BILL NUMBER: AB 1167 CHAPTERED 04/06/00 CHAPTER 11 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE APRIL 6, 2000 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR APRIL 5, 2000 PASSED THE SENATE MARCH 27, 2000 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY JANUARY 20, 2000 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JANUARY 3, 2000 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Frusetta FEBRUARY 25, 1999 An act to amend Section 972.1 of the Military and Veterans Code, relating to veterans. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1167, Frusetta. County veteran service officers: disbursements to counties. Existing law authorizes each county board of supervisors to appoint a county veteran service officer, and permits the county to provide the officer with any assistance and facilities that it determines to be necessary. Existing law requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to disburse funds, appropriated to the department for the purpose of supporting county veteran service officers pursuant to the annual Budget Act, on a pro rata basis to counties that comply with certain conditions. Commencing January 1, 2001, existing law includes the condition that county funds are allocated to county veteran service officers in an amount not less than that allocated in the 1988-89 fiscal year. This bill would instead, commencing January 1, 2006, include the condition that county funds are allocated to county veteran service officers in an amount not less than that allocated in the 1988-89 fiscal year. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 972.1 of the Military and Veterans Code, as amended by Section 2 of Chapter 318 of the Statutes of 1997, is amended to read: 972.1. (a) The sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Veterans Affairs for allocation, during the 1989-90 fiscal year, for purposes of funding the activities of county veteran service officers pursuant to this section. Funds for allocation in future years shall be as provided in the annual Budget Act. (b) Funds shall be disbursed each fiscal year on a pro rata basis to counties that have established and maintain a county veteran service officer in accordance with the staffing level and workload of each county veteran service officer under a formula based upon performance that shall be developed by the Department of Veterans Affairs for these purposes. (c) The department shall annually determine the amount of new or increased monetary benefits paid to eligible veterans by the federal government attributable to the assistance of county veteran service officers. The department shall on or before January 1, prepare and transmit its determination for the preceding fiscal year to the Department of Finance and the Legislature. The Department of Finance shall review the department's determination in time to use the information in the annual Budget Act for the budget of the department for the next fiscal year. (d) (1) The Legislature finds and declares that 50 percent of the amount annually budgeted for county veteran service officers is approximately five million dollars ($5,000,000). The Legislature further finds and declares that it is an efficient and reasonable use of state funds to increase the annual budget for county veteran service officers in an amount not to exceed five million dollars ($5,000,000) if it is justified by the monetary benefits to the state' s veterans attributable to the effort of these officers. (2) It is the intent of the Legislature, after reviewing the department's determination in subdivision (c), to consider an increase in the annual budget for county veteran service officers in an amount not to exceed five million dollars ($5,000,000), if the monetary benefits to the state's veterans attributable to the assistance of county veteran service officers justify that increase in the budget. (e) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2006, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2006, deletes or extends that date. SEC. 2. Section 972.1 of the Military and Veterans Code, as amended by Section 3 of Chapter 318 of the Statutes of 1997, is amended to read: 972.1. (a) The sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Veterans Affairs for allocation, during the 1989-90 fiscal year, for purposes of funding the activities of county veteran service officers pursuant to this section. Funds for allocation in future years shall be as provided in the annual Budget Act. (b) Funds shall be disbursed each fiscal year on a pro rata basis to counties that have established and maintain a county veteran service officer in accordance with the staffing level and workload of each county veteran service officer under a formula based upon performance that shall be developed by the Department of Veterans Affairs for these purposes, and that shall allocate county funds in any fiscal year for county veterans service officers in an amount not less than the amount allocated in the 1988-89 fiscal year. (c) The department shall annually determine the amount of new or increased monetary benefits paid to eligible veterans by the federal government attributable to the assistance of county veteran service officers. The department shall on or before January 1, prepare and transmit its determination for the preceding fiscal year to the Department of Finance and the Legislature. The Department of Finance shall review the department's determination in time to use the information in the annual Budget Act for the budget of the department for the next fiscal year. (d) (1) The Legislature finds and declares that 50 percent of the amount annually budgeted for county veteran service officers is approximately five million dollars ($5,000,000). The Legislature further finds and declares that it is an efficient and reasonable use of state funds to increase the annual budget for county veteran service officers in an amount not to exceed five million dollars ($5,000,000) if it is justified by the monetary benefits to the state' s veterans attributable to the effort of these officers. (2) It is the intent of the Legislature, after reviewing the department's determination in subdivision (c), to consider an increase in the annual budget for county veteran service officers in an amount not to exceed five million dollars ($5,000,000), if the monetary benefits to the state's veterans attributable to the assistance of county veteran service officers justify that increase in the budget. (e) This section shall become operative January 1, 2006.