BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AJR 20|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AJR 20
Author: Kim (R), et al.
Amended: 4/11/16 in Assembly
Vote: 21
SENATE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE: 5-0, 6/14/16
AYES: Nielsen, Hueso, Allen, Nguyen, Roth
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 75-0, 4/11/16 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT: Veterans Affairs hospitals
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This resolution urges the Congress of the United
States to support and build a central federal veterans hospital
in Orange County to meet the mental health care needs of area
veterans.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law:
1)Requires the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
(USDVA) to provide physical and mental health care for
veterans who meet requisite eligibility criteria.
2)Requires USDVA to construct and operate health care sites,
including hospitals and medical centers, as determined to be
needed.
This resolution makes the following legislative findings:
AJR 20
Page 2
1)Many service members returning home to Orange County face
significant barriers to a successful transition back to
civilian life.
2)Sixty-one percent of post-9/11 Orange County veterans reported
difficulties adjusting to civilian life and needing time to
figure out what to do after service in the military.
3)About one in five post-9/11 veterans in Orange County have
considered suicide, and one in six developed a suicide plan.
Among those Orange County veterans who considered or made a
plan, about one-half did not seek help.
4)Orange County veterans have reported barriers, including not
knowing where to access services, difficulty scheduling
appointments, and concerns about confidentiality and
treatment.
5)Twenty-five percent of post-9/11 veterans and 9 percent of
pre-9/11 veterans indicated severe physical health symptoms.
In addition, post-9/11 veterans were more likely to screen
positive for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression
than pre-9/11 veterans.
6)One-half of all Orange County post-9/11 veterans reported
their greatest needs as USDVA service assistance and health
care assistance.
7)Only 24 percent of Orange County veterans reported that they
could handle the challenges on their own, and their needs are
not being met.
8)A considerable number of Orange County veterans are not
receiving care for physical and psychological issues, and have
a high rate of mental health concerns.
This resolution urges the Congress of the United States to
support and build a central federal veterans hospital in Orange
County to meet the mental health care needs of area veterans.
Background
USDVA provides physical and mental health care for veterans who
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Page 3
meet requisite eligibility criteria. Through its subordinate
Veterans Health Administration (VHA), USDVA manages the nation's
largest integrated health care system. VHA operates more than
1,700 sites of care and serves approximately 8.76 million
veterans each year.
Currently, USDVA has major hospitals/medical centers in the
following California locations:
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|Southern California |Northern California |
| | |
|--------------------------------+--------------------------------|
| Long Beach | San Francisco |
| | |
| Los Angeles | Fresno |
| | |
| Loma Linda | Livermore |
| | |
| San Diego | Menlo Park |
| | |
| | Palo Alto |
| | |
| | Sacramento |
| | |
| | |
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FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:NoLocal: No
SUPPORT: (Verified6/14/16)
American Legion, District 29 Orange County
American Legion Anaheim Post 72
105 individuals
OPPOSITION: (Verified6/14/16)
None received
AJR 20
Page 4
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 75-0, 4/11/16
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen, Atkins, Baker, Bigelow,
Bloom, Bonilla, Bonta, Brough, Burke, Calderon, Campos, Chang,
Chau, Chávez, Chiu, Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Dababneh, Dahle,
Daly, Dodd, Eggman, Frazier, Beth Gaines, Gallagher, Cristina
Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez, Gordon, Gray,
Grove, Hadley, Roger Hernández, Holden, Irwin, Jones,
Jones-Sawyer, Kim, Lackey, Levine, Linder, Lopez, Low,
Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin,
Nazarian, Obernolte, O'Donnell, Olsen, Patterson, Quirk,
Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas, Santiago, Steinorth, Mark
Stone, Thurmond, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wilk, Williams,
Wood
NO VOTE RECORDED: Brown, Gonzalez, Harper, Rendon
Prepared by:Wade Teasdale / V.A. / (916) 651-1503
6/14/16 16:52:05
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