BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
710 (Yamada)
Hearing Date: 08/27/2009 Amended: 07/15/2009
Consultant: Dan Troy Policy Vote: VA 6-0, Health 11-0
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BILL SUMMARY: AB 710 would require the Department of Veterans
Affairs (DVA) to consult with the Department of Mental Health
(DMH) and the Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs (ADP) to
identify federal funds available for funding community-based
organizations that provide substance abuse and mental health
services to veterans, as specified. If identified, the DVA
would apply for federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration funds through DMH or ADP. DVA would be
required to establish a certification process to certify the
eligibility of community-based organizations and to establish
criteria for determining renewal of funding for recipient
organizations.
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Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 Fund
DVA $50 $100 $100 General
ADP $40 $80 $80
General
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STAFF COMMENTS: SUSPENSE FILE.
The federal government has established the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the U. S.
Department of Health and Human Services for the purpose of
improving the quality and availability of prevention, treatment,
and rehabilitative services in order to reduce illness, death,
disability, and cost to society resulting from substance abuse
and mental illnesses. Approximately $2.1 billion in funds has
been proposed for grants to states for the 2009-10 federal
fiscal year. It is not yet clear what California' share of that
grant is, nor is it clear that grants will be available for the
purposes of this bill.
According to the author, many veterans in need of mental health
services or treatment for substance abuse do not meet
eligibility criteria (e.g., discharge status, length of active
duty, financial need, timing of onset of the condition) for
services provided through the U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs or have what are deemed to be low priority needs
relative to the needs of other veterans. Veterans suffering
from post-traumatic stress disorder, for example, are not
considered high priority cases. By requiring DVA to apply for
SAMHSA funding, it is hoped that this bill would provide
enhanced services to California veterans and ease the financial
burden on the state and local communities to fund them.
According to DVA, there would be approximately $100,000 in
annual costs to certify eligible community-based organizations
and to administer the grants. Additionally, ADP
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AB 710 (Yamada)
would require the work of one analyst position to apply for,
monitor and report on the grants. The approximate annual cost,
including benefits of an analyst is $80,000. While it's
possible that some of ADP's general fund costs could be
mitigated by use of the federal grant, use of SAMHSA funds for
administrative costs are often tightly restricted.