Veterans' Issues

Veterans' Legislation

Go to Index

SB 10* (Evans-D) Military and veterans: Veterans' Home Allied Council

Provides for the establishment of a Veteran's Home Allied Council for each veterans' home, and permits each Council to represent veterans who reside in the veterans' home for which the Council was established in matters before the Legislature if each Council, in the course of providing that representation, complies with specified requirements, as prescribed. Allows the Council at one of the California Veterans' Homes to represent veterans from those homes in front of the Legislature.
Chapter 265, Statutes of 2011

SB 180 (Corbett-D) Veterans: public social services

Adds to the definition of "public social services" those activities and functions administered or supervised by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and the California Department of Veterans Affairs.
Chapter 79, Statutes of 2011

SB 314 (Vargas-D) Property: taxation: military housing

Extends the time period for assessors to issue escape assessments on military housing projects.
(In Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee)

SB 443 (Strickland-R) Veterans' memorial

Allows the Department of Transportation to sell excess real property in the state-owned area associated with the park-and-ride lot at the Clark Avenue West exit from State Highway Route 135, in the Town of Orcutt, to the County of Santa Barbara for purposes of erecting a veterans' memorial at that location.
(In Assembly Transportation Committee)

SB 562 (Senate Transportation And Housing Committee) Housing omnibus bill

Repeals the provision that authorizes the redevelopment agency of the City of Redding to borrow and use a specified amount from its Low and Moderate Income Housing Fund to provide financial assistance for the acquisition of property for a veterans home and makes non-controversial changes to sections of law relating to housing.
Chapter 239, Statutes of 2011

SB 805* (Senate Veterans Affairs Committee) Veterans sales and use taxes: itinerant vendors

Extends the 1/1/12 sunset to 1/1/22, so that qualified itinerant veteran vendors would remain "consumers" indefinitely with respect to tangible personal property they sell for $100 or less, under specified conditions.
Chapter 246, Statutes of 2011

SB 806* (Senate Veterans Affairs Committee) State employees: military leave: salary overpayment

Extends, until 1/1/15, the statute of limitations for the recovery of overpayments made to a state employee on a leave of absence for active military duty as a member of the California National Guard from three years to six years from the date of overpayment.
Chapter 374, Statutes of 2011

SB 812 (Senate Veterans Affairs Committee) Flag protocol: POW/MIA Flag

Establishes protocols within the State of California for the proper display of the POW/MIA flag.
(In Senate Veterans Affairs Committee)

SB 813 (Senate Veterans Affairs Committee) Public postsecondary education: veterans' enrollment

Extends priority registration enrollment for veterans at the California State University and the California Community Colleges, from two to five years.
Chapter 375, Statutes of 2011

SB 817 (Senate Veterans Affairs Committee) State contracts: participation goals

Restructures the criteria for businesses to qualify as a disabled veteran business enterprise.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 842 (Rubio-D) California residency

Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop and maintain a program for the issuance of identification cards to members of the military and family as specified, and requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to process the application forms and issue the ID cards. Upon the receipt of an identification card, the spouses, domestic partners and dependents of all non-citizen military personnel will be eligible for benefits from CalWORKs, In-Home Supportive Services, Medi-Cal, the general assistance program, and the California Food Assistance Program. Urges the Regents of the University of California to provide an exemption from non-resident tuitions for qualified undocumented families of noncitizen members of the military.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 888 (Lieu-D) Crime: picketing at funerals

Makes it a misdemeanor for a person to engage in picketing targeted at a funeral during the time period beginning one hour prior to the funeral and ending one hour after the conclusion of the funeral.
Vetoed

SB 921* (Lieu-D) Military Department: Office of the Inspector General

Requires the Governor to appoint an Inspector General who will oversee, but operate independently from, the Military Department.
(In Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee)

SCR 26 (Blakeslee-R) Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway

Designates a portion of State Highway Route 1, in Santa Barbara County, as the "Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway."
Resolution Chapter 90, Statutes of 2011

SCR 31 (Rubio-D) National Purple Heart Trail

Designates a specified portion of State Highway Route 223, in the County of Kern, for inclusion in the National Purple Heart Trail.
(In Senate Transportation and Housing Committee)

SJR 2 (Kehoe-D) Military policy: Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue...

Urges the President, Congress, and Secretary of Defense of the United States to end the policy of levying fines on lesbian, gay, and bisexual service members discharged under the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue, Don't Harass" policy.
(In Senate Veterans Affairs Committee)

SJR 8 (Senate Veterans Affairs Committee) TRICARE cost increases

Urges the United States Congress to make itself the sole authority on determining future TRICARE cost increases and to base those increases on United States Department of Labor statistics.
(In Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee)

SJR 9 (Senate Veterans Affairs Committee) Veterans' health care

Urges the United States Congress to require the United States Department of Veterans Affairs not abrogate the desires of President Lincoln to care for those most needy and to remember the promises made to World War II veterans.
(In Senate Veterans Affairs Committee)

AB 53 (Solorio-D) Disabled veterans: insurers: procurement contracts

Requires that each admitted insurer with premiums written equal to or in excess of $100,000,000 to submit to the Insurance Commissioner, by 7/1/12, a report on its minority, women, and disabled veteran business enterprises procurement efforts, as specified. Failure to file the report, by 7/1/12, would subject the admitted insurer to civil penalties to be fixed by the Commissioner, as provided.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 63 (Donnelly-R) Veterans: public postsecondary education: tuition and fees

Prohibits a person without lawful immigration status from qualifying for resident tuition at the California State University and the California Community Colleges, under the provisions of AB 540 (Firebaugh-D), Chapter 814, Statutes of 2001, and conforms to federal law nonresident tuition exemptions for members of the United States Armed Forces or their dependents who are enrolled at a California public postsecondary education institution.
(Failed passage in Assembly Higher Education Committee)

AB 150 (Perea-D) Disabled veteran business enterprise participation

Allows the Department of General Services to direct minimum business participation goals for minority, women, and disabled veteran-owned businesses and small businesses in state contracts, and to monitor progress in meeting this goal, commencing 7/1/12.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 167 (Cook-R) Veterans: California Stolen Valor Act

Expands existing provisions related to forfeiture of elected office under the Federal Stolen Valor Act, to additionally require that an elected officer, as specified, forfeit office upon conviction of a crime involving a false claim, with intent to defraud, that he/she is a veteran or a member of the Armed Forces of the United States. In addition, characterizes these and related provisions, as specified, as the "California Stolen Valor Act."
Chapter 69, Statutes of 2011

AB 188 (Block-D) Veterans: property tax exemption: principal residence

Provides that the disabled veterans' property tax exemption applies when an unmarried surviving spouse is confined to a health care facility.
Chapter 202, Statutes of 2011

AB 201 (Butler-D) Veterans courts

Authorizes superior courts to develop and implement veterans courts. Establishes standards and procedures for veterans courts and specifies that county participation in the veterans' courts program is voluntary.
Vetoed

AB 297 (Galgiani-D) veterans preference: public contracts

Allows a bid preference, as provided, to a bidder of a public works contract if that bidder utilizes the Center for Military Recruitment, Assessment, and Veterans Employment's Helmets to Hardhats program, as specified. Requires that the bidder and each listed subcontractor submit a certified statement, as specified, and imposes a civil penalty, as provided, for knowingly providing false information in that statement.
(In Assembly Business, Professions and Consumer Protection Committee)

AB 372 (Roger Hernández-D) Veterans: California community colleges: services

Requires the California Community Colleges, as part of the matriculation process, to assess prior college-level learning gained by veterans and military service personnel through non-college credit means, as specified. Makes legislative findings and declarations regarding veterans.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 487 (Cook-R) Veterans' homes: fees and charges

Restores a cap on the amount veterans pay for residence and care in the Veterans Home of California and creates an inflator to be recalculated annually to reflect changes in the United States Department of Veterans Affairs disability compensation.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 488 (Cook-R) Veterans' homes: fees and charges

Creates, what is in effect, a cap on the charges that non-veteran spouses living in a veterans' home must pay by requiring non-veteran spouses to pay the same sliding scale fees and charges as the veteran spouse.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 557 (John A. Pérez-D) Veterans: National Guard

Creates the California Interagency Council on Veteran Services and Programs to assess how California veterans are accessing available state and federal benefits. Requires the Council to report to the Legislature by, 1/1/13, its recommendations for implementing policy, regulatory, and resource changes.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 629 (Monning-D) Veterans cemetery

Authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to contract with the Fort Ord Reuse Authority, rather than the Department of General Services, for design and construction of a state-owned and operated veterans' cemetery on the site of Fort Ord.
Chapter 267, Statutes of 2011

AB 635 (Knight-R) Veterans' benefits: higher education

Specifies that, for purposes of veterans' benefits, the Trustees of the California State University, and the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges shall, and the Regents of the University of California are requested to, designate mandatory education fees as tuition.
(In Assembly Higher Education Committee)

AB 636 (Knight-R) Military service: education benefits

Revises the conditions of tuition and fee refund for a student who withdraws from an academic institution due to active military service.
Chapter 293, Statutes of 2011

AB 637 (Knight-R) G.I. Jr. Grant Program: school choice

Establishes the G.I. Jr. Grant Program to provide annual scholarships of up to $5,000 to children of military families to attend private nonsectarian nondenominational schools.
(Failed passage in Assembly Education Committee)

AB 649 (Harkey-R) Veteran's enrollment: public postsecondary education

Extends the period of time for priority class registration enrollment, from two years to five years, to members or former members of the Armed Forces and requires that any member or former member of the Armed Forces be a California resident.
(In Senate Education Committee)

AB 697 (V. Manuel Pérez-D) Veteran: acquisition of home: interest of record

Allows the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) to acquire a home for the purpose of refinancing an existing mortgage loan and requires the DVA to adopt rules and regulations.
Chapter 368, Statutes of 2011

AB 713 (Block-D) Military service: legal benefits

Enhances the availability of certain benefits and protections from liability currently afforded to California National Guard and United States Military Reserve service members and their families during periods of active military service.
Chapter 105, Statutes of 2011

AB 882 (Cook-R) Veterans and military: public postsecondary education

States that if a member of the Armed Forces or his/her dependent is a student in California at an institution of higher education when the military member is transferred out of state, allows the student (the member or dependent) to maintain residency status for tuition and fees purposes so long as the student remains continuously enrolled in the institution.
Chapter 730, Statutes of 2011

AB 905 (Pan-D) Veterans: Disposition of remains

Adds to the list of persons authorized to take control of a decedent's remains the person authorized to direct disposition (PADD) indicated on a United States Department of Defense Record of Emergency Data, DD Form 93 (DD Form 93). Operative only if the DD Form 93 and corresponding federal law are amended to allow the PADD to be any person, regardless of the relationship of the PADD to the decedent.
Chapter 321, Statutes of 2011

AB 1084* (Davis-D) Veterans' farm and home purchases

Allows the Department of Veterans Affairs to fund a limited equity housing cooperative loan, through the California Veterans Home Loan Program and requires the fund transfer to take place within 30 days.
Chapter 377, Statutes of 2011

AB 1093 (Davis-D) Student financial aid: Military and Veterans Benefits Office

Requires the California Community Colleges and the California State University, and encourages the University of California, to establish on each of its respective campuses a Military and Veterans Benefits Office and appoint a full-time Military and Veterans Benefits Advisor for each office to assist a qualified student in determining that student's eligibility for state or federal educational benefits or grants.
(In Assembly Higher Education Committee)

AB 1209 (Cook-R) Department of Veterans Affairs: veterans' services

Appropriates the sum of $7,300,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Veterans Affairs for disbursement to the counties to fund the activities of the county veterans service officers (CVSO) to provide for specified veterans' services. Makes specific allocations for CVSOs, grants to counties and non-profit organizations for veterans services, and for Operation Welcome Home or a successor program.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1223 (Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee) Veterans: Public Assistance Reporting Information System

Requires the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to utilize the federal Public Assistance and Reporting Information System (PARIS) to identify veterans and their dependents or survivors who are enrolled in the Medi-Cal Program and assist them in obtaining federal veterans' health care benefits statewide and repeals language making PARIS a two-year pilot program where DHCS selects three consenting counties that have in operation a United States Department of Veterans Affairs medical center to participate in the pilot.
(In Senate Veterans Committee)

AB 1224 (Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee) Veteran: employment training panel

Expands the Employment Training Panel three-year plan to include projects that support veterans and members of the California National Guard.
(In Assembly Labor and Employment Committee)

AB 1386 (Bradford-D) Veterans: cable television and broadcast satellite providers

Encourages cable TV corporations and direct broadcast satellite providers to voluntarily adopt a plan for increasing women, minority, and disabled veteran business enterprise procurement and to voluntarily report activity in this area to the Legislature on an annual basis and requires the Public Utilities Commission to make this annual report available on its Internet Web site.
Chapter 443, Statutes of 2011

AB 1422 (Perea-D) Department of Veterans Affairs: administration

States the intent of the Legislature that the Department of Veterans Affairs identify any savings in the operations of the veterans home system and prioritize the allocation of those identified savings to offset any program reductions, as specified. Requires the Department to make a report to the Legislature that would include information on the savings and the programs that were augmented with those identified savings.
(In Senate Rules Committee)

ACR 43 (Achadjian-R) Armed Forces Day

Recognizes 5/21/11 as Armed Forces Day and honors the members of the Armed Forces and their families for their services and sacrifices made to our country.
Resolution Chapter 104, Statutes of 2011

ACR 63 (Mansoor-R) Veterans of the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Day

Recognizes 6/19/11 as Veterans of the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Day in memory of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for freedom and democracy and the victims of the Vietnam War, and in honor of the survivors, activists, and freedom fighters of that war.
Resolution Chapter 82, Statutes of 2011

ACR 80 (Beth Gaines-R) Yellow Ribbon Week

Proclaims the week of 9/5/11 through 9/11/11, Yellow Ribbon Week, in support of military families and their loved ones who are defending our country and fighting for the preservation of freedom for all, and provides an opportunity for Californians to extend sincere appreciation for the sacrifices military families and our troops are making and to commemorate our troops and their families with ceremonial activities.
Resolution Chapter 118, Statutes of 2011

AJR 6 (Ma-D) Filipino veterans

Requests that the Congress and the President of the United States enact the Filipino Veterans Fairness Act of 2011 (H.R. 210).
(In Senate Rules Committee)

Index (in Bill Order)