Amended in Assembly April 13, 2015

Amended in Assembly March 26, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 75

Introduced by Assembly Member Mathis

January 5, 2015

An act relating to veterans, and making an appropriation therefor.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 75, as amended, Mathis. Veterans.

Existing law, the Budget Act of 2014, appropriates $3,000,000 to the Department of Veterans Affairs for the purpose of assisting the United States Department of Veterans Affairs in processing veterans’ claims.

This bill would begin delete extend the authorization to encumber or expend that $3,000,000 until June 30, 2020. By extending the Department of Veterans Affairs’ authority to expend funds, the bill would make an appropriation end delete begin insert appropriate $3,000,000 to the Department of Veterans Affairs for the purpose of funding those Veteran Claims Representative positions end insert .

Vote: ²⁄₃. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

The Legislature finds and declares:

(a) The Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) works to serve
California veterans and their families. With nearly two million
veterans living in the state, CalVet strives to ensure that its veterans
of every era and their families receive the state and federal benefits
and services they have earned and deserve as a result of their
selfless and honorable military service. CalVet strives to serve
veterans and their families with dignity and compassion and to
help them achieve their highest quality of life.

(b) In 2013, begin insert the Legislature and end insert Governor Jerry Brown
begin delete introduced a budget that end delete authorized $3 million and 36 limited-term
positions that allowed CalVet to coordinate with the United States
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to assist in reducing its
massive veterans’ claims begin delete backlog. end delete begin insert backlog in the three California
VA Regional Offices. end insert

(c) The funds appropriated were used to hire begin delete a “Strike Force”
team end delete begin insert three teams end insert of 12 Veterans Claims Representatives begin delete (VCR) end delete
begin insert (VCR), one team end insert for each of the VA’s regional offices in the Cities
of Los Angeles, Oakland, and San Diego to focus on backlogged
claims, ensuring they are properly developed and have all necessary
documentation needed for adjudication.

(d) At the time the CalVet Strike Teams were initially deployed
in the Fall of 2013, the national average wait time for benefits from
the federal government was 349.6 days. This meant the average
veteran waited nearly a year before receiving benefits that begin delete are
considered a right. end delete begin insert they had earned through their honorable
military service. end insert The average wait times in the Cities of Los
Angeles and Oakland were significantly worse than the national
average, at 619.4 days and 617.8 days, respectively.

(e) As of January 29, 2015, CalVet Strike Team claims review
efforts in the Cities of Los Angeles, Oakland, and San Diego begin delete have
reviewed end delete begin insert including reviewing end insert 44,921 claims, resulting in begin insert one-time end insert
lump sum payments to California veterans totaling $45,603,451,
monthly award payments totaling $5,878,940, begin delete and an annual
monthly awards payment total end delete begin insert which result in annualized award
payments end insert of $70,547,276 going to California veterans every year
for the rest of their lives.

(f) While the Strike Teams have done remarkable work, the
mission is still not complete as the VA is still not on pace to fully
eliminate begin delete their end delete begin insert its end insert claims backlog by the end of next year, a goal
long promised by begin delete department end delete begin insert the VA end insert officials.

begin insert

(g) Whereas the Strike Teams have addressed the initial claims
backlog for the VA’s three regional offices in California, the
appeals of claims decisions and the dependent claims have been
pushed back and will remain unresolved for many months, if not
years, should the Strike Team positions are not further funded.

end insert begin insert

(h) It is the intent of the Legislature to provide the CalVet with
the requisite staff to review and ensure quality, timeliness, and
accuracy of claims filed on behalf of the veterans of California
and their families.

end insert begin delete

(g)

end delete

begin insert (i) end insert  California veterans have served their country and their
communities with honor and distinction, and deserve the benefits
that have been promised to them.

begin delete

SEC. 2.  

Three million dollars ($3,000,000) of the amount
appropriated in Item 8955-001-0001 of Section 2.0 of the Budget
Act of 2014 (Chapter 25 of the Statutes of 2014), as referenced in
Provision 5 of that item, shall be available for encumbrance or
expenditure until June 30, 2020, after which it shall revert to the
General Fund.

end delete

begin insert

begin insert SEC. 2. end insert   

end insert

begin insert The sum of three million dollars ($3,000,000) is hereby
appropriated to the Department of Veterans Affairs for the purpose
of permanently funding 36 full-time equivalent Veterans Claims
Representative positions in the Department of Veterans Affairs’
Veteran Services Division. These 36 Veterans Claims
Representatives shall have oversight by the California Department
of Veterans Affairs, and ensure the quality and timeliness of claims
filed through the federal Department of Veterans Affairs on behalf
of California veterans and their families. end insert