Department of Veterans Affairs: use of real property.

Under existing law, the Department of Veterans Affairs has specified powers and duties relating to various programs serving veterans. The department constitutes a public corporation that is authorized to hold property on behalf of the state. This bill would require the department, by July 1, 2016, to create a prioritized list of unused or underutilized nonresidential real property owned by the department, and to propose one or more potential uses that will benefit California veterans, as specified. The bill would require the department to consider its inventory of properties as an integrated system, and to address how prospective uses of the properties could complement each other. This bill would include a legislative finding and declaration that after a use option for a given location is identified pursuant to the bill's provisions, further study and evaluation may be necessary in order to determine the feasibility of that use option and take steps toward its implementation.