Veterans' Issues

Veterans' Legislation

Veterans' Legislation

SB 2* (Knight-R) Veterans homes: nursing care

Continuously appropriates the monies in the Veterans' Home Fund, without regard to fiscal years and in an amount not to exceed $12,000,000, to meet state funding requirements for the construction of a veterans' home, located in the City of Lancaster and to be expended only upon the commitment of matching federal funds.

(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

Similar legislation is AB 34*(Runner-R), which is in Senate Appropriations Committee.

SB 4 (Johannessen-R) Veterans' Home of California

Extends the operation of the Governor's Commission on Veterans Homes until January 1, 2003, and specifically includes Shasta County, the Central Valley, and Los Angeles County within the possible sites for the homes.

Double-joined to AB 494 (Cardoza-D).

Chapter 599, Statutes of 2001

SB 45* (Johannessen-R) Veterans' Homes of California

Appropriates $1,778,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Specifies that of that amount, $621,000 will be allocated to fund interim private sector administrative and medical expertise for the Skilled Nursing Facility at the Veterans Home of California at Barstow and the remaining $1,157,000 will be for the purpose of funding critical operating expenditures, other than personal services, at the home for the remainder of the current fiscal year.

Chapter 6, Statutes of 2001

SB 86 (Oller-R) Veterans: memorial district

Requires at least a majority of the board of directors of a memorial district (board) to be veterans, as defined in Military and Veterans Code Section 940. Provides that any board seat that is designated for a veteran, but is not currently filled by a veteran, shall be filled by a veteran at the next election at which that seat is to be filled.

Chapter 341, Statutes of 2001

SB 164* (Johannessen-R) California Veterans Board: operation

Requires the California Veterans Board (CVB) to report, annually, to the Legislature by October 1, in sufficient detail so that members of the Legislature may clearly understand the activities, accomplishments, and expenditures of the board during the past fiscal year. Provides that the State Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) will separately identify the budget for the CVB, which will be responsible for the expenditure of the budgeted funds. Requires the chairman of the CVB, in concurrence with a majority of the board members, to appoint the executive officer. Requires the DVA to provide the CVB with adequate office and meeting space at no cost to the CVB.

Chapter 220, Statutes of 2001

SB 182 (Johannessen-R) Veterans: farm and home purchase

Provides that any reserves maintained under the master agreement between the State Department of Veterans Affairs and insurance companies may not exceed a level greater than ten percent in excess of actuarial requirements, plus a reasonable contingency reserve.

(In Senate Veterans Affairs Committee)

SB 478 (Johannessen-R) Veterans' Home of California

Requires that at each veterans home or home site, there be an administrator recommended by the Secretary of the State Department of Veterans Affairs and appointed by the Governor, as specified. Makes technical, nonsubstantive changes to that provision.

Vetoed by the Governor

SB 480* (Johannessen-R) California Military Museum

Appropriates $100,000 from the General Fund to the State Department of Parks and Recreation for a local assistance grant to the California Military Museum, and states the intent of the Legislature in enacting these provisions.

Chapter 768, Statutes of 2001 - Item Veto

SB 597 (Chesbro-D) Veterans' Home of California: fees and charges

Reduces the fees that a member of a Veterans' Home of California pays for residential care from 55 percent of the member's annual income to 40 percent of the member's annual income, not to exceed $1,200.

(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 742* (Escutia-D) Veterans' Home of California

Reduces members' fees and charges for residential care at the Veterans' Home of California to no greater than 47 percent of the member's annual income, or $1,200 per month, whichever is less. This bill is a budget trailer bill.

Chapter 118, Statutes of 2001

SB 781 (Knight-R) Veterans' homes

Allows the State Department of Veterans Affairs to accept and process applications from veteran men and women who are seeking residency at a state veterans home, beginning on the start date of construction of that home.

Chapter 281, Statutes of 2001

SB 933 (Margett-R) Veterans' home: eligibility

Gives priority to recipients of the Medal of Honor for residence eligibility in the Veterans' Home of California, and makes widows and widowers of Medal of Honor recipients eligible for residency.

Chapter 283, Statutes of 2001

Similar legislation is SB 1142 (Knight-R), which is in Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.

SB 959 (Knight-R) Veterans' Homes of California: administration

Establishes the Division of Veterans' Health Services within the State Department of Health Services, beginning July 1, 2002, and vests the administration of the Veterans' Homes of California in that division.

(In Senate Veterans Affairs Committee)

SCR 7 (Johannessen-R) POW Recognition Day

Designates April 9, 2001, as POW Recognition Day in California.

Resolution Chapter 8, Statutes of 2001

SJR 11 (Machado-D) Vietnam Veterans Memorial Education Center

Memorializes the President and the Congress to take appropriate measures to facilitate the design and construction of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Education Center.

Resolution Chapter 105, Statutes of 2001

AB 34* (Runner-R) Veterans' homes: nursing care

Appropriates $12 million from the Veterans' Home Fund to the State Department of Veterans Affairs for the state's funding requirements for construction of a veterans home in the City of Lancaster.

(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

Similar legislation is SB 2* (Knight-R), which is in Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 294* (Zettel-R) Income taxes: exclusion: military retirement benefits

Provides a gross income exclusion for survivor benefits and payments received under a federal Retired Serviceman's Family Protection Plan, a Survivor Benefit Plan, or a Supplemental Survivor Benefit Plan. Specifies that this provision of law will become effective for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2001.

(In Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee)

AB 494 (Cardoza-D) Veterans homes

Extends the operation of the law relative to the Governor's Commission on Veterans Homes, from January 1, 2002 to January 1, 2003, and requires, rather than authorizes, state agencies to provide staff assistance to the Governor's Commission on Veterans Homes.

Double-joined with SB 4 (Johannessen-R).

Chapter 645, Statutes of 2001

AB 527 (Kehoe-D) Special interest license plates and decals

Reduces the renewal fee for replacement decals used on special interest license plates sponsored by veterans' organizations, from $35 to $10, effective July 1, 2002.

Chapter 201, Statutes of 2001

AB 737 (Oropeza-D) Disabled veteran business enterprises

Expands simplified contract bidding procedures to include disabled veteran business enterprises and requires that small businesses be certified in order to qualify for these exemptions.

Chapter 137, Statutes of 2001

Similar legislation is SB 1033 (Knight-R), which failed passage in Assembly Governmental Organization Committee and granted reconsideration, and AB 941 (Florez-D), Chapter 666, Statutes of 2001.

AB 747 (Chavez-D) Governor's Commission on Homeless Veterans

Establishes a Governor's Commission on Homeless Veterans consisting of 12 appointed and ex officio members to advise the Governor and Legislature, as specified, on the welfare of homeless veterans in California. Sunsets January 1, 2004.

(In Assembly Governmental Organization Committee)

AB 748 (Chavez-D) Housing: homeless veterans

Appropriates $75,000 from the General Fund to the State Department of Veterans Affairs to fund a study of the housing and support needs of homeless veterans in California.

(In Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 941 (Florez-D) Disabled veteran business enterprises

Seeks to increase the participation of disabled veteran business enterprises in state-funded contracts in order to reach the statutory state goal, which is three percent of total contracts.

Chapter 666, Statutes of 2001

Similar legislation is SB 1033 (Knight-R), which failed passage in Assembly Governmental Organization Committee and granted reconsideration, and AB 737 (Oropeza-D), Chapter 183, Statutes of 2001.

AB 1060* (Negrete McLeod-D) Department of Veterans Affairs: homeless veterans

Requires the State Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), in collaboration with the State Department of Health Services, to study the status of homeless veterans in California and to establish a proposal on how to provide adequate housing for California's homeless veterans. Requires DVA to report their findings of the study to the Legislature and Governor on or before March 15, 2002.

Chapter 265, Statutes of 2001

Similar legislation is AB 748 (Chavez-D), which is in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

AB 1593 (Wyman-R) Disabled veterans

Increases the number of military veterans eligible to be exempted, as disabled veterans, from paying motor vehicle registration fees, vehicle license fees, and fees related to special identification license plates. Specifies that to be eligible for exemptions, the veteran must currently be rated 100 percent disabled due to a diagnosed disease or disorder that substantially impairs or interferes with mobility. Reduces the threshold disability to 50 percent and eliminates the requirement that the disease or disorder needs to substantially impair or interfere with mobility.

(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)

ACR 44 (Havice-D) Gold Star Mothers Week

Designates the last Monday in May, and the week following, as Gold Star Mothers Week in honor of the heroic sacrifices of our fallen men and women and of the sacrifices made by their loving parents.

Resolution Chapter 50, Statutes of 2001

ACR 46 (Florez-D) The Kern County Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway

Designates a specified portion of the State Highway Route 99 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 99 and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering that cost, to erect those plaques.

Resolution Chapter 54, Statutes of 2001

ACR 88 (Chavez-D) Veterans of Foreign Wars Month

Proclaims the month of October 2001 as Veterans of Foreign Wars Month.

Resolution Chapter 125, Statutes of 2001

ACR 108 (Pavley-D) Veterans Day, 2001

Designates Sunday, November 11, 2001, as California Veterans Day, 2001.

Resolution Chapter 136, Statutes of 2001

AJR 17 (Chavez-D) Extension of home loan programs

Respectfully urges the Congress of the United States to amend the Internal Revenue Code to change the definition of "qualified veteran" for purposes of providing financing for home loans to any veteran who meets the requirements, as may be imposed by the state law pursuant to which qualified veterans' mortgage bonds are issued.

Resolution Chapter 116, Statutes of 2001

Index (in Bill Order)