BILL NUMBER: AB 2785	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Committee on Veterans Affairs (Salas (Chair),
Gilmore, Lieu, V. Manuel Perez, and Yamada)

                        MARCH 8, 2010

   An act to add Section 87 to the Military and Veterans Code,
relating to veterans.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2785, as introduced, Committee on Veterans Affairs. Department
of Veterans Affairs: administration: agreements with other agencies.
    Under existing law the Department of Veterans Affairs has
specified powers and duties relating to military veterans, and the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs is in charge of the department.
   This bill would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, on or
before June 30, 2011, and every year thereafter, to identify other
state agencies and departments that offer or provide services to
veterans, for the purpose of entering into formal agreements that
specify the respective roles and activities of the entities.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  The Legislature finds and declares the following:
   (a) A 2009 audit performed by the State Auditor of the Department
of Veterans Affairs confirmed that the department provides few direct
services to veterans, outside of its veteran homes and Cal Vet Home
Loan Program, and that the department has extremely limited
interaction and few formal agreements with other state agencies and
other departments that could provide additional services to veterans
if done in a coordinated and efficient manner.
   (b) This dysfunction unfortunately comes at a critical time, with
California on the verge of experiencing the return of thousands of
soldiers from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring
Freedom (OEF) who will need to be reintegrated back into the
workforce and the community. Many of those veterans will have served
multiple tours of duty in combat zones and thus will likely suffer
from both physical and mental health issues, such as post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
   (c) The 2009 audit additionally noted that the strategic plan of
the department covering fiscal years 2007 to 2012, inclusive, is
incomplete and has not formally assessed the needs of veterans or
included key stakeholders in its strategic planning process, nor has
it effectively measured the department's progress towards meeting the
goals and objectives identified in the plan.
  SEC. 2.  Section 87 is added to the Military and Veterans Code, to
read:
   87.  On or before June 30, 2011, and every year thereafter, the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall identify other state agencies and
departments that offer or provide services to veterans, for the
purpose of entering into formal agreements that specify the
respective roles and activities of the entities.