GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1991

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 1599*

Short Title:  State Veterans Home.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Representatives Hurley; Albertson, Barbee, Beall, Beard, Black, Bowman, Brown, Church, N.J. Crawford, Culp, Dawkins, DeVane, Dockham, Esposito, Ethridge, Gardner, Gottovi, Grady, Hege, Hightower, Howard, H. Hunter, Jordan, Justus, Kahl, Kerr, Lilley, Lineberry, Luebke, McAllister, McLawhorn, Mavretic, Mercer, Miller, Oldham, Privette, Ramsey, Redwine, Russell, Smith, Stamey, Stewart, Tallent, Wainwright, Warner, Wicker, and Wood.
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Referred to:  Appropriations.
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June 4, 1992

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA TO CONSTRUCT, MAINTAIN, AND OPERATE A STATE VETERANS HOME AND TO REQUIRE THE DIVISION OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO BE THE CONTACT POINT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE STATE VETERANS HOME.
Whereas, there are more than 679,100 veterans in North Carolina, of whom more than 182,000 are 65 years of age or older, with the percentage of older veterans projected to grow significantly in the future; and
Whereas, the General Assembly authorized an independent study, the Veterans Home Study Commission, to determine the feasibility of constructing a State Veterans Home which, after due consideration, has determined that the construction of the home is not only feasible but also necessary because of the aging veteran population; and
Whereas, a consultant's report commissioned by the Veterans Home Study Commission has estimated that the construction cost of a 240 domiciliary and skilled nursing care bed State Veterans Home on a site adjacent to the Fayetteville VA Medical Center on land donated by the Veterans Administration, would be approximately $17,000,000, of which 65% would be provided by the federal government; and
Whereas, the costs of maintaining and operating the State Veterans Home would be approximately $7,000,000 per year, most of which would be recouped from various sources available to the aged and infirmed residents of the home, such as Medicaid, Medicare, and other veterans health benefits; and
Whereas, North Carolina is one of only eight states that does not provide a State Veterans Home for the aged veterans of the State; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  The State of North Carolina shall construct, maintain, and operate a State Veterans Home for the aged and infirmed veterans of this State.  The Division of Veterans Affairs, Department of Administration, shall be the contact agency for seeking and obtaining funding from the Veterans Administration for the construction of the Veterans Home as outlined in the Veterans Home Feasibility Study commissioned by the Veterans Home Study Commission.
Sec. 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Division of Veterans Affairs, Department of Administration, the sum of seven million five hundred thousand dollars ($7,500,000) for the 1992-93 fiscal year to provide the State participation in the cost of the construction of a State Veterans Home as outlined in the report of the Veterans Home Study Commission, including preliminary surveys and feasibility studies, and to provide additional staffing in the Division of Veterans Affairs related to the construction and management of the State Veterans Home.
Sec. 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1992.