BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS
Senator Jim Nielsen, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular
Bill No: AB 2254 Hearing Date: 6/14/16
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|Author: |Achadjian |
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|Version: |6/8/16 |
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|Urgency: |No |Fiscal: |Yes |
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|Consultant:|Wade Teasdale |
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Subject: Armories: homeless shelter
DESCRIPTION
Summary:
This bill revises the list of armories to be made available to
include the Atascadero armory in San Luis Obispo County.
Existing law:
Requires the California Military Department (CMD) to make
certain state armories available to specified cities and
counties for the purpose of providing temporary shelter for
homeless persons from October 15 through April 15 each year.
This bill:
Revises the list of armories to be made available to include the
Atascadero armory in San Luis Obispo County.
BACKGROUND
California Military Department
The CMD comprises several organizations, the largest being the
approximately 22,000-member California National Guard (Guard),
which includes official components of the United States Army and
Air Force, as well as purely state entities, such as the State
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Military Reserve and State Active Duty force. The Adjutant
General (TAG) is "dual-hatted" and has both federal and state
authorities and responsibilities; therefore, the TAG serves both
as commander of the federally trained and paid Guard and also as
"state director" of the CMD.
Armories as Emergency Shelters
The CMD operates approximately 99 active armory sites throughout
the state. Armories (or "readiness centers") are the primary
sites for unit training and are integral to the readiness and
responsiveness of Guard personnel for both federal and state
missions and non-Guard personnel for state purposes.
Armories are routinely used to mobilize and house troops when
the Guard responds to wildfires, while also serving as emergency
operations centers for other first-responder agencies. Armories
also are used to shelter displaced civilians, who have been
evacuated from their homes due to fires, floods or other state
emergencies. Several armories throughout the state serve as
homeless shelters in the winter months.
The use of armories to temporarily house California's homeless
during bad weather months began in 1987, when then-Gov. George
Deukmejian, by executive order, initiated the Emergency Shelter
Program, which authorized the California National Guard to make
the state's armories available for temporary emergency shelters.
Sixteen armories were used as shelters.
Government Code sections 15301-15301.6 pertain to assistance of
homeless persons and the emergency shelter program. These
provisions have not been amended by the Legislature since 1999.
Section 15301(a) currently lists certain armories: El Centro,
Calexico, Culver City, Glendale, Inglewood, Long Beach 7th
Street, Pomona, Sylmar, West Los Angeles Federal Avenue, Merced,
Fullerton, Santa Ana, Roseville, Corona, Indio, Riverside, El
Cajon, Escondido, Vista, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria,
Gilroy, San Jose Hedding Street, Sunnyvale, Santa Cruz,
Watsonville, Redding, Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Oxnard and Ventura,
which shall be made available to their respective counties or
any city in these counties for the purpose of providing
temporary shelter for homeless persons during the period from
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October 15 through April 15 each year.
Section 15301(b) provides that the TAG has sole discretion to
use alternate armories as may be necessary to meet the
operational needs of the CMD. Additionally, any county or city,
including those not listed in subdivision (a), may use any
armory within its jurisdiction subject to the approval of the
TAG.
Section 15301(c) provides that, subject to appropriation in the
annual Budget Act, the TAG may increase or decrease the number
of days of operation among all of the armories funded in any
year to best meet cold weather demands as they develop. The TAG
shall periodically report to the counties authorized to receive
funds on the ongoing availability of remaining funded shelter
days.
Section 15301.1 states that state armories shall not be made
available during any period that any organization of the state
militia or United States Armed Forces is conducting drills or
other military training or activity at the armory or during any
period that the armories have been designated by the Governor or
TAG for use appropriate to a condition of emergency, including,
but not limited to, use by the Red Cross during an earthquake,
fire, or other disaster.
COMMENT
Prior/Related Legislation
AB 1954 (Jackson, Chapter 958, Statutes of 2000) revises the
list of armories to be made available as temporary homeless
shelters and expands the time frame of the Temporary Emergency
Shelter Program, as specified.
AB 612 (Jackson, Chapter 793, Statutes of 1999) appropriates
$1,365,000 from the General Fund (GF), in augmentation of the
Budget Act of 1999, to provide temporary emergency shelter to
the homeless.
POSITIONS
Sponsor: Author.
Support:
American GI Forum of California
Atascadero, City of
San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors
Vietnam Veterans of America, California State Council
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Oppose: None on file.
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