BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS
LOU CORREA, CHAIRMAN
Bill No: AB 2198
Author: Nielsen
Version: As amended May 10, 2012
Hearing Date: June 12, 2012
Fiscal: Yes
Consultant: Donald E. Wilson
SUBJECT OF BILL
Department of Veterans Affairs reporting requirements
PROPOSED LAW
1. Make legislative findings
2. Change reporting requirements in the annual County
Veterans Service Officer (CVSO) report.
3. Change the due date of the report from January 1 to
March1 of each year.
EXISTING LAW AND BACKGROUND
1. Section 974 of the California Military and Veterans
Code (MVC) requires an annual report on the activities of
CVSOs
974. (a) The Department of Veterans Affairs shall annually
prepare a report of the activities of county veteran
service officers, and may require each county veteran
service officer to submit information required to prepare
the report. The report shall include, but not be limited
to, all of the following:
(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.
(6) The average value of these one-time benefit payments
obtained.
(b) The information required to be included in
paragraphs (1) to (6), inclusive, of subdivision (a) shall
be set forth for each county together with a statewide
total.
(c) The department shall transmit a copy of the report
to the Department of Finance, the State Department of
Health Services, the California Veterans Board, and to each
Member of the Legislature.
COMMENT
1. The author and sponsor of the bill say that keeping the
new statistics will provide better information to the
legislature on exactly what benefits CVSOs are bringing to
the State of California.
The new categories to be kept are
(1) The number of veterans and their family members who
have contacted or utilized the services of the county
veterans service offices during the fiscal year.
(2) The number of claims filed to achieve benefits such as
pension, disability compensation, and healthcare on behalf
of veterans and their dependents.
(3) The annualized monetary value of benefits received by
veterans and their dependents as a result of the efforts of
county veterans service office, broken down by type of
benefit.
(4) A summary of other services provided by county veterans
service offices and special events and activities in which
county veteran service offices participated, such as
veterans outreach events, homeless veteran "Stand Downs,"
and job fairs for veterans.
2. New reporting category 1 corresponds to old reporting
category 7.
New reporting category 2 corresponds to old reporting
category 8.
New reporting category 3 corresponds to old reporting
categories 2 and 5.
New reporting category 4 corresponds does not correspond to
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any present reporting category.
That means reporting for the following categories would no
longer be required to be reported
a) number of monthly federal benefits obtained
b) average value of monthly benefits obtained
c) the number of one-time benefits obtained
d) the average monthly value of one-time benefits obtained
e) the number of veterans and dependents taken off state
and county roles as a result of federal benefits; and
f) the number of homeless veterans and their dependents
assisted in obtaining federal benefits
SUPPORT
American Legion, Department of California
AMVETS, Department of California
California Association of County Veterans Service Officers
California State Commanders Veterans Council
Vietnam Veterans of America, California State Council
OPPOSE
None received
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