BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    






                      SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS
                             JEFF DENHAM, CHAIRMAN
                                             


          Bill No:        AB 716
          Author:         Huber
          Version:        As amended June 1, 2009
          Hearing Date:   June 23, 2009
          Fiscal:         Yes
          Consultant:     Donald E. Wilson




                                 SUBJECT OF BILL  
          CDVA and Memorandums of Understanding (MOU)s  
           
                                   PROPOSED LAW  
          To have the California Department of Veterans' Affairs  
          (CDVA) enter into MOUs for the purposes of identifying  
          veterans in the state of California

                           EXISTING LAW AND BACKGROUND  
             1.   According to the Federal Veterans' Affairs  
               Department, just over 2 million veterans reside in  
               California.

             2.   11% of California veterans claim some sort of  
               service or payment, which is one percent below the  
               national average.

             3.   On April 28, 2009, the Senate Veterans' Affairs  
               Committee held an informational in which it was  
               revealed that the state has no ability to contact  
               veterans or make California veterans aware of what is  
               available to them because a veteran database has never  
               been established.

             4.   By April of 2010, CDVA is hoping to have a database  
               of at least 30,000 names of the state's veterans.

             5.   A partnership with the Department of Motor Vehicles  
               (DMV) could help allow for veterans of past conflicts  
               to register with the database. 
                                         










                                    COMMENT  
             1.   This bill is intended to allow CDVA to enter into  
               MOUs with other state agencies in order to collect  
               data on veterans.

             2.   Without the ability to contact the state's  
               veterans, there is no efficient way to let them know  
               of services and programs available to them.

             3.   Presently California veterans are paid benefits  
               from the Federal Government in excess of $6 billion.

             4.   The author's office points out that if by  
               contacting veterans California merely rose to the  
               national average of 12% that an extra $330 million  
               dollars would be contributed to California's economy.


                                     SUPPORT  
          California State Commanders Veterans Council
          American Legion, Department of California
          AMVETS, Department of California
          California Association of County Veteran Service Officers

                                      OPPOSE  
          None received

















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