BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                       



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                  AB 2784|
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                                 THIRD READING


          Bill No:  AB 2784
          Author:   Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee
          Amended:  8/17/10 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  :  10-0, 8/12/10
          AYES:  Kehoe, Ashburn, Alquist, Corbett, Emmerson, Leno,  
            Price, Walters, Wolk, Yee
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Wyland
           
          ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  76-0, 6/2/10 - See last page for vote


           SUBJECT  :    Veterans

           SOURCE  :     Author


           DIGEST  :    This bill increases the size of the California  
          Veterans Board from seven to nine members; requires that  
          one member have substantial training or professional  
          expertise in mental health counseling and one member have a  
          degree in health care administration or experience in the  
          financial management of health care facilities; and  
          requires that two members be women.

           ANALYSIS  :    The California Veterans Board (CVB) serves as  
          an advocate for veterans' affairs identifying needs and  
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                                                               AB 2784
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          works to ensure and enhance the rights and benefits of  
          California veterans and their dependents.   Its purpose  
          statement includes the following:  (1) to determine the  
          policies for all operations of the Department of Veterans  
          Affairs (DVA), (2) to hear appeals from veterans who are  
          denied a benefit by any division of DVA, and (3) to serve  
          as an advocate for veterans' issues.

          This bill increases the CVB from seven to nine members, and  
          imposes the following requirements on membership:

          1. It requires that one board member have substantial  
             training or professional expertise in mental health  
             counseling, preferably in the areas of posttraumatic  
             stress disorder, military sexual trauma, or both.

          2. It requires that one member of the board have a degree  
             in health care administration or experience in the  
             financial management of health care facilities.

          As more and more women are enlisting and returning from  
          military service, there is a growing need for someone on  
          the CVB with expertise in mental health conditions, and in  
          particular, sexual trauma.  Current law requires that all  
          members of the CVB be veterans, and makes the following  
          conditions on some of the members:

          1. One member must be a resident of a California veterans'  
             home.

          2. At least two members shall be women.

          3. One member must have substantial training or  
             professional expertise in mortgage lending and real  
             estate finance.

          4. One member must have substantial training or  
             professional expertise in geriatrics, gerontology, or  
             long-term care.

          5. One member must have an accounting or auditing  
             background, and preferably shall be a certified public  
             accountant.


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                                                               AB 2784
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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  

            Travel expenses               --------minor,  
            absorbable--------            General

          SUPPORT  :   (Verified  8/12/10)

          American Legion, Department of California
          AMVETS, Department of California
          Vietnam Veterans of America, California State Council


           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:mw  8/17/10   Senate Floor Analyses 

                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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