(1) State Operations: The amount appropriated in the annual budget act for state operations each year, shall be allocated to Program 6995, “Veterans Claims and Rights” in the California Department of Veterans Affairs. These funds shall be used to cover staffing and related costs for the following purposes:

(2) Local Assistance: The amount appropriated in the annual budget act for local assistance each year shall be allocated as follows:

(1) “Pro rata” shares shall be paid to each eligible entity until such time as that entity is being reimbursed by the Department at a level of 75% of its “net expenditures.”

(2) After all eligible entities under this section reach the initial 75% level of reimbursement of “net expenditures,” a new level of 100% reimbursement of “net expenditures” shall come into effect.

(3) No entity receiving funds under this section shall be paid in excess of 100% of “net expenditures.”

(1) Reimbursement for travel expenses shall only be approved for travel authorized in writing, and in advance, by the lead county.

(2) Each county that has an employee perform authorized travel for this program shall first pay the employee's claim for any travel expenses per their current local policies and procedures.

(3) Each request for reimbursement shall include copies of any internal travel claim documents, including receipts, used by the county in determining the employee's travel claim payment. This documentation shall be submitted electronically through the claims case management system.

(4) Reimbursement is limited to normal and usual employee travel expenses paid by the county, direct billed travel expenses or expenses resulting from use of county vehicles for any authorized travel in support of this program.

(5) Counties may include in their request for reimbursement a charge for administrative costs related to county processing of such travel claims not to exceed ten percent (10%) of the travel costs described in sub-section 453.1(e)(4).

(6) Counties seeking reimbursement under this program shall submit their request in conjunction with their semi-annual reports of net expenditures described in Section 453.1(a)(2)(D), according to section 453.1(e)(3).

(7) For the purposes of this section “lead county” means the county selected by the California Association of County Veterans Service Officers to act as the single point of contact between the department and counties participating in the mentor program. The lead county shall assist in identifying mentor counties and subject matter experts to provide training, contact low performing counties and counties with new CVSOs to brief county leadership on the mentor program and to facilitate the start-up of a training program tailored to those counties, approve all mentor related travel, track use of allocated funds, review reimbursement claims to ensure travel was pre-approved, ensure that the county requests for reimbursement include required supporting documentation, track program metrics, and prepare a state fiscal year-end report on program use, program successes, and program issues to be submitted the department by July 31st of each year. The Executive Director of the California Association of County Veterans Service Officers may act as the lead county.