BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1226
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Date of Hearing: April 26, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS
Paul J. Cook, Chair
AB 1226 (Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee) - As Introduced:
February 18, 2011
SUBJECT : Department of Veterans Affairs: annual report: county
veterans service officer activities.
SUMMARY : Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs
(Department) to include the percentage of veterans receiving,
and how California ranks among all states in the percentage of
veterans receiving, federal veteran compensation and pension
benefits in annual County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO)
reporting.
EXISTING LAW: Existing law requires the Department to annually
prepare a report of the activities of CVSO, as specified, and
may require each CVSO to submit information required to prepare
the report. Existing law requires the following minimum
information be included in the report:
1) The number of monthly federal benefit payments obtained
on behalf of veterans;
2) The total value of those monthly benefit payments;
3) The average value of those monthly benefit payments;
4) The number of one-time benefit payments obtained,
including both single-payment benefits and retroactive
payments;
5) The total value of one-time benefit payments obtained;
and
6) The average value of these one-time benefit payments
obtained.
The report must break down each of the foregoing totals by
county and include a statewide total. The Department is
required to transmit a copy of the report to the Department of
Finance, the Department of Health Services, and to each Member
of the Legislature.
AB 1226
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FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown.
COMMENTS : California, home to approximately 2 million
veterans, has the highest veteran population in the country.
The state, however, falls below the national average with regard
to the percentage of veterans receiving United States Department
of Veterans Affairs (USDVA) benefits. A 2009 review by the
Bureau of State Audits indicates that only 12.86 percent of
veterans in California participate in federal benefit programs,
compared to 16.72 percent and 14.88 percent in Texas and
Florida. The national average is 13.94 percent.
In its 2010-2015 Business Plan, the Department states that it
has an objective to "increase the percentage of veterans in
California who receive USDVA compensation and benefits to at
least the national average by 2014."
Modifying the current reporting requirements to include USDVA
benefits participation rates gives lawmakers additional
information to evaluate the effectiveness of efforts to reach
veterans and connect them with benefits. Additionally, such
information provides the Legislature an opportunity to track the
Department's progress toward its goal of improving California to
the national average for USDVA benefit participation.
RELATED LEGISLATION:
AB 1209 (Cook, 2011) appropriates $11 million to fund CVSO.
AB 882 (Cook, 2011) establishes the California Veterans Services
and Workforce Development Division within the Department for the
purpose of coordinating and administering veterans assistance
programs in the state, and would require the division to perform
various functions and duties relating to the coordination and
administration of veterans assistance programs, as specified.
The bill would require the administrative and support staff
responsible for the administration of the specified programs to
be transferred from the Employment Development Department to the
division, and would require the costs of the transfer to utilize
existing resources of the Department.
AB 1223 (Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee, 2011) implements
the Public Assistance and Reporting Information System (PARIS)
pilot-project statewide. Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal
AB 1226
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program, which is administered by the State Department of Health
Care Services, under which qualified low-income individuals
receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part,
governed and funded by federal Medicaid Program provisions.
Existing law requires the department to establish a 2-year pilot
program to utilize the federal PARIS to identify veterans and
their dependents or survivors who are enrolled in the Medi-Cal
program and assist them in obtaining federal veterans' health
care benefits. Existing law requires the department to select 3
counties, as specified, to participate in the pilot project and
authorizes the department to implement the program statewide at
any time and continue the operation of PARIS indefinitely if the
department determines that the pilot program is cost effective.
This bill removes the pilot project nature of these provisions
and requires the department to implement this program statewide.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
American Legion-Department of California, AMVETS-Department of
California, California State Commanders Veterans Council.
Opposition
None.
Analysis Prepared by : John Spangler / V. A. / (916) 319-3550