BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  SJR 25
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   August 12, 2010

                       ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS
                                 Paul J. Cook, Chair
                      SJR 25 (Yee) - As Amended:  August 3, 2010

           SENATE VOTE  :   34-0
           
          SUBJECT  :   Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund.

           SUMMARY  :   Urges the President of the United States, Congress,  
          and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to expedite  
          funding, and lessen the amount of required documentation  
          necessary to allow eligible Filipino and Filipino American  
          veterans to receive payments provided under the Filipino  
          Veterans Equity Compensation Fund.

           EXISTING LAW  creates the California Veterans Cash Benefit  
          Program (CVCB).  CVCB is a state-funded program that had its  
          first benefit checks issued in 2001 and through the state budget  
          process has provided a $226 per month disability benefit to  
          Filipino veterans.  CVCB is closely linked to a similar  
          federally-funded program, the Special Veterans Benefit (SVB)  
          program.  

           FISCAL EFFECT  :   None

           COMMENTS  :   Since 1946 and the Rescission Act, World War II  
          Filipino veterans have been stripped from benefits. These  
          benefits included: health Care, disability pension and burial  
          expenses that are vital for the veteran's families. 

          In order the remedy to this injustice on February 17, 2009,  
          President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and  
          Reinvestment Act of 2009 ARRA) (Public Law 111-5), which  
          authorizes cash payments to Filipino and Filipino American  
          veterans of World War II.
          Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which  
          included provision to start the payment of benefits to  
          Filipinos, however despite this attempt only 29% received their  
          federal benefits.

          As of January 1, 2010, 39,591 claims for payments have been  
          received and 11,345 applications for benefit payments have been  
          granted.








                                                                  SJR 25
                                                                  Page  2


          The benefit is a lump sum of $15,000 for Filipino veterans  
          living in the US and $9,000 for Filipinos veterans living  
          abroad. 

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :

           Support 
           
          American Legion, Bataan Post 800
          Pilipino Senior Resource Center
           
            Opposition 
           
          None on file.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Eric Worthen / V. A. / (916) 319-3550