feasibility of use options.


           Analysis Prepared by  :    John Spangler / V.A. / (916) 319-3550


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