GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1993

S	1 

SENATE BILL 888*

Short Title:  State Veterans Home.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Senators Tally; Edwards, Gunter, Marshall, Martin of Pitt, Sherron, Warren, Perdue, Forrester, and Lee.
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Referred to:  Children and Human Resources.
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April 19, 1993

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 ASSIGN THE DIVISION OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO COORDINATE CONSTRUCTION AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE STATE VETERANS HOME PROGRAM.
Whereas, there are more than 712,000 veterans in North Carolina, of whom more than 200,000 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 1992 General Assembly concurred with the consultant commissioned by the Veterans Home Study Commission in projecting the need for 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 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Cumberland County, and estimating the construction cost to be approximately $16,500,000, 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 $6,350,000 per year, the majority of which would be recouped from various sources available to the aged and infirmed residents of the home, such as Medicaid, VA per diem, compensation and pensions for disabled veterans, individual payments, and other veterans health care benefits; and
Whereas, North Carolina is one of only seven 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 have the responsibility for coordinating the construction and overseeing the ongoing operation of the veterans home.  To the extent practicable, the Division shall use those portions of the feasibility study commissioned by the 1992 General Assembly which facilitate the effective completion of the State Veterans Home.
Sec. 2.  The State Veterans Home shall be exempt from the State's certificate of need requirements.
Sec. 3.  The Division of Veterans Affairs, Department of Administration, is authorized to establish the Veterans Home Trust Fund through the Office of the State Treasurer.  This fund shall consist of funds and monies received through appropriations, gifts, contributions, bequests, and individual reimbursements from any source, the receipt of which does not exclude any other source of revenue.  All funds received by the Division from these sources shall be deposited in the State treasury and may be used to remodel, repair, construct, modernize, or add improvements to buildings and facilities necessary for the care of veterans.  Any monies remaining in the fund at the end of the fiscal year shall remain on deposit in the State treasury to the credit of the Veterans Home Trust Fund.
Sec. 4.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Division of Veterans Affairs, Department of Administration, the sum of six million two hundred thirty thousand dollars ($6,230,000) for the 1993-94 fiscal year to provide the State's participation in the cost of the construction of a State Veterans Home as outlined in the report of the Veterans Home Study Commission, to include preliminary surveys, and to provide additional staffing in the Division of Veterans Affairs related to the construction and management of the State Veterans Home.
Sec. 5.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1993.