BILL ANALYSIS �
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Kevin de Le�n, Chair
SB 722 (Correa) - Veterans Memorial
Amended: September 6, 2013 Policy Vote: V.A. 6-0
Urgency: Yes Mandate: No
Hearing Date: January 21, 2014
Consultant: Maureen Ortiz
This bill does not meet the criteria for referral to the
Suspense File.
Bill Summary: SB 722 extends the operation of the California
Mexican American Veterans' Memorial Beautification and
Enhancement Account until July 1, 2016.
Fiscal Impact:
Potentially minor foregone revenue to the General Fund.
Background: The California Mexican American Veterans' Memorial
Beautification and Enhancement Account was created in 2008 (SB
599, McLeod, Chapter 588, Statutes of 2007) for the deposit of
private donations that were to be used for the design and
construction of the California Mexican American Veterans'
Memorial. The Department of Veterans Affairs is responsible for
administering the fund. Moneys in the account are continuously
appropriated for the project; however, any moneys remaining in
the account are currently scheduled to revert to the General
Fund on July 1, 2014.
SB 599 had also repealed an 11-member California Mexican
American Veterans' Memorial Beautification and Enhancement
Commission and replaced it with a 7-member commission consisting
of five gubernatorial appointees and one appointee each of the
Senate President Pro Tempore and the Assembly Speaker. The
commission is authorized to establish a schedule for the design,
construction and dedication of the enhanced memorial, to solicit
and select designs that may be used to beautify the existing
memorial, and to solicit and receive contributions that will be
used to off-set the costs of the enhancement and beautification
project.
SB 722 (Correa)
Page 1
Presently, a lone soldier monument entitled "El Soldado" stands
across the street from the West entrance of the State Capitol.
It was moved to this location in 1975 after being donated to the
State of California with the expectation that it would become an
official and permanent state memorial.
Proposed Law: SB 722 will extend the date of the reversion of
funds in the California Mexican American Veterans' Memorial
Beautification and Enhancement Fund for two additional years,
until July 1, 2016.
There is currently about $110,000 in the account and it is
estimated that approximately $500,000 - $600,000 will be needed
to complete the memorial project.
Staff Comments: While the fundraising effort had been slow
during the recent recession years, the California Mexican
American Veterans' Memorial Beautification Committee has
recently formed a nonprofit 501(3)(c) organization which may
provide additional incentive for private donations. The project
is well under way with the completion of the design, and
additional fundraising events have been scheduled to be held in
Sacramento and Los Angeles. Through the efforts of public
service announcements, the Committee anticipates raising
sufficient funds to begin contractor bidding in March.
The memorial committee believes that two additional years will
be sufficient to secure donations and complete the project.