BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  SB 722
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 7, 2014

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                    SB 722 (Correa) - As Amended:  April 22, 2014 

          Policy Committee:                              Veterans  
          AffairsVote: 8-0

          Urgency:     Yes                  State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  

          This urgency bill extends the sunset date, from July 1, 2014 to  
          July 1, 2016, for the reversion of funds from the California  
          Mexican American Veterans' Memorial Beautification and  
          Enhancement Account to the General Fund.      

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          By extending the reversion sunset there is a foregone revenue  
          loss of about $300,000 - the balance of the account that would  
          revert to the GF absent a sunset extension. 

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  . This bill allows fundraising efforts for the  
            California Mexican American Veterans' Memorial to continue.  
            The Memorial Committee and the Department of Veterans Affairs  
            (CalVet) hope to fund and construct the project in three  
            stages, with a total cost of $800,000.  

           2)Background.  The California Mexican American Veterans' Memorial  
            Beautification and Enhancement Account was created in 2008 (SB  
            599, McLeod, Statutes of 2007) for the deposit of private  
            donations to design and construct the California Mexican  
            American Veterans' Memorial. CalVet administers the fund.   
            Moneys in the account are continuously appropriated for the  
            project; however, any funds remaining in the account are  
            scheduled to revert to the GF July 1, 2014.

            SB 599 also repealed an 11-member California Mexican American  
            Veterans' Memorial Beautification and Enhancement Commission  








                                                                  SB 722
                                                                  Page  2

            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 design, construction  
            and dedication of the memorial, solicit and select designs to  
            enhance the existing memorial, and solicit contributions.  

            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 it  
            would become part of a permanent state memorial.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Geoff Long / APPR. / (916) 319-2081