BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  SB 419
                                                                  Page  1

          SENATE THIRD READING
          SB 419 (Veterans Affairs Committee)
          As Amended July 13, 2009
          Majority vote

           SENATE VOTE  :37-0 
           
           VETERANS AFFAIRS    8-0                                         
           
           -------------------------------- 
          |Ayes:|Salas, Cook, DeVore,      |
          |     |Gilmore, Huber, V. Manuel |
          |     |Perez, Saldana, Yamada    |
           -------------------------------- 
           
          SUMMARY  :  Modifies findings and declaration that it is an  
          efficient and reasonable use of County Veterans Service Officer  
          (CVSO) Subvention Fund to increase the annual budget for CVSOs  
          in an amount not to exceed $11 million.  Specifically,  this  
          bill  :  

           1)Changes the sunset date of this legislation from 2011 to 2016.
           
           2)Makes passage of this bill contingent upon the chaptering of  
            Senate Bill 418 of the 2009-10 Regular Session of the  
            Legislature.  
           
           EXISTING LAW  finds and declares that 50% of the amount annually  
          budgeted for CVSOs is approximately $5 million, and that it is  
          an efficient and reasonable use of state funds to increase the  
          annual budget for CVSOs in an amount not to exceed $5 million.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  None

           COMMENTS :  CVSOs are a joint venture of different levels of  
          government to help veterans claim their benefits.  California  
          has an agreement with counties to pay 50% of the cost.  At the  
          time the agreement was made, 50% equaled $5 million and now that  
          percentage equals $11 million.

          The Veterans Affairs Committee states that this bill is clean-up  
          language for Military and Veterans Code, Section 972.1.  This  
          bill is intended to reflect half the present day cost of funding  
          the CVSOs, which is now $11 million. The state, through previous  
          legislation, committed to funding half the cost of the CVSO  








                                                                  SB 419
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          program. 
           
           Military and Veterans Code Section 972.1 still contains the $5  
          million figure.  Last year SB 1778 (Senate Veterans Affairs  
          Committee) was a consent calendar item but was vetoed by  
          Governor Schwarzenegger because of the Budget impasse.
           

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


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