Amended in Assembly April 11, 2016

Amended in Assembly March 14, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Joint ResolutionNo. 20


Introduced by Assembly Member Kim

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Travis Allen, Brough,begin delete and Changend deletebegin insert Chang, Achadjian, Alejo, Atkins, Baker, Bigelow, Bloom, Bonilla, Bonta, Brown, Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chávez, Chiu, Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Dodd, Eggman, Frazier, Beth Gaines, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez, Gordon, Gray, Grove, Hadley, Harper, Holden, Irwin, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Lackey, Levine, Linder, Lopez, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Nazarian, Obernolte, Olsen, Patterson, Quirk, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas, Steinorth, Thurmond, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wilk, Williams, and Woodend insert)

(Coauthors: Senators Bates, Huff, and Mendoza)

May 28, 2015


Assembly Joint Resolution No. 20—Relative to Veterans Affairs hospitals.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AJR 20, as amended, Kim. Veterans Affairs hospitals.

This measure would request the Congress of the United States to support and build a central Veterans Affairs Hospital in Orange County.

Fiscal committee: no.

P2    1WHEREAS, Many service members returning home to Orange
2County face significant barriers to a successful transition back to
3civilian life; and

4WHEREAS, Sixty-one percent of post-9/11 Orange County
5veterans reported difficulties adjusting to civilian life and needing
6time to figure out what to do after service in the military; and

7WHEREAS, About one in five post-9/11 veterans in Orange
8County have considered suicide, and one in six developed a suicide
9plan. Among those Orange County veterans who considered or
10made a plan to commit suicide, about one-half did not seek help;
11and

12WHEREAS, Orange County veterans have reported barriers,
13including not knowing where to access services, difficulty
14scheduling appointments, and concerns about confidentiality and
15treatment; and

16WHEREAS, Twenty-five percent of post-9/11 veterans and 9
17percent of pre-9/11 veterans indicated severe physical health
18symptoms. In addition, post-9/11 veterans were more likely to
19screen positive for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression
20than pre-9/11 veterans; and

21WHEREAS, One-half of all Orange County post-9/11 veterans
22reported their greatest needs as Veterans Affairs service assistance
23and health care assistance; and

24WHEREAS, Only 24 percent of Orange County veterans
25reported that they could handle the challenges on their own, and
26their needs are not being met; and

27WHEREAS, A considerable number of Orange County veterans
28are not receiving care for physical and psychological issues, and
29have a high rate of mental health concerns; now, therefore, be it

30Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
31California, jointly,
That the Legislature urges the Congress of the
32United States to support and build a central Veterans Affairs
33Hospital in Orange County for the mental health care needs of
34local veterans; and be it further

35Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
36of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United
37States, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives,
38the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, each Senator and
P3    1Representative from California in the Congress of the United
2States, and to the author for appropriate distribution.



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