Bill Text: CA AB2703 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: County veterans service officers.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2014-08-14 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB2703 Detail]

Download: California-2013-AB2703-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: AB 2703	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  AUGUST 4, 2014
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 23, 2014
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 1, 2014

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Quirk-Silva
   (Principal coauthors: Assembly Members  V. Manuel Pérez
  Gorell,   V. Manuel Pérez,  and Salas)
   (Principal coauthor: Senator Correa)
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Achadjian, Brown, Chávez, Chesbro,
Donnelly, Fox, Frazier, Grove, Hagman, Logue, Muratsuchi, Nestande,
Pan, and Wagner)
   (Coauthors: Senators Anderson, Berryhill, Block, Corbett, Hueso,
Huff, Knight, Nielsen, and Vidak)

                        FEBRUARY 21, 2014

   An act to add Section 972.3 to the Military and Veterans Code,
relating to  veterans, and declaring the urgency thereof, to
take effect immediately.   veterans. 


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2703, as amended, Quirk-Silva. County veterans service
officers.
   Existing law requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to
disburse funds, appropriated to the department for the purpose of
supporting county veterans service officers pursuant to the annual
Budget Act, on a pro rata basis, to counties that comply with certain
conditions.  Existing law 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 attributable to the assistance of county veterans service
officers, and requires the department to prepare and transmit its
determination for the preceding fiscal year to the Department of
Finance and the Legislature on or before October 1 of each year.

   This bill would  require   authorize 
the department  , in conjunction with the California Association
of County Veterans Service Officers  , no later than 
January   July  1, 2015, to develop an allocation
formula based upon performance standards that encourage innovation
and reward outstanding service by county veterans service officers
 , and, if that allocation formula is developed, the bill would
require those moneys appropriated for support of county veterans
service offices in the annual Budget Act to be allocated in
accordance with that formula, as specified  .  The bill
would also declare the intent of the Legislature to fund the
activities of county veterans service officers, as specified, and to
provide an additional $400,000 for disbursement to the counties to
encourage innovation and reward outstanding service by these
officers.  
   This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as
an urgency statute. 
   Vote: 2/3   majority  . Appropriation:
no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
   
  SECTION 1.    It is the intent of the Legislature
to fund the activities of county veterans service officers at the
amount provided in the 2013-14 Budget Act and to provide an
additional $400,000 for disbursement to the counties to encourage
innovation and reward outstanding service by county veterans service
officers pursuant to the allocation formula developed pursuant to
Section 972.3 of the Military and Veterans Code. 
   SEC. 2.   SECTION 1.   Section 972.3 is
added to the Military and Veterans Code, to read:
   972.3.  The Department of Veterans Affairs shall,
  may, in conjunction with the California Association of
County Veterans Service Officers,  no later than 
January   July  1, 2015,  and in addition to
any other distribution formula required under this article, 
develop an allocation formula based upon performance standards that
encourage innovation and reward outstanding service by county
veterans service officers.  Moneys   If that
allocation formula is developed, moneys  appropriated for
 this purpose   support of county veterans
service offices in the annual Budget Act  shall be allocated
 each fiscal year  in accordance with that formula
among those counties that have established and maintain a county
veterans service officer pursuant to Section 970  and any other
for  mula required under this article  . 
  SEC. 3.    This act is an urgency statute
necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health,
or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and
shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity
are:
   Approximately 50 percent of the current General Fund appropriation
in support of county veteran service offices operations expires on
June 30, 2014. In order to provide for continuity of services
critical to the successful reintegration of California's veterans, to
increase California's utilization of veteran benefits, and to ensure
veteran's claims for benefits are processed in a timely manner, it
is necessary that this act take effect immediately.