ARIZONA STATE LEGISLATURE

 

SENATE VETERANS AND MILITARY AFFAIRS AND HOUSE MILITARY AFFAIRS AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE

 

Minutes of the Meeting

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

10:00 A.M., Senate Hearing Room 1

 

Members Present:

Senator John Nelson, Co-Chair

Representative Terri Proud, Co-Chair

Senator Gail Griffin

Representative Jeff Dial

Senator Jack Jackson

Representative Ruben Gallego

Senator Don Shooter

Representative Albert Hale

 

Representative David Burnell Smith

 

Members Absent:

Senator Leah Landrum Taylor

 

 

 

Staff:

Bill Ritz, Senate Research Analyst

 

Justin Riches, House Research Analyst

 

 

Chairman Nelson called the meeting to order at 10:05 a.m. and attendance was noted.

 

Performance Audit of the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services and Arizona Veterans' Service Advisory Commission

 

Bill Ritz, Senate Research Analyst, gave an overview of the Sunset process.

 

Shan Hays, Performance Audit Manager, Office of the Auditor General (OAG), distributed OAG Report No. 11-03 (Attachment A), OAG Report No.11-06 (Attachment B), OAG Report No. 11-09 (Attachment C), OAG Report No. 11-10 (Attachment D) and a hard copy of the OAG's Powerpoint presentation (Attachment E).  Ms. Hays gave an overview of the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services and the Arizona Veterans' Service Advisory Commission.  She discussed the findings of the audits and the OAG's recommendations.

 

Joey Strickland, Director, Arizona Department of Veterans' Services, distributed "Arizona Military Family Relief Fund Briefing" (Attachment F) and discussed the OAG reports and the implementation of the recommendations.  He stressed the importance of the benefits supplied to veterans and answered questions posed by the committee.

 

General Richard (Gregg) Maxon, Chairman, State Bar Military Legal Assistance Committee, discussed the Veterans' Treatment Courts, their value and growth and answered questions posed by the committee.

 

Colonel Randell Meyer, Chairman, Military Family Relief Fund, discussed the OAG reports and the implementation of recommendations.  Colonel Meyer spoke of improvement to record keeping and stated that a representative from the Attorney General's Office was invited to every meeting of the Military Family Relief Fund Advisory Committee.

 

Public Testimony

 

Pat Snyder, representing herself, discussed problems with the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services.

 

Jim Covarrubias, CEO, Ariztlan Studios, talked about being a veteran and his rehabilitation program.

 

Recommendations by the Committee of Reference

 

Representative Proud moved the Committee of Reference make the recommendation to continue the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services and the Arizona Veterans’ Service Advisory Commission for ten years with an 18-month COR review noting the Auditor General’s follow-up reports of  the implementation of audit recommendations.  The motion CARRIED by voice vote.

 

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 11:35 a.m.

 

                                                                                    Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

                                                                                    Shelley Ponce

                                                                                    Committee Secretary

 

(Audio recordings and attachments are on file in the Secretary of the Senate’s Office/Resource Center, Room 115. Audio archives are available at http://www.azleg.gov)

 

 

 

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SENATE VETERANS AND MILITARY AFFAIRS

AND HOUSE MILITARY AFFAIRS AND PUBLIC

SAFETY COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE

October 26, 2011

Page 1

 

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