BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2703
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Date of Hearing: May 14, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
AB 2703 (Quirk-Silva) - As Amended: May 5, 2014
Policy Committee: Veterans
AffairsVote: 8-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill continuously appropriates $6 million from the General
Fund to the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet)
for allocation to County Veterans Service Officers (CVSOs).
This bill also requires CalVet to create an CVSO allocation
formula by January 1, 2015, based upon performance standards
that encourage innovation and reward outstanding service by
CVSOs.
This bill contains an urgency clause stating the urgency is
necessary to provide for continuity of services critical to
successful reintegration of California's veterans, to increase
California's utilization of veteran benefits, and to ensure
veterans claims for benefits are processed in a timely manner.
FISCAL EFFECT
This bill continuously appropriates $6 million to CalVet for
CVSOs.
Continuous appropriations are contrary to the general policy of
this committee as continuous appropriations do not require
annual legislative review.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale . The author and proponents contend California could
leverage considerably more federal funds for veterans'
services with a modest increase in the state's contribution to
County Veterans Service Officers.
AB 2703
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2)Current CVSO funding requires an annual budget appropriation.
Since 2004, the amount has been $2.6 million, save for
2013-14, when a one-time $3 million augmentation was
chaptered. The governor's 2014-15 budget proposes $2.6
million.
3)CVSO Background . CVSOs are local agencies that help veterans
and their families obtain benefits and services. They act as
the CalVet's network for claim initiation and development and
help draw down significant federal funding.
SB 608, Statutes of 1997, requires the Department of Veterans
Affairs to annually determine the amount of new or increased
monetary benefits paid to eligible veterans by the federal
government that were attributable to the assistance of county
veterans service officers, and requires the Department of
Finance to consider an increase in the annual budget for
county veterans service officers, in an amount not to exceed
five million dollars ($5,000,000), if justified.
4)Prior Legislation . There have been numerous efforts to
increase annual state support for CVSOs. Most recently:
a) SB 296 (Correa), 2013, which appropriated $9 million,
was held in Senate Appropriations.
b) AB 1209 (Cook), 2011, which appropriated $7.3 million,
was held in Assembly Appropriations.
c) SB 419 (Veterans Committee), Statutes of 2009, contained
legislative intent that the annual state budget appropriate
up to $11 million for CVSOs.
Analysis Prepared by : Geoff Long / APPR. / (916) 319-2081