BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                 SB 1003
                                                                 Page  1

         SENATE THIRD READING
         SB 1003 (Wiggins)
         As Introduced  February 9, 2010
         Majority vote 

          SENATE VOTE  :34-0  
          
          VETERANS AFFAIRS    9-0                                          
          
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         |Ayes:|Cook, Salas, Block,       |     |                          |
         |     |DeVore, Gilmore, Lieu, V. |     |                          |
         |     |Manuel Perez, Saldana,    |     |                          |
         |     |Yamada                    |     |                          |
         |-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
         |     |                          |     |                          |
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          SUMMARY  :  Updates definitions referring to the Veterans' Home of  
         California located in Chula Vista, the Veterans' Home of California  
         located in Lancaster, and the Veterans' Home of California located in  
         Ventura.

          EXISTING LAW  :

         1)Provides for the establishment and operation of the Veterans' Home  
           of California at various sites, and for an administrator for each  
           home or homesite. 

         2)Defines "home" to mean the Veterans' Home of California,  
           Yountville, and the Veterans' Home of California, Barstow.

         3)Defines "administrator" to mean the Administrator of the Veterans'  
           Home of California, Yountville, and the Administrator of the  
           Veterans' Home of California, Barstow.

          FISCAL EFFECT  :  No fiscal effect.

          COMMENTS  :  The author has agreed to amend in references to the newly  
         opened Veterans' Home of California located in West Los Angeles.   
         Amendments are needed for this bill to avoid the perception of  
         conflict with AB 2309, which renames the Veterans' Home of  
         California, Chula Vista the "John Smith Memorial Veterans Home."

         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.  In  
         the 1990s, it was decided that a home system should be created.  In  






                                                                 SB 1003
                                                                 Page  2

         1996, a home was opened in Barstow and followed by the Chula Vista  
         Home in 2000.  Proposition 16 of 2000 sought to raise money for two  
         homes - one in Ventura and one in Lancaster.  It was later decided  
         the home system should ultimately be expanded to eight homes.   
         Eventually, with the help of the federal government, an additional  
         southern California home was made part of the Greater Los Angeles and  
         Ventura County project (GLAVC), enabling the addition of the West Los  
         Angeles home.  The end of 2009 saw the opening of the Ventura and  
         Lancaster GLAVC homes.  The third GLAVC home in West Los Angeles  
         opened June 14, 2010.

         Military and Veterans Code Section 1010 defines the home when  
         referring to the veterans' home system as "the Veterans' Home of  
         California, Yountville" and "the Veterans' Home of California,  
         Barstow."  This bill updates that definition to also refer to the  
         remaining homes which have been completed and are now operational.

          Analysis Prepared by  :    Eric Worthen / V. A. / (916) 319-3550FN:   
         0004934