BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �




                   Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
                            Senator Kevin de Le�n, Chair


          AB 2703 (Quirk-Silva) - County Veterans Service Officers
          
          Amended: August 4, 2014         Policy Vote: VA 5-0
          Urgency: No                     Mandate: No
          Hearing Date: August 4, 2014                            
          Consultant: Maureen Ortiz       
          
          This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.


          Bill Summary:  AB 2703 authorizes the Department of Veterans  
          Affairs (DVA) to develop an allocation formula to reward  
          outstanding service by county veterans service officers no later  
          than July 1, 2015.

          Fiscal Impact: 

              Unknown administration costs to the DVA (General Fund)

          The Department of Veterans Affairs will incur minor costs to  
          develop the new allocation formula, however likely substantial  
          costs will result from administering the grant program.  Any  
          rewards provided to county veteran service officers for  
          outstanding service will be redirected from existing allocations  
          to the counties. 

          Background:  County Veterans Service Officers (CVSOs) are  
          trained professionals who help veterans and their families  
          navigate the complex federal VA benefit application processes.   
          The CVSOs assist in claims initiation and development and assist  
          veterans in obtaining millions of federal dollars annually.

          CVSO funding is derived from a combination of local and state  
          resources - with an understanding that it would be split 50/50  
          between the state and local governments.  However, during the  
          past decade the state has funded less than half of the program.   
          It is estimated that counties have been providing approximately  
          85 percent of the funding for the CVSOs.  The remaining 15  
          percent ($2.6 million) is provided by the state in the annual  
          budget act.  The 2013-14 Budget Act provided a one-time  
          additional allocation of $3 million above the annual baseline of  
          $2.6 million.  








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          Proposed Law:  AB 2703 authorizes the Department of Veterans  
          Affairs to develop an allocation formula to reward outstanding  
          service by county veterans service officers no later than July  
          1, 2015.  If the allocation formula is developed, moneys that  
          are appropriated for support of the county veterans service  
          officers in the annual Budget Act shall be allocated each year  
          in accordance with that formula.

          Staff Comments:  The intent of AB 2703 is for the Department of  
          Veterans Affairs to work in conjunction with the California  
          Association of County Veterans Service Officers to develop  
          standards that encourage innovation and reward outstanding  
          service by county veterans service officers.