California Military and Veterans Code

§ 699.5

MVC § 699.5 Effective Jan 1, 2014Div. 4 · Ch. 1

Statute text

(a)The department may assist every veteran of the United States and the dependent or survivor of every veteran of the United States in presenting and pursuing the claim as the veteran, dependent, or survivor may have against the United States arising out of military service and in establishing the veteran’s, dependent’s, or survivor’s right to any privilege, preference, care, or compensation provided for by the laws of the United States or of this state. The department may cooperate and, with the approval of the Department of Finance, contract with any veterans service organization, and pursuant to the contract may compensate the organization for services within the scope of this section rendered by it to any veteran or dependent or survivor of a veteran. The contract shall not be made unless the department determines that, owing to the confidential relationships involved and the necessity of operating through agencies that the veterans, dependents, or survivors involved will feel to be sympathetic toward their problems, the services cannot satisfactorily be rendered otherwise than through the agency of the veterans organization and that the best interests of the veterans, dependents, or survivors involved will be served if the contract is made.

(b)(1) The Legislature finds and declares that services provided by veterans service organizations play an important role in the department’s responsibilities to assist veterans and their dependents and survivors in presenting and pursuing claims against the United States, and that it is an efficient and reasonable use of state funds to provide compensation to veterans service organizations for these services.

(2)The Legislature further finds and declares that paragraph (1) shall not be implemented by using the General Fund until the annual budget for county veterans service officers reaches a minimum of five million dollars ($5,000,000). This subdivision shall not be construed to preclude the use of federal funding in implementing these provisions.

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Legislative history

Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 186, Sec. 1. (SB 815) Effective January 1, 2014.