BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1565
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CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 1565 (V. Manuel Pérez)
As Amended August 4, 2014
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |57-14|(May 19, 2014) |SENATE: |26-9 |(August 20, 2014) |
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|COMMITTEE VOTE: |5-1 |(August 25, 2014) |RECOMMENDATION: |concur |
|(Aging & L.T.C.) | | | | |
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Original Committee Reference: V.A.
SUMMARY : Authorizes the Director of the California Department of
Aging (CDA) to initiate a process to seek proposals for grants to
non-profit organizations experienced in providing culturally
competent services and training, for three categories of services:
outreach to elder lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)
veterans; referrals to agencies, individuals, and other entities
that provide services to LGBT elders; and, to provide coordinated
training, outreach, and education to agencies, individuals and
entities such as county veteran services offices and
congressionally authorized veterans' service organizations, that
serve LGBT veterans, to the extent funds are appropriated for the
purpose.
The Senate amendments delete the Assembly approved version of the
bill which added language to the Military and Veterans Code
directing the Department of Veterans Affairs to review existing
veterans' transportation providers in order to identify areas in
the state most in need of volunteer transportation for veterans.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
1)Annual administrative expenses of $63,603 (General Fund).
2)Unknown appropriation for future grant funding (General Fund).
The Department of Aging estimates the need for 0.6 PY [Personal
AB 1565
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Year]. First year costs reflect startup activities to request
proposals, post award notices, and develop contracts. Ongoing
costs result from contract oversight and grant administration
activities.
COMMENTS :
1)This bill is permissive in nature and contingent upon grant
funding being available.
2)According to the author, "California is the state with the
largest LGBT veteran population, yet these veterans do not access
their earned benefits and health care at the same rate as
heterosexual vets. There are lots of reasons for why this
happens - but fundamentally it's the legacy of discriminatory
policies within the military. For one, our older veterans served
prior to Don't Ask Don't Tell and its later repeal. They
internalized a lot of pain and discrimination, and they feel some
trauma and fear - even decades later - when it comes to accessing
military services and benefits. Second, it's also about cultural
competency - which we know is so important in the delivery of
health care and other services. Trust is a big issue. The
result of this gap is that LGBT veterans go without adequate
care, which has serious health implications for the
identification and treatment of disease, particularly as the
population ages. So we have people with chronic conditions,
service-related injuries, and age-related diseases going
untreated."
3)A recent informational hearing of the Assembly Committee on Aging
and Long-Term Care entitled "Faces of Aging: Aging and the LGBT
Community" received testimony from state and national experts
involved in providing services to older LGBT citizens. Testimony
revealed LGBT people, including LGBT veterans, exhibit higher
rates of diabetes, hypertension, poor mental health, and physical
disability compared to demographically similar straight adults.
Homophobia, heterosexism, heteronormativity, and stigma, coupled
with limited legal recognition, family-of-origin estrangement,
and historical discrimination contribute to disparities which
could be overcome with specific outreach, training and education.
This bill can improve assurances that benefits earned by
California Veterans are accessed and utilized to encourage
optimum health and wellness, and discourage future reliance upon
state funded entitlements.
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4)California's demographics are changing quickly, both in terms of
age and diversity. Future legislatures may feel compelled to
develop legislation to address other population groups whose care
into the future will require a wide range of cultural
competencies.
Analysis Prepared by : Robert MacLaughlin / AGING & L.T.C. /
(916) 319-3990
FN: 0005427