BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    






                     SENATE  COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS
                             BILL MORROW, CHAIRMAN
                                             


          Bill No:        AJR 71
          Author:         Wolk
          Version:        As Amended May 10, 2004
          Hearing Date:   June 22, 2004
          Fiscal:         NO
          Consultant:     David Grafft


          

           SUBJECT OF BILL  :VETERANS HEALTH CARE  

          EXISTING LAW AND BACKGROUND  :     

          Existing federal law provides for the care of injured and  
          sick veterans who qualify, based on their service history  
          and other factors. 

           PROPOSED LAW  :   

          This resolution would request the President and Congress of  
          the United States to enact legislation to provide for a  
          guaranteed level of funding for veteran health care, and to  
          restore medical benefit eligibility to veterans in Priority  
          Group 8.  It would also urge the federal Department of  
          Veterans Affairs to seek out eligible veterans to provide  
          them with VA benefits information.
           
          COMMENT  :

          1.  This resolution passed the Assembly Veterans Committee  
          10/0 and the Assembly 76/0.

          2.  Under current federal law the Department of Veterans  
          Affairs has the responsibility to provide hospital care and  
          medical services to eligible veterans.  However, services  
          are provided only to the extent that the United States  
          Congress provides funds to cover the costs of care.  
          According to the author, this discretionary funding system  
          has created a situation whereby funding has consistently  
          fallen short of the  total needs and has led to the  









          rationing of health care for veterans.
           
           3.  The federal Veterans Administration presently  
          classifies enrolled veterans by priority groups with those  
          classified in the Priority Group 1 having the highest  
          priority for medical services and care and Priority Group 8  
          the lowest.  As of January 17, 2003, the federal Veterans  
          Administration stopped accepting new Priority Group 8  
          veterans for enrollment, due to budgetary restraints.

          4.  According to the author, a number of national veterans  
          groups recently commissioned a study, which stated in part:  
           "it is imperative that Congress make VA health-care  
          funding mandatory so that enrolled veterans have access to  
          high quality health-care services in a timely manner."


           SUPPORT  :        California Senior Legislature (Sponsor).

           OPPOSE  :         None Received.

           
           

           
           




















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