BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1565
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GOVERNOR'S VETO
AB 1565 (V. Manuel Pérez)
As Amended August 4, 2014
2/3 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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|ASSEMBLY: |59-17|(August 26, | | | |
| | |2014) | | | |
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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
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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
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."
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3)A recent informational hearing of the Assembly Aging and
Long-Term Care Committee 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.
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.
GOVERNOR'S VETO MESSAGE :
"I appreciate the author's desire to focus on the needs of
lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender veterans, but creating a
new grant program without a funding source is premature.
"If any funding is identified in the future for such a program,
the California Department of Veterans Affairs would be a better
entity for its administration."
Analysis Prepared by : Robert MacLaughlin / AGING & L.T.C. /
(916) 319-3990
FN: 0005703
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