BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 725
Author: Anderson (R)
Amended: 5/14/13
Vote: 21
SENATE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE : 6-0, 4/9/13
AYES: Hueso, Knight, Block, Correa, Lieu, Nielsen
NO VOTE RECORDED: Roth, Vacancy
SENATE GOVERNANCE & FINANCE COMMITTEE : 7-0, 5/8/13
AYES: Wolk, Knight, Beall, DeSaulnier, Emmerson, Hernandez, Liu
SUBJECT : Veterans buildings and memorials: county and city
property:
retrofit remodel
SOURCE : American Legion Department of California
AMVETS Department of California
DIGEST : This bill expands the types of local governments that
cannot revoke the dedication of a specified veterans' facility
to include a city and county, or charter city.
ANALYSIS :
Existing law:
1.Authorizes counties and cities to provide and maintain
buildings, memorials, or meeting places for the use of
veterans' organizations (SB 935, Irwin, 1921 and AB 688,
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Burns, 1927).
2.Allows a county to act jointly with a city to provide and
maintain public spaces for veterans. Title to property
acquired for this purpose may be held jointly or transferred
to a county or a city.
3.Requires that when a county provides a facility for the use of
or benefit of veterans' organizations, its acceptance by the
veterans' organizations constitutes a dedication of that
property to a public purpose (SB 544, Dills, 1989). The
county may not revoke the dedication unless:
The veterans' organizations violate the terms and
conditions of dedication,
The county dedicates substitute facilities,
The veterans' organizations consent to the proposed
county action, or
The veterans' organizations abandon the use of the
facility.
This bill:
1.Expands the types of local governments that cannot revoke the
dedication of a specified veterans' facility to include a
city, city and county, or charter city.
2.Clarifies that a county, city, city and county, or charter
city may not revoke the dedication of specified facilities to
a veterans' service organization, on grounds of abandonment,
if the organization was required to move out in order for the
property to undergo seismic retrofitting or remodeling.
3.Makes additional non-substantive changes, including replacing
the term "veterans' association" with "veterans association or
veterans service organization."
Background
In 2009, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a
$45.3 million renovation of the Bob Hope Patriotic Hall, which
was built in 1925. According to the Los Angeles Times, the
renovation included replacement of the building's mechanical,
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electrical, plumbing, and ventilation systems. Tenants were
moved out of the building into temporary quarters until the
renovation was completed. In 2012, as the project neared
completion, several veterans groups, including the American
Legion, expressed concern that they would not be getting their
original office space, creating concern that a veterans'
organization's right of return could be in question.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No Local:
No
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/14/13)
American Legion - Department of California (co-source)
AMVETS - Department of California (co-source)
California Association of County Veterans Service Officers
California State Commanders Veterans Council
Veterans of Foreign Wars - Department of California
Vietnam Veterans of America - CA State Council
AL:nld 5/14/13 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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