BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  SB 815
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   June 4, 2013

                       ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS
                                Al Muratsuchi, Chair
             SB 815 (Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs) - As Amended:   
                                    May 16, 2013

           SENATE VOTE  :   37-0
           
          SUMMARY  :  This bill corrects certain technical and obsolete  
          references in the Military and Veterans Code.  Specifically,  
          this bill  :  

          1)Clarifies that County Veteran Service Officers (CVSOs) shall,  
            and the California Department of Veterans Affairs (Department)  
            may, assist all veterans who are eligible to receive any  
            veterans benefit, not just veterans of a declared war.

          2)Deletes obsolete references to the United States Veterans  
            Administration; that entity is now the United States  
            Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA).

          3)Deletes the operative date of January 1, 1995 for Military and  
            Veterans Code section 970, as it has passed and the law is in  
            effect.

          4)Deletes an obsolete reference to the Director of the USDVA.   
            That position is now called the Secretary of the Department of  
            Veterans Affairs.

           EXISTING LAW :

          Contains obsolete references to the Veterans Administration and  
          the Director of the Veterans Administration.

          Contains references to veterans of "war."  

          Contains a "becomes operative" date of January 1, 1995 for  
          Military and Veterans Code section 970.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  Senate Appropriations Committee determined that  
          there was either no cost to the state or minimal costs, pursuant  
          to Rule 28.8.

           COMMENTS  :  This bill modernizes the code and corrects obsolete  








                                                                  SB 815
                                                                  Page  2

          or technical errors.  It also reflects that although the United  
          States was last in a declared war in World War II, many veterans  
          have served the United States since then.

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :   

           Support 
           
          American Legion - Department of California
          California Association of County Veterans Service Officers  
          (CACVSO)
          Vietnam Veterans of America - California State Council

           Opposition 
           
          None at this time.
           
          Analysis Prepared by  :    John Spangler / V. A. / (916) 319-3550