BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 1757|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 1757
Author: Monning (D), et al
Amended: 7/15/10 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE : 4-0, 6/22/10
AYES: Denham, Correa, Negrete McLeod, Cedillo
NO VOTE RECORDED: Wyland, Vacancy, Vacancy
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 11-0, 8/12/10
AYES: Kehoe, Ashburn, Alquist, Corbett, Emmerson, Leno,
Price, Walters, Wolk, Wyland, Yee
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 76-0, 6/2/10 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Veterans cemetery
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill authorizes the design and construction
of a state owned veterans cemetery to be located on the
site of the former Fort Ord in Monterey County.
ANALYSIS : The military base at Fort Ord was established
in 1917, and in 1940 was declared a permanent Army post.
In 1991, Fort Ord was announced for closure by the United
States Base Realignment and Closure Commission. Prior to
its closure, the Fort Ord Reuse Authority (FORA) set aside
204 acres for the development of a Central Coast Veterans'
Cemetery.
CONTINUED
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Attempts at having a federally funded national cemetery at
the Fort Ord location failed because federal regulations
prohibit the development of a national veterans' cemetery
within 75 miles of another national veterans' cemetery.
Fort Ord is located within 75 miles of the San Joaquin
Valley National Veterans' Cemetery in Gustine.
An alternative to a national veterans' cemetery is the
establishment of a state cemetery. The Federal government
will pay 100% of construction costs for a state run
veterans' cemetery, however, the state is responsible for
paying the annual maintenance and operation costs which
have been estimated at approximately $500,000 per year.
The state committed to maintain the cemetery as a part of
the initial application for construction funding. Numerous
legislative attempts to establish the creation of the
cemetery at Fort Ord had failed due to the impact on the
General Fund. This lead to the creation of the California
Central Coast State Veterans Cemetery at Fort Ord Endowment
Fund.
Now that the funding sought by the creation of California
Central Coast State Veterans Cemetery at Fort Ord Endowment
Fund the author of this bill would like for the California
Department of Veterans Affairs, in voluntary cooperation
with the Board of Supervisors of the County of Monterey,
the City of Seaside, the Fort Ord Reuse Authority, and
local agencies to design, develop and construct the
California Central Coast Veterans Cemetery at Fort Ord.
This bill:
1)Requires the DVA, in voluntary cooperation with the
County of Monterey, the City of Seaside, the Fort Ord
Reuse Authority, and surrounding counties, cities, and
local agencies, to design, develop, and construct the
state-owned and state-operated veterans cemetery at Ford
Ord.
2)Requires the cemetery to be built with the "usual phases
of a capital outlay project" which includes studies,
preliminary plans, working drawings including documents
necessary to put the construction phase out to bid, and
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construction of the cemetery.
3)Requires the State Controller, upon appropriation by the
Legislature, to transfer funds from the Endowment Fund to
the Operations Fund in the amount at least equal to the
estimated costs to complete preliminary plans and working
drawings. Authorizes DVA to proceed with all activities
necessary to support the submission of the grant
application, and upon certification of the grant award,
to begin construction and equipping the veterans
cemetery.
4)Requires the Secretary of the DVA to establish the
California Central Coast Veterans Cemetery Advisory
Committee consisting of the following persons, to be
appointed by the Secretary:
A. One representative from the County of Monterey,
nominated by the Board of Supervisors of the County of
Monterey.
B. One representative from the City of Seaside,
nominated by the City Council of the City of Seaside.
C. One representative from the Fort Ord Reuse
Authority.
D. Two members from the Fort Ord Veterans Cemetery
Citizens Advisory Committee.
E. At least two members from the department.
5) Requires the DVA to seek the advice of the Advisory
Committee when considering significant changes in the
design of the veterans cemetery.
Prior Legislation
AB 3035 (Laird), Chapter 291, Statutes of 2006, established
the Fort Ord Endowment Fund which provided for full funding
of the maintenance and operation costs of the cemetery
through private donations. Under AB 3035, the design and
construction of the veterans cemetery could not move
forward until a determination was made by specified parties
that 100 percent of the Fort Ord Endowment Fund had been
raised. This bill provides that funds also cover the costs
of project design and development of all documents
necessary for construction of the cemetery.
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FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2010-11 2011-12
2012-13 Fund
Cemetery design $800
*Special
*California Central Coast State Veterans Cemetery at
Fort Ord Endowment Fund
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/16/10)
California Association of Veteran Service Officers
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Arambula, Bass, Beall,
Bill Berryhill, Blakeslee, Block, Blumenfield, Bradford,
Brownley, Buchanan, Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter,
Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon,
DeVore, Emmerson, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong,
Fuentes, Fuller, Furutani, Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick,
Gilmore, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill,
Huber, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Logue, Bonnie
Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Monning, Nava, Nestande,
Niello, Nielsen, Norby, V. Manuel Perez, Portantino,
Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio,
Swanson, Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Tran, Villines,
Yamada, John A. Perez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Tom Berryhill, Lieu, Audra Strickland,
Vacancy
TSM:do:kc 8/16/10 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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