Veterans' Issues

Veterans' Legislation

Veterans' Legislation

SB 135 (Florez-D) Inspector General for Veterans Affairs

Revises the existing definition of "peace officer" to include the Inspector General of the State Department of Veterans Affairs and any employee designated by the inspector general, provided that the primary duty of these peace officers is conducting reviews and investigations of veteran programs, as specified.

(Died in Senate Public Safety Committee)

SB 369 (Knight-R) Veterans' Homes of California: administration

Establishes the Division of Veterans' Health Services within the State Department of Health Services, beginning July 1, 2005, and vests administration of the Veterans' Homes of California in the division, as provided.

(Died in Senate Veterans Affairs Committee)

SB 385 (Morrow-R) Veterans: farm and home purchases

Increases the level of reserve which the State Department of Veterans Affairs is allowed to maintain under master agreements with insurance companies that provide life or disability coverage to participants in the Farm and Home Loan Program.

(Died in Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee)

SB 561 (Knight-R) Veterans: administration

Transfers the administration of the Cal-Vet program from the State Department of Veterans Affairs to the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) as of July 1, 2004. Prior to the transfer, the bill requires CalHFA to convene a committee to formulate recommendations on how the agency should best administer the program.

(Died in Senate Housing and Community Development Committee)

SB 615* (Cedillo-D) Income taxes: servicemembers

Conforms California's method of calculating tax on nonresident servicemembers' income to the new federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act of 2003.

Chapter 388, Statutes of 2004

SB 764* (Morrow-R) Property tax: veterans' exemptions

Indexes the disabled veterans property tax exemption amounts ($100,000 and $150,000) for changes in the Consumer Index, beginning in 2006.

Chapter 544, Statutes of 2004

SB 809* (Morrow-R) Children of deceased or disabled veterans

Authorizes the State Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), for good cause, and based on the financial needs of a child who otherwise qualifies under this provision, to grant an exception to the annual income limit for that child. Requires the DVA to adopt and publish regulations defining the conditions under which an income limit exception may be granted under this provision.

(Died in Senate Education Committee)

SB 838* (Knight-R) Veterans' homes

Transfers primary responsibility for management of the design, construction and equipping of veterans' homes in West Los Angeles, Lancaster and Saticoy from the State Department of Veterans Affairs to the State Department of General Services.

(Died on Assembly Inactive File)

SB 1028 (Ashburn-R) Veterans: public records

Provides that any veteran's record that is recorded shall be confidential and that copies of the records may be furnished only to either the person who is the subject of the record upon presentation of proper photo identification, or to a county office that provides veterans' benefits services upon written request of that office. Requires a county recorder to keep an index of recorded veteran's records, which would be a public record subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act.

(Died in Senate Veterans Affairs Committee)

SB 1111 (Senate Budget And Fiscal Review Committee) Veterans affairs

Eliminates the Office of the Inspector General for the State Department of Veterans Affairs and duties associated with that position.

Chapter 218, Statutes of 2004

SB 1143 (Morrow-R) Veterans' homes: construction and funding

Deletes sections of the Military and Veterans' Code relating to construction and appropriation of funds for the Veterans Home of California at Barstow and also provides for the repeal of applicable sections relating to construction and funding upon completion and closure of the Chula Vista construction project.

Chapter 79, Statutes of 2004

SB 1193 (Soto-D) California National Guard

Requires the state to pay a $10,000 death benefit to the surviving spouse or designated beneficiary of any member of the California National Guard, State Military Reserve, or Naval Militia who dies or is killed after March 1, 2003, in the performance of duty, as determined by the Military Department. Excludes certain death benefits payable to eligible individuals from gross income of those individuals for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2005. Becomes operative upon an appropriation by the Legislature for purposes of funding the payments of military benefits, as specified.

Chapter 547, Statutes of 2004

SB 1322 (Denham-R) Veterans: student financial aid

Extends, by five years, from January 1, 2007 until January 1, 2012, the sunset date for the provisions of recently enacted legislation establishing an Education Loan Assumption Program for the National Guard and providing other academic related benefits. Expands the pool of beneficiaries for the provisions of this legislation, as specified. Makes technical and clarifying changes, as specified.

Chapter 544, Statutes of 2004

Similar legislation was SB 843 (Denham-R), which died in Senate Education Committee.

SB 1517 (Ashburn-R) Retroactive high school diplomas for veterans

Authorizes school districts and county offices of education to issue high school diplomas to veterans who did not receive diplomas due to their military service.

Chapter 255, Statutes of 2004

SB 1651 (Morrow-R) Veterans memorial: S.S. Baton Rouge Victory Memorial Plaque

Deletes, entirely, Chapter 6, of Division 6 of the Military and Veterans Code, relating to the S.S. Baton Rouge Victory Memorial Plaque.

Chapter 258, Statutes of 2004

SB 1688 (Ashburn-R) Veterans Appreciation Week

Annually designates the second full week in November as Veterans Appreciation Week, in recognition of veterans of the United States Armed Forces.

Chapter 86, Statutes of 2004

SB 1713* (Machado-D) Income and corporation taxes: military families

Conforms California tax law to the changes made by the Military Family Tax Relief Act of 2003.

Chapter 552, Statutes of 2004

SB 1725 (Knight-R) Disabled veterans: parking privileges

Updates and makes clarifying and conforming changes to the provisions relating to parking placards and license plates for the disabled.

Chapter 404, Statutes of 2004

SCR 63 (Morrow-R) POW Recognition Day

Designates April 9, 2004, as POW Recognition Day in California.

Resolution Chapter 82, Statutes of 2004

SCR 71 (Morrow-R) Military and veterans: D-Day

Commemorates the 60th anniversary of D-Day, the day Allied forces landed on the fortified beaches of Normandy, France, in opposition to Nazi tyranny, and urges the people of California to honor the men and women of the United States who died in the pursuit of freedom and a just peace.

Resolution Chapter 83, Statutes of 2004

SCR 80 (Battin-R) Armed Forces Month

Honors those men and women who have served and are serving in our Nation's military, and recognizes May 2004 as Armed Forces Month.

(Died in Assembly Rules Committee)

AB 207 (Maze-R) Vandalism of veterans memorial or monument

Makes vandalism of a veterans' memorial an alternate felony/misdemeanor, regardless of the account of damages caused by the crime.

(Died in Senate Public Safety Committee)

AB 214 (Shirley Horton-R) National Word War II Veterans Memorial Trust Fund

Appropriates monies deposited in the National World War II Veterans Memorial Fund for allocation to the American Battle Monuments Commission for the construction of the National World War II Veterans Memorial.

Chapter 410, Statutes of 2004

AB 279 (Cohn-D) Special license plates: Purple Heart

Permits the surviving spouses of Purple Heart recipients to retain the Purple Heart special license plate upon the death of the license plate holder.

Chapter 201, Statutes of 2004

AB 323 (Parra-D) Nonprofit veteran service agencies.

Allows nonprofit veterans service agencies to be eligible for the certification as a small business and be granted a small business bid preference, provided certain conditions are met.

Chapter 359, Statutes of 2004

AB 505 (Wiggins-D) Inspector General for State Department of Veterans Affairs

Allows the Inspector General (IG) for the State Department of Veterans Affairs to access all necessary records as required to perform his or her duty to undertake reviews and investigations. Includes within this definition of peace officer the IG and any employee designated by the IG, provided that the primary duty of these employees shall be conducting reviews and investigations of veteran programs.

(Died in Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee)

AB 758 (Yee-D) Military Department: stress counseling

Requires the Office of the Adjutant General, in conjunction with others, as specified, to establish and maintain mandatory stress counseling for military personnel returning from combat.

(Died in Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee)

AB 1073* (Dutton-R) Personal income tax: exemption: military death gratuity

Excludes from tax the death gratuity paid to the survivor of a deceased member of the Armed Forces of the United States.

Chapter 261, Statutes of 2004

AB 1077* (Wesson-D) Veterans homes

Authorizes the issuance of an additional $100 million in lease revenue bonds for five veterans homes and makes related changes.

Chapter 824, Statutes of 2004

AB 1179* (Parra-D) Public records

Prohibits county recorders from providing certified copies of military discharge papers (DD214s) except to specified persons and allows county recorders to accept faxed, notarized documents if specified information is present and photographically reproducible.

Chapter 6, Statutes of 2004

AB 1520 (Kehoe-D) Veterans' Memorial Commission

Creates the California Veterans Memorials Commission, and authorizes the design, construction and dedication of specified memorials. Provides that all funding for the memorial, and for the operation and support of the commission, will be from private contributions.

Vetoed by the Governor

AB 1591 (Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee) County veteran service officers

Appropriates $3,250,000 from the General Fund to the State Department of Veterans Affairs for disbursement to the counties for purposes of supporting county service officers and makes legislative findings and declarations in that regard.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1592 (Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee) California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Program

Reforms the California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) Program, and implements recommendations made by the State Auditor to improve the administration of the DVBE program. Specifies that the State Department of General Services is the administering agency of the DVBE program.

Vetoed by the Governor

AB 1698 (Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee) Disabled veterans

Appropriates $200,000 from the General Fund to support construction of a memorial for disabled veterans in Washington D.C.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1736* (Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee) Veterans

Allows the State Department of Veterans Affairs to use state funds to equip, design and construct various veterans homes in anticipation of federal matching funds, as specified.

Chapter 237, Statutes of 2004

AB 1880 (Maze-R) Public postsecondary education: veterans

Requires the California State University and requests the University of California, beginning in 2006-07, to reduce tuition and fees by 50 percent, and waives community college fees, for veterans meeting certain requirements.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1919 (Samuelian-R) California Veterans Board: member qualifications

Increases terms for members of the California Veterans Board from two to four years, and deletes specified qualification of other board members.

(Died in Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee)

AB 1928 (Parra-D) California Military Family Relief Fund

Creates the California Military Family Relief Fund income tax check-off. Revenues from donations would be allocated to the Military Department for financial aid to family members of the California National Guard who have been called to active duty.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 1939 (Cox-R) California State Military Museum and Resource Center

Designates the California State Military Museum and Resource Center as the official state military museum.

Chapter 133, Statutes of 2004

AB 1997 (Assembly Higher Education Committee) Student financial aid: National Guard

Makes several technical and clarifying changes to existing statute governing both the National Guard Assumption Program of Loans for Education (NG APLE) and the granting of academic leave to members of the California National Guard who are called to active duty. Also allows persons who have already earned a baccalaureate degree to apply for an NG APLE warrant, and states that qualified applicants with demonstrable financial need have first priority for NG APLE warrants in the event that funding for the program is insufficient to fund all qualified applicants.

Chapter 549, Statutes of 2004

AB 2033 (Nakano-D) Military service: health care benefits

Provides state health and dental benefits for all members of the California National Guard, State Military Reserves, and Naval Militia meeting specified criteria, including that they (1) are not covered by any other health or dental care program directly or as a spouse or dependent; (2) have maintained satisfactory attendance for 12 months, and (3) are not on active duty exceeding 29 days.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 2060 (Maddox-R) Weapons of mass destruction civil support team

Provides a $2,000 bonus for each year of service for each member of the National Guard Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team certified as a hazardous materials specialist or technician.

(Failed passage in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 2266 (Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee) Military and veterans: Cal-Vet Farm and Home Loan program

Authorizes the Cal-Vet Farm and Home Loan Program to offer loans for purchase of shares of stock in cooperative housing corporations. Expands the definition of "home" to include cooperative housing for the purposes of obtaining loans from the Cal-Vet Farm and Home Loan Program.

Chapter 834, Statutes of 2004

AB 2267 (Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee) Veteran benefits: preference groups

Allows more veterans that have been in the State of California for at least three months instead of six months to qualify for benefits under the Veterans Farm and Home Purchase Act. This would let veterans establish a permanent California residency faster.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 2268 (Samuelian-R) Veterans: claims

Authorizes the State Department of Veterans Affairs to contract, with the approval of the State Department of Finance, with any non-profit veterans service organization to pursue benefits for California's veteran population.

Chapter 804, Statutes of 2004

AB 2269 (Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee) County veteran service officers: funding

Includes, commencing January 1, 2011, the condition that county funds must be allocated to county veteran service officers in an amount not less than that allocated in the 1988-89 fiscal year.

Chapter 138, Statutes of 2004

AB 2540 (Parra-D) Flags: State militia members

Expresses the Legislature's intent to enact legislation that provides that every member of the California National Guard who served in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom, subsequent military operations in Iraq, or both, shall receive a United States flag.

(Died in Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee)

AB 2697 (Kehoe-D) Veterans' homes: cost-of-living adjustment

Requires that cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) to federal per diem rates be used to supplement current federal Trust Fund appropriations at all the veterans homes. Prohibits the COLAs to be used to supplant other appropriations for the homes. Requires the State Department of Finance to annually adjust the appropriations of federal funds for each home following federal promulgation of the new per diem rates.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 2736 (Negrete McLeod-D) Public employees' retirement: military service

Allows members of the California National Guard, the State Military Reserve and the Naval Militia to qualify for membership in State Public Employees' Retirement System and to purchase past service credit for service performed prior to membership.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 2739 (Parra-D) Military veterans: post-secondary education

Makes technical changes to the state's veterans education program; more clearly defines "full-time attendance" and "educational institution" and clarifies that veterans may be eligible for benefits while attending out-of-state institutions if the education program they desire is not available in California.

(Died in Senate Rules Committee)

AB 2792* (Oropeza-D) Personal income taxes: credits: military reservists

Authorizes a $100 personal income tax credit for qualified military reservists during the 2004 and 2005 tax years.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 2952* (Mountjoy-R) Tax exemption: spouse of a member of the Armed Forces

Exempts qualified surviving spouses of members of the Armed Forces from state income tax (for the first $50,000) during the year in which their spouses died. Provides that for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2004, a "qualified surviving spouse of a member of the Armed Forces" is not subject to state income taxation, as long as the surviving spouse has not remarried during any taxable year for which income tax relief is sought. Allows a qualified surviving spouse to claim the favorable tax treatment offered by this bill during the taxable year in which his or her spouse dies and during the three succeeding taxable years.

(Died in Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee)

AB 3000 (Mountjoy-R) Veterans' homes

Allows prisoners of war to receive priority status to California Veterans Homes and exempts residents of domiciliary units of the California Veterans Homes from providing aid and attendance stipends to the homes in receipt for assistance.

Chapter 239, Statutes of 2004

AB 3015 (Runner-R) Military service: school district governing board vacancies

Allows a governing board members absence from the state to be extended an additional six months if the absence is due to federal military service, and permits the appointment of interim members to the local governing board, as specified.

Chapter 558, Statutes of 2004

ACR 119 (Pacheco-R) Reserve Officers Training Corps

Recognizes the valuable contribution of the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), and recognizes and commends the ROTC cadets and all military personnel.

(Died in Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee)

ACR 121 (La Suer-R) Semper Fi Highway

Designates the section of State Highway Route 15 between State Highway Route 163 and Miramar Road in the County of San Diego as the Semper Fi Highway and requests the State Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate plaques and markers showing this designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering the cost, to erect appropriate plaques and markers.

Resolution Chapter 40, Statutes of 2004

ACR 168 (Maze-R) Korean War Armistice Day

Designates July 27, 2004, as Korean War Veterans Armistice Day. Urges Californians to remember the Korean War and those who fought against communism. Resolves that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proclaim July 27, 2004, as Korean War Armistice Day and instruct all state departments, agencies, interested groups, organizations, and individuals to fly the United States flag at half-mast on July 27, 2004, in memory of the veterans who died as a result of their service in Korea.

Resolution Chapter 108, Statutes of 2004

ACR 171 (Maze-R) Vietnam War veterans

Requests the Governor to proclaim March 8, 2005, a day in honor of Vietnam War veterans and to proclaim that the State of California fly its flags at half-mast on that day in honor of these veterans.

Resolution Chapter 124, Statutes of 2004

ACR 180 (Bogh-R) Blue Star Memorial Highway

Designates State Highway Route 62 from its junction with State Highway Route 10 to Adobe Road in Twenty-nine Palms as a Blue Star Memorial Highway. Requests the State Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate plaques and markers showing that designation, and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources sufficient to cover the cost, to erect appropriate plaques and markers.

Resolution Chapter 127, Statutes of 2004

ACR 182 (Samuelian-R) Hmong-American Veterans Memorial Day

Recognizes May 15 as Hmong-American Veterans Memorial Day.

Resolution Chapter 65, Statutes of 2004

ACR 209 (Parra-D) Kern County Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway

Designates a specified portion of State Highway Route 58 as the Kern County Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway. Requests the State Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate plaques designating that portion of State Highway Route 58 and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering that cost, to erect those plaques.

Resolution Chapter 194, Statutes of 2004

ACR 232 (Shirley Horton-R) Armed Forces Day

Recognizes the third Saturday of May as Armed Forces Day, a special day to educate the public about the role of the military and to celebrate the contributions of our servicemen and women.

Resolution Chapter 89, Statutes of 2004

ACR 233 (Parra-D) Yellow Ribbon Day

Proclaims May 22, 2004, as Yellow Ribbon Day, a special day for Californians to extend their sincerest appreciation for the sacrifices military families and our troops are making and to commemorate our troops and their families with ceremonial activities.

Resolution Chapter 90, Statutes of 2004

AJR 36 (Dutton-R) Veterans benefits: Qualified Veterans Mortgage Bonds

Memorializes the President and Congress to enact legislation that would revise provisions of the Internal Revenue Code so that Qualified Veterans Mortgage Bonds may be issued by a state to fund home purchase and home improvement loans to certain additional veterans.

Resolution Chapter 37, Statutes of 2004

AJR 71 (Wolk-D) Veterans health care

Requests the President and Congress of the United States to enact appropriate legislation to provide a guaranteed level of funding for veterans health care, and to restore medical benefits eligibility for veterans in Priority Group 8. Also urges the State Department of Veterans Affairs to seek out eligible veterans to provide them with benefits information.

Resolution Chapter 146 Statutes of 2004

HR 45 (Parra-D) Relative to the Armed Forces Vocational Aptitude Battery

Declares that the State Assembly expresses its approval of the use of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) Career Exploration Program by high schools in California. Encourages California school districts to consider using the ASVAB Career Exploration Program as a reliable, cost saving method of measuring the vocational and academic aptitudes of pupils.

Read and Adopted

NOTE: The Governor named the Lancaster Veteran's Home after Senator William "Pete" Knight, who passed away in 2004.

HR 59 (Parra-D) Relative to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Day

Proclaims the day of September 29, 2004, as Veterans of Foreign Wars Day.

(Died in Assembly Rules Committee)

Index (in Bill Order)