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 annual Budget Act, on a pro rata basis, to counties that comply with certain conditions. Existing law finds and declares that 50% of the amount annually budgeted for county veteran service officers is approximately $5,000,000, and that it is an efficient and reasonable use of state funds to increase the annual budget for county veteran service officers in an amount not to exceed $5,000,000. This bill would make changes to those findings and declarations by declaring that 50% of the amount annually budgeted for county veteran service officers is approximately $11,000,000. This provision would become operative only if SB 418 of the 2009–10 Regular Session of the Legislature is chaptered.