BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    






                      SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS
                             JEFF DENHAM, CHAIRMAN
                                             


          Bill No:        AB 2309
          Author:         Fletcher
          Version:        As amended May 3, 2010
          Hearing Date:   June 22, 2010
          Fiscal:         No




                                 SUBJECT OF BILL  
          
          California Veterans' Homes  
           
                                   PROPOSED LAW  
          
             1.   Code cleanup to reflect the fact that California  
               now has six veterans' homes.

             2.   Rename the Chula Vista Veterans' Home the "John  
               Smith Memorial Veterans' Home".


                           EXISTING LAW AND BACKGROUND
                                         
             1.   In 1884, land in Yountville was given to the state  
               to establish a home for Civil War and other veterans.   
               This was the extent of California's involvement in  
               veterans' homes for over a century.

             2.   In the 1990's it was decided that a veterans home  
               system should be created.  In 1996, a new home was  
               opened in Barstow followed by the Chula Vista Home in  
               2000.

             3.   The end of 2009 saw the opening of the Ventura and  
               Lancaster homes within the Greater Los Angeles and  
               Ventura County home system (GLAVC).  The third GLAVC  
               home, Los Angeles, opened within the last month.

             4.   MVC section 1011 states that when the Barstow home  
               is completed, then the Chula Vista, Lancaster, and  









               Ventura homes may begin construction.  The Los Angeles  
               home had not even been conceived of and is not  
               mentioned as a possible future construction.
                                         



                                    COMMENT  
          
             1.   California no longer has just three veterans'  
               homes, but has six homes open and two under  
               construction.  It is good practice to keep the code up  
               to date.

             2.   According to the author's office, John Smith was "a  
               veteran's veteran" and naming the home after him is an  
               appropriate thing to do.

             3.   There is a precedent for naming homes: the  
               Lancaster Home is named after the late Air Force  
               Colonel and former California Senator and Assemblyman  
               Pete Knight.

             4.   The West Los Angeles home is not mentioned in this  
               code clean up.  Redding and Fresno are also not  
               mentioned.

             5.   The potential conflict with SB 1003 (Wiggins) will  
               require some chaptering-out or double-jointing  
               language.


                                  PRIOR ACTIONS  
          
          Assembly Appropriations  17-0
          Assembly Floor           71-0


                                     SUPPORT  
          
          None received


                                      OPPOSE  

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          None received










































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