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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 04172007 - C.27 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ' '-- =�� Contra JOHN CULLEN, o'I #;— ;x Costa FROM: County Administrator DATE: April 17, 2007 cou County SUBJECT: SUPPORT POSITION on AB 389 (Salas)— County Veteran Service Officers: funding SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION: SUPPORT Assembly Bill 389 (Salas), legislation that would appropriate $5,000,000 to the Department of Veterans Affairs to fund the activities of county veteran service officers, as recommended by Gary Villalba, Contra Costa County Veterans Service Officer. FISCAL IMPACT: If AB 389 passes, it will impact the FY 2008-09 State Budget (General Fund) for the increased subvention funding. The best estimate would be a doubling of Contra Costa County's subvention amount to approximately $142,000. AB 389 calls for a "maximum" subvention ceiling of $5 million total. Under present law, county veteran service officers receive $2.6 million. (Military and Veterans Code, Sections 972 and 972.1). BACKGROUND: The County's 2007 State Legislative Platform includes the following policy position: SUPPORT state actions that maximize federal revenues for County-run services and programs. (General Revenue/Finance Issues) According to the Legislative Counsel's Digest for AB 389, Chapter 318 of the Statutes of 1997 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 were attributable to the assistance of county veteran service officers and required the Department of Finance to consider an increase in the annual budget for county veteran service officers, in an amount not to exceed $5,000,000, if justified. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE:1AA7— LY RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMM EE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): r ACTION OF BoA64- APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ON MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. UNANIMOUS(ABSENT AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: Contact: L. DeLaney 5-1097 Cc: ATTESTED S. Hoffman,CAO's Office JOH U N,CLERK OF THE BOARD OFSUPERVISORS D.Sansoe,CAO's Office G.Villalba,Veterans Service Officer C.Christian,via CAO's Office BY: DEPUTY AB 389—Veteran Service Officer Funding., p.2 April 17, 2007 In 1997, through the efforts of county veteran service officers, new or increased federal veterans' benefits had risen to $88 million. Since 1997, these new and increased federal veterans' benefits had risen to over $200 million, as a result of the State providing an annual subvention to county veteran service officers. County veteran service officers provide valuable services to California veterans and to the State and its counties by assisting veterans in obtaining federal benefits to which the veterans are entitled. According to the Legislative Counsel, County veteran service officers also contribute to increased revenues and significant cost avoidance for the State and its counties far in excess of the amount of State General Fund provided to them. The Board of Supervisors Contra Costa John Cullen County Administration Building Clerk of the Board Pine Street, Room 106 and Martinez,California 94553 Count County Administrator Ma (925)335-1900 John Gioia, 15`District E^s Gayle B.Uilkema,2nd District Mary N.Piepho, 3rd District Susan A.Bonilla,4'h District '. . Federal D.Glover,5`h District T` C . f ........... 1 April 6, 2007 Assembly Member Mary Salas State Capitol P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249-0011 RE: AB 389 (Salas) County veteran service officers funding — SUPPORT Dear Assembly Member Salas: Thank you for sponsoring Assembly Bill 389, which would appropriate $5,000,000 to the Department of Veterans Affairs to fund the activities of county veteran service officers. County veteran service officers provide an extremely valuable and important service, providing assistance and advocacy to the men and women who have served in the Armed Forces of America, as well as their dependents and survivors, in obtaining benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Department of Defense (DOD), and State and local programs. The additional benefits paid to eligible veterans by the federal government attributable to the assistance of county veteran service officers has verifiably increased as a result of the State providing annual subvention funding. County veterans service officers also contribute to increased revenues and cost avoidance for the State and its counties far in excess of the amount of the State subvention. For these reasons, we applaud and appreciate your efforts to increase the appropriation to $5,000,000 for the Department of Veterans Affairs for county veteran service officer funding, and we wish you great success. Cordially, Mary N. Piepho Chair, Board of Supervisors cc: Members,Assembly Committee on Veterans Affairs Assembly Member Mark DeSaulnier Assembly Member Loni Hancock Assembly Member Guy Houston Senator Tom Torlakson Members, Contra Costa Board of Supervisors CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE-2007-08 REGULAR SESSION ASSEMBLY BILL No. 389 Introduced by Assembly Member Salas February 15, 2007 An act relating to veterans, and making an appropriation therefor. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 389, as introduced, Salas. County veteran service officers: funding. Existing law authorizes each county board of supervisors to appoint a county veteran 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 veteran service officers pursuant to the amival Budget Act,on a pro rata basis,to counties that comply with certain conditions. Commencing January 1, 2006, existing law includes the condition that county funds be allocated to county veteran service officers in an amount not less than that allocated in the 1988-89 fiscal year. This bill would appropriate 55,000,000 to the Department of Veterans Affairs for purposes of funding the activities of county veteran service officers, as specified. Vote: Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. The people of the State of Calllbrnia do enciCt as fbllows: 1 SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the 2 following: 99 r AB 389 —2— I 2—I (a) The current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are creating 2 an entirely new generation of veterans who may be eligible for 3 federal benefits because of their war service and their physical and 4 mental condition, and California is providing up to 10 percent of 5 the military forces being used in these wars. 6 (b) The California National Guard, as well as reserve forces in 7 California, are providing significant force levels to these theaters 8 of war and many of the returning California veterans are not aware 9 of the federal and state benefits that are available to them. 10 (c) Additionally, it is estimated that nationwide there are over 11 2,000,000 veterans or their widows or widowers who are unaware 12 that they may be eligible for pensions from the federal government 13 based upon their military service. 14 (d) In 1997, the Legislature passed and the Governor signed 15 Senate Bill 608, enacted as Chapter 318 of the Statutes of 1997, 16 that amended Section 972.1 of the Military and Veterans Code. 17 (e) Chapter 318 of the Statutes of 1997 requires the Department 18 of Veterans Affairs to annually determine the amount of new or 19 increased monetary benefits paid to eligible veterans by the federal 20 government that were attributable to the assistance of county 21 veteran service officers and required the Department of Finance 22 to consider an increase in the annual budget for county veteran 23 service officers, in an amount not to exceed five million dollars 24 ($5,000,000), if justified. 25 (f) In 1997,through the efforts of county veteran service officers, 26 new or increased federal veterans'benefits had risen to eighty-eight 27 million dollars($88,000,000). Since 1997,these new and increased 28 federal veterans' benefits had risen to over two hundred million 29 dollars ($200,000,000) as a result of the State of California 30 providing annual subvention funding to county veteran service 31 officers of two million three hundred fifty thousand dollars 32 ($2,350,000). 33 (g) County veteran service officers provide valuable services 34 to California's veterans and to the state and its counties by assisting 35 veterans in obtaining federal benefits for which the veterans are 36 entitled. 37 (h) County veteran service officers also contribute to increased 38 revenues and significant cost avoidance for the state and its 39 counties far in excess of the amount of state general funding 40 provided to them. 99 -3— AB 389 1 SEC. 2. Notwithstanding any other law, five million dollars 2 ($5,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the 3 Department of Veterans Affairs for disbursement to the counties 4 in accordance with the existing procedures established under 5 Section 972.1 of the Military and Veterans Code. O 99