BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                     AJR 20


                                                                    Page  1





          ASSEMBLY THIRD READING


          AJR  
          20 (Kim)


          As Amended  March 14, 2016


          Majority vote


           ------------------------------------------------------------------ 
          |Committee       |Votes|Ayes                  |Noes                |
          |                |     |                      |                    |
          |                |     |                      |                    |
          |                |     |                      |                    |
          |----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
          |Veterans        |8-0  |Irwin, Chávez, Alejo, |                    |
          |Affairs         |     |Brown, Daly, Frazier, |                    |
          |                |     |Mathis, Salas         |                    |
          |                |     |                      |                    |
          |                |     |                      |                    |
           ------------------------------------------------------------------ 


          SUMMARY:  Requests the Congress of the United States to support  
          and build a central Veterans Affairs Hospital in Orange County.


          EXISTING LAW:  The Department of Veterans Affairs Act of 1988  
          (Public Law 100-527) changed the former Veterans Administration  
          into a Cabinet-level Department of Veterans Affairs.


          FISCAL EFFECT:  Unknown.  This bill is keyed non-fiscal by the  
          Legislative Counsel.









                                                                     AJR 20


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          COMMENTS:  


          According to the Author: 


            Veterans in Orange County have reported barriers in  
            accessing services and feel their needs are not being  
            met. In order to give these veterans better access to  
            care and treatment for physical and psychological issues,  
            Congress should support a central Veterans Affairs  
            Hospital in Orange County to meet these needs. 


          Orange County is in the Veterans Health Administration Veterans  
          Integrated Service Network (VISN) 22, Desert Pacific Healthcare  
          Network.  According to the United States Department of Veterans  
          Affairs, VISN 22 is served by the following Veterans Affairs  
          (VA) Medical Centers in California:  VA Greater Los Angeles  
          Healthcare System, (Los Angeles, CA), Loma Linda Healthcare  
          System (Loma Linda, CA),  VA Long Beach Healthcare System (Long  
          Beach, CA), and VA San Diego Healthcare System (San Diego, CA).   
          Of these, depending on the veteran's location in Orange County,  
          the closest VA Hospitals would likely be VA Long Beach  
          (approximately 40 miles from Irvine, CA.), Loma Linda  
          (approximately 56 miles from Irvine), or San Diego  
          (approximately 70 miles from Irvine).  


          VISN 22 also is served by several community based outpatient  
          clinics in or near Orange County:  Anaheim (Anaheim, CA),  
          Escondido (Escondido, CA), and Laguna Hills (Laguna Hills, CA),  
          Oceanside Clinic (Oceanside, CA), Santa Ana (Santa Ana, CA), and  
          Villages At Cabrillo (Long Beach, CA).












                                                                     AJR 20


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          Analysis Prepared by:                                             
                          John Spangler / V.A. / (916) 319-3550  FN:  
          0002668