Bill Text: CA AB1665 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Bill 1665

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Veterans’ homes.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed) 2023-09-06 - Ordered to inactive file at the request of Senator Archuleta. [AB1665 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB1665-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1665

Introduced by Assembly Member Soria

February 17, 2023

An act to amend Section 1012 of the Military and Veterans Code, relating to veterans homes.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1665, as introduced, Soria. Veterans homes.

Under existing law, veterans homes are for aged or disabled persons who served in the Armed Forces of the United States, who were discharged or released from active duty under conditions other than dishonorable, who are eligible for health care benefits, hospitalization, or domiciliary care in a veterans facility, and who are bona fide residents of this state at the time of application, and for the spouses or domestic partners of those persons, if certain conditions are met.

This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to this provision.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 1012 of the Military and Veterans Code is amended to read:

1012.

(a) Except as provided in Sections 1012.4, 1023, and 1023.1, ~~veterans’ homes are~~ a veterans home is for aged or disabled persons who served in the Armed Forces of the United States of America who were discharged or released from active duty under conditions other than dishonorable, who are eligible for health care benefits, hospitalization, or domiciliary care in a ~~veterans’~~ veterans facility in accordance with the rules and regulations of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, and who are bona fide residents of this state at the time of ~~application;~~ application, and for the spouses or domestic partners of these ~~persons~~ persons, if all of the following conditions, as are applicable, are satisfied:

(1) Space is available.

(2) Joint residency will be in the best interests of the home member, as determined by the administrator.

(3) The spouse or domestic partner is a bona fide resident of this state at the time of application for admission to the home and either is married ~~to,~~ to and has resided ~~with,~~ with the veteran applicant for at least one ~~year,~~ year or is the widow or widower of a recipient of the Medal of Honor or a former prisoner of war (POW).

(4) The home member and spouse or domestic partner agree to pay the fees and charges for joint ~~residency, or~~ residency or, for a widow or widower, for the residency, that the department may establish.

(b) (1) ~~Veterans who qualify~~ A veteran who qualifies for benefits under this chapter due to service during a time of war shall be given priority over ~~veterans who qualify~~ a veteran who qualifies due to service during a time of peace.

(2) ~~Veterans who qualify~~ A veteran who qualifies for benefits under this chapter who ~~are recipients~~ is a recipient of the Medal of Honor or who ~~were prisoners of war (POWs)~~ was a prisoner of war (POW) shall be given priority over all other qualified veterans, regardless of the level of care required.

(3) ~~Veterans who qualify~~ A veteran who qualifies for benefits under this chapter who ~~have~~ has been rated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as being 70 percent or greater service-connected disabled may be given priority over other veterans.

(4) The secretary may establish needs-based criteria for admission to the homes, and ~~any~~ a veteran meeting those criteria may be given priority over ~~veterans~~ a veteran who do does not qualify for prioritization under paragraph (2) or (3) and can afford to provide for their own care elsewhere.

(5) Paragraphs (3) and (4) shall not apply to ~~veterans~~ a veteran who, as of January 1, 2018, ~~are~~ is on a wait list awaiting admission to a ~~veterans’~~ veterans home.

(c) A member spouse or domestic partner may continue residence after the veteran’s death so long as they continue to pay all applicable fees.

(d) The property of the home shall be used for this purpose.