HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 04061999 - C68 10: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Contra
FROM: PHIL BATCHELOR, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR ski.
Costa
: ¢
March 30 1999 ���,. ..��` County
SUBJECT: LEGISLATION - SB 183 (JOHANNESSEN)
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION:
ADOPT a position in SUPPORT of SB 183 by Senator Maurice Johannessen of
Redding which, as amended March 11, 1999, would provide additional funding for
Veterans Service Offices through the State.
BACKGROUND:
The State presently provides $2.1 million to assist in funding Veterans Service
Offices throughout the State. The Board of Supervisors has consistently supported
past efforts to obtain an increase in this funding. Senator Johannessen has
introduced SB 183 for this purpose. SB 183, as amended March 11, 1999, would
increase this level of funding by $2 million per year, beginning with the 1999-2000
fiscal year. Gary Villalba, our Veterans Service Officer, estimates that this County
would receive about$80,000 in increased funding from this legislation and requests
that the Board of Supervisors indicate its support of SB 183. It is, therefore,
recommended that the Board of Supervisors indicate that it supports SB 183,
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: Lr;�_
n
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR --RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
�_APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURES:f iL"1111��_'-e_'_'zL
ACTION OF BOARD ON=April 6, 19�_C3 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
_Y_X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN,
ATTESTED�D r i 1 6 + 19 9 9
Contact: PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF
cc: SUPERVISORS ANQ COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
See Page 2
DEPUTY
LY Idd£. t k ±:,,.•; ,.
cc: County Administrator
Veterans Service {officer
Senator K. Maurice Johannessen
4th Senate District
Room 5061 State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
Les Spahnn
Heim, Noack, Kelly & Spahnn
1121 L Street, Suite 190
Sacramento, CA 95814
-2-
AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 11, 1999
SENATE BILL No. 183
Introduced by Senator Johannessen
January 14, 1999
An act to amend Section 972.1 of the Military and Veterans
Code, and to amend Section 1 of Chapter 318 of the Statutes
of 1997, relating to veterans, making an appropriation
therefor, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect
immediately.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 183, as amended, Johannessen. County veterans
service officers: disbursements to counties.
(1) Existing law authorizes each county board of
supervisors to appoint a county veterans service officer and
permits the county to provide the officer with any assistance
and facilities that it determines to be necessary. 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
that are attributable to the assistance of county veterans
service officers and to annually transmit its determination for
the preceding fiscal year to the Department of Finance and
the Legislature. Existing law requires the Department of
98
SB 183 -2—
Finance
2—
Finance to review the Department of Veterans Affairs'
determination in time to use the information in the annual
Budget Act.
This bill, in addition, commencing with the 1998 99
1999-2000 fiscal year, and for each fiscal year thereafter, would
appropriate annually $2,000,000 $4,100,000 from the General
Fund for allocation by the department, during each fiscal
year, to fund the activities of county veterans service offices,
as specified. Any unencumbered moneys remaining after any
given fiscal year would be available without regard to fiscal
years to the department for those purposes.
(2) Existing law also includes legislative findings and
declarations stating that it is an efficient and reasonable use
of state funds to increase the annual budget for county
veterans service officers in an amount not to exceed
$5,000,000, if it is justified, as specified.
This bill would revise these provisions to include legislative
findings and declarations stating that it is an efficient and
reasonable use of state funds to increase the annual budget for
county veterans service officers by a total amount of not less
than $2,000,000 until January 1, 2001, and $4,100,000 on and
after that date, rather than in an amount not to exceed
$5,000,000, if it is justified, as specified.
(3) Existing law specifies that it is the intent of the
Legislature, after reviewing the Department of Veterans
Affairs' determination, as specified above, to consider an
increase in the annual budget for county veterans service
officers, in an amount not to exceed $5,000,000, if it is justified,
as specified.
This bill would revise these provisions to specify, until
January 1, 2001, that it is the intent of the Legislature, after
reviewing the department's determination, to increase the
annual budget for county veterans service officers in an
amount of not less tha $2,000,000, rather than to consider an
increase in an amount not to exceed $5,000,000, if it is justified,
as specified.
(4) Existing law includes legislative findings and
declarations stating, among other things, that, through the
efforts of the county veterans service officers, benefits to the
ss
I
-3— SB 183
veterans of this state approximate an average of $88,000,000
per year from the federal government.
This bill would change these provisions to specify that
through the efforts of county veterans services officers,
benefits to the veterans of this state approximate an average
of $141,000,000, rather than $88,000,000, per year from the
federal government.
(5) The bill would make other technical, nonsubstantive
changes.
(6) The bill would declare that it is to take effect
inmmediately as an urgency statute.
Vote: 13. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 972.1 of the Military and
2 Veterans Code, as amended by Section 2 of Chapter 318
3 of time Statutes of 1997, is amended to read:
4 972.1. (a) Commencing with the 1998-99 fiseed year
7
4te sum of two million.,
6 - the 1999-2000 fiscal year
7 and for each fiscal year thereafter. the sum of four million
8 one hundred thousand dollars ($4,100,000) is hereby
9 appropriated annually from the General Fund for
10 allocation by the department during each fiscal year for
11 the purposes of funding the activities of county veterans
12 service officers pursuant to this section. Notwithstanding
13 Section 13340 of the Government Code, any
14 unencumbered moneys remaining after any given fiscal
15 year are available without regard to fiscal years to the
16 department for allocation for the purposes of this section.
17 (b) Funds shall be disbursed each fiscal year on a pro
18 rata basis to counties that have established and maintain
19 a county veterans service officer in accordance with the
20 staffing level and workload of each county veterans
21 service officer under a formula based upon performance
22 that shall be developed by the Department of Veterans
23 Affairs for these purposes.
48
I
SB 183 —4-
1 (c) The department shall annually determine the
2 amount of new or increased monetary benefits paid to
3 eligible veterans by the federal government that are
4 attributable to the assistance of county veterans service
5 officers. The department, on or before January 1, shall
6 prepare and transmit its determination for the preceding
7 fiscal year to the Department of Finance and the
8 Legislature. The Department of Finance shall review the
9 department's determination in time to use the
10 information in the annual Budget Act for the budget of
11 the department for the next fiscal year.
12 (d) (1) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
13 following:
14 (A) Fifty percent of the amount annually budgeted for
15 county veterans service officers is approximately five
16 million dollars ($5;000,000).
17 (B) It is an efficient and reasonable use of state funds
18 to increase the annual budget for county veterans service
19 officers in an amount of not less than two million dollars
20 ($2,000,000) if it is justified by the monetary benefits to
21 the state's veterans attributable to the effort of these
22 officers.
23 (2) It is the intent of the Legislature, after reviewing
24 the department's determination in subdivision (c), to
25 increase the annual budget for county veterans service
26 officers in an amount of tint less- th two million dollars
27 ($2,000,000) if the monetary benefits to the state's
28 veterans attributable to the assistance of county veterans
29 service officers justify that increase in the budget.
30 (e) This section shall remain in effect only until
31 January 1, 2001, and as of that date is repealed, unless a
32 later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1,
33 2001, deletes or extends that date.
34 SEC. 2. Section 972.1 of the Military and Veterans
35 Code, as amended by Section 3 of Chapter 318 of the
36 Statutes of 1997, is amended to read:
37 972.1. (a) Commencing with the—1.99 -99– ee
38 and for eeeh fisea4 yeff thereaftef,
39 the 1999-2000 fiscal year
40 and for each fiscal year thereafter, the sum of four million
98
-5 SB 183
1 one hundred thousand dollars ($4,100,000) is hereby
2 appropriated annually from the General Fund for
3 allocation by the department during each fiscal year for
4 the purposes of funding the activities of county veterans
5 service officers pursuant to this section. Notwithstanding
6 Section 13340 of the Government Code, any
7 unencumbered moneys remaining after any given fiscal
8 year are available without regard to fiscal years to the
9 department for allocation for the purposes of this section.
10 (b) Funds shall be disbursed each fiscal year on a pro
11 rata basis to counties that have established and maintain
12 a county veterans service officer in accordance with the
13 staffing level and workload of each county veterans
14 service officer under a formula based upon performance
15 that shall be developed by the Department of Veterans
16 .Affairs for these purposes, and that shall allocate county
17 funds in any fiscal year for county veterans service
18 officers in an amount not less than the amount allocated
19 in the 1988-89 fiscal year.
20 (c) The department shall annually determine the
21 amount of new or increased monetary benefits paid to
22 eligible veterans by the federal government that are
23 attributable to the assistance of county veterans service
24 officers. The department, on or before January 1, shall
25 prepare and transmit its determination for the preceding
26 fiscal year to the Department of Finance and the
27 Legislature. The Department of Finance shall review the
28 department's determination in time to use the
29 information in the annual Budget .Act for the budget of
30 the department for the next fiscal year.
31 (d) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
32 following:
33 (1) Fifty percent of the amount annually budgeted for
34 county veterans service officers is approximately five
35 million dollars ($5,000,000).
36 (2) It is an efficient and reasonable use of state funds
37 to increase the annual budget for county veterans service
38 officers by a total amount of not less than two fflilliaift
39 , four million one hundred thousand
4€1 dollars ($4,100,000).
98
SB 183 —6-
1 (e) This section shall become operative on January 1,
2 2001.
3 SEC. 3. Section 1 of Chapter 318 of the Statutes of 1997
4 is amended to read
5 Section 1. The Legislature finds and declares that
6 through the efforts of the county veterans service officers,
7 benefits to the veterans in this state approximate an
8 average of one hundred forty-one million dollars
9 ($141,000,000) per year from the federal government
10 either through the United States Department of Veteran
11 Affairs or other federal agencies. It has been determined
12 by the California Department of Finance that 33 percent
13 of these funds become part of the state's General Fund.
14 The state, however, provides only 16 percent of the
15 subvention for functions of the county veterans service
16 officers, with the counties providing the remaining
17 funding. It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature in
18 enacting this act that, in keeping with the philosophy that
19 those whose efforts result in efficiency should benefit
20 thereby, a portion of the funds attributable to the
21 performance of county veterans service officers be
22 utilized in funding their operations.
23 SEC. 4. This act is an urgency statute necessary for the
24 immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or
25 safety within the meaning of Article IV of the
26 Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts
27 constituting the necessity are:
28 In order to fund the activities of county veterans
29 service officers at the earliest possible time, it is necessary
30 that this act take effect immediately.
O
98