BILL NUMBER: AJR 20CHAPTERED BILL TEXT RESOLUTION CHAPTER 92 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE JULY 11, 2016 ADOPTED IN SENATE JUNE 30, 2016 ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 11, 2016 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 11, 2016 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 14, 2016 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Kim (Coauthors: Assembly Members Travis Allen, Brough, Chang, Achadjian, Alejo, Atkins, Baker, Bigelow, Bloom, Bonilla, Bonta, Brown, Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chvez, Chiu, Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Dodd, Eggman, Frazier, Beth Gaines, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez, Gordon, Gray, Grove, Hadley, Harper, Holden, Irwin, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Lackey, Levine, Linder, Lopez, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Nazarian, Obernolte, Olsen, Patterson, Quirk, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas, Steinorth, Thurmond, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wilk, Williams, and Wood) (Coauthors: Senators Bates, Huff, and Mendoza) MAY 28, 2015 Relative to Veterans Affairs hospitals. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AJR 20, Kim. Veterans Affairs hospitals. This measure would request the Congress of the United States to support and build a central Veterans Affairs Hospital in Orange County. WHEREAS, Many service members returning home to Orange County face significant barriers to a successful transition back to civilian life; and WHEREAS, Sixty-one percent of post-9/11 Orange County veterans reported difficulties adjusting to civilian life and needing time to figure out what to do after service in the military; and WHEREAS, About one in five post-9/11 veterans in Orange County have considered suicide, and one in six developed a suicide plan. Among those Orange County veterans who considered or made a plan to commit suicide, about one-half did not seek help; and WHEREAS, Orange County veterans have reported barriers, including not knowing where to access services, difficulty scheduling appointments, and concerns about confidentiality and treatment; and WHEREAS, Twenty-five percent of post-9/11 veterans and 9 percent of pre-9/11 veterans indicated severe physical health symptoms. In addition, post-9/11 veterans were more likely to screen positive for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression than pre-9/11 veterans; and WHEREAS, One-half of all Orange County post-9/11 veterans reported their greatest needs as Veterans Affairs service assistance and health care assistance; and WHEREAS, Only 24 percent of Orange County veterans reported that they could handle the challenges on their own, and their needs are not being met; and WHEREAS, A considerable number of Orange County veterans are not receiving care for physical and psychological issues, and have a high rate of mental health concerns; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature urges the Congress of the United States to support and build a central Veterans Affairs Hospital in Orange County for the mental health care needs of local veterans; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States, and to the author for appropriate distribution.