NOTE: * denotes urgency legislation
SB 529 (Rogers-R) - Veterans' Benefits Makes a change in the definition of "veteran" to specify that the exclusions under existing law, relating to programs providing educational assistance and home or farm purchase assistance, apply to persons separated from the armed forces of the United States, or who refused to wear the uniform of the armed forces of the United States. (Died in Senate Veterans Affairs Committee) SB 852 * (Rogers-R) - Veterans' Bond Act of 1996 Enacts the Veterans' Bond Act of 1996, which provides for $400 million in state general obligation bond funds which are to be used for financing farm, home, and mobilehome purchases by qualified veterans. Chapter 161, Statutes of 1996 SB 1382* (Peace-D) - Veterans' Home of California Appropriates a total of $36 million of lease-revenue bonds to be issued by the Public Works Board for the second, third, and fourth sites of the Southern California Veterans' Home. In addition, this bill assumes that the United States Department of Veterans Affairs will provide $66 million in matching funds for these three sites. Chapter 335, Statutes of 1996 Similar legislation was AB 1919* (Baca-D) which failed passage in Assembly Appropriations Committee. A companion bill is AB 2015* (Knight-R) Chapter 335, Statutes of 1996. SB 1470 (Johannessen-R) - California Veterans Board: Oversight Over Veterans' Policies Requires that the California Veterans Board be apprised of and approve certain proposed policy changes of the Department of Veterans Affairs relating to veterans and veterans' programs. Makes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs a member of the 7-member board who can only vote in cases where the vote is necessary to break a tie. Service on the board is to coincide with his or her term of office as Secretary of Veterans Affairs. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs is to start his or her term at the first available vacancy after January 1, 1996. Chapter 1145, Statutes of 1996 Similar legislation was AB 1989 (Baca-D) which died in Assembly Governmental Organization Committee, and AB 2026 (Frusetta-R) which also died in the same committee. SB 1657 (Dills-D) - Public Utilities: Disabled Veterans Business Enterprises Requires the California Public Utilities Commission to establish a reasonable participation goal for disabled veteran business enterprises by January 31, 1997, for contracts awarded by any electrical, gas, or telephone company for construction, professional services, material, supplies, equipment, alterations or improvement. Vetoed by the Governor SB 1877 (Rogers-R) - Public Employees: Retirement Prescribes benefits to members of the State Teachers' Retirement System and the State Teachers' Retirement System Cash Balance Plan in accordance with the federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, as specified. Chapter 680, Statutes of 1996 SB 2175 (Rogers-R) - Veterans Farm and Home Purchase Clarifies that the 30-year maximum amortization limit applies only to mobilehomes located in mobilehome parks, and provides that the Department of Veterans Affairs, rather than the Military Department, shall administer the National Guard Members' Farm and Home Purchase Act. Chapter 415, Statutes of 1996 SCR 53 (Alquist-D) - Russian-American Veterans' Week Proclaims that the week of May 5-11, 1997, be celebrated as Russian-American Veterans' Week. Resolution Chapter 57, Statutes of 1996 SJR 37 (Johannessen-R) - Extension of Home Loan Programs Memorializes the President and 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 state requirements for such loans. Resolution Chapter 31, Statutes of 1996 SJR 49 (Ayala-D) - Restructuring of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Memorializes the President and Congress of the United States and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to maintain the status quo and to reconsider the decision to adopt the department's proposed Field Restructuring Plan that moves the veterans' disability pension benefits offices from California to Phoenix, Arizona, and other areas. Resolution Chapter 35, Statutes of 1996 AB 163 (Conroy-R) - California Veterans Board Enacts the Richard Longshore California Veterans Board Reorganization Act of 1995 to prohibit serving on the board for more than 2 consecutive terms (8 years) and to limit the board to no more than 6 regular meetings per year. Requires that the board work with, and make recommendations to, the director, as well as review the operations of the department and current issues affecting veterans. (Died in Assembly Governmental Organization Committee) AB 548 (Cannella-D) - Korean War Veterans Commemorative Medallion Enacts the Korean War Veterans Commemorative Medallion Act, authorizing the Department of Veterans Affairs to issue and sell commemorative medallions to raise funds for the purposes of establishing a California Korean War Veterans Memorial. (Died in Assembly Governmental Organization Committee) AB 841 (W. Murray-D) - Inspector General of Veterans Affairs Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to redesignate the department's position of Internal Auditor as the Inspector General of Veterans Affairs. Sets forth the Inspector General's responsibilities, including reviewing policies and procedures for conducting investigations of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Vetoed by the Governor AB 940 (Knight-R) - Veterans' Home of California: Additional Sites Authorizes the Pooled Money Investment Board to loan the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) up to $1.68 million to allow DVA to begin preliminary work on 2 additional Southern California veterans homes. Chapter 943, Statutes of 1996 AB 1919* (Baca-D) - Veterans' Homes of California Provides for the second, third and fourth sites of the Southern California Veteran's Home, without reference to the specific locations of the sites. Authorizes the issuance of $36 million of lease-revenue bonds, contingent upon receipt of $66 million in federal matching funds, for the construction sites. Establishes the California Veterans' Homes Operating Fund to be continuously appropriated to the Department of Veterans Affairs. (Failed passage in Assembly Appropriations Committee) Similar legislation is AB 940 (Knight-R), Chapter 943, Statutes of 1995. AB 2015* (Knight-R) - Veterans' Home of California Appropriates $144,000 to the Department of Veterans Affairs for allocation to the California Veterans' Home Project Team and the Governor's Commission on a Southern California Veterans' Home. Becomes operative only if SB 1382 (Peace-D) is enacted and takes effect on or before January 1, 1997. Chapter 336, Statutes of 1996 AB 2161 (Baldwin-R) - Veteran Benefits: Filipino Veterans Includes in the state's definition of "veteran" certain members of the armed forces of the Philippine Commonwealth Army who fought alongside the United States during World War II. Chapter 768, Statutes of 1996 Similar legislation was AB 1988 (Baca-D) which died in Assembly Governmental Organization Committee. AB 2187 (Conroy-R) - State Civil Service: Military Service Permits those who served in the United States military after January 1, 1956, and voluntarily extended their terms of military service, to receive the same civil service "veteran's credit" benefits as veterans who served after that time and did not extend their terms of military service. Chapter 368, Statutes of 1996 AB 2229 (Woods-R) - Veterans' Cemetery Requires the California Department of Veterans Affairs to develop, in cooperation with the Shasta County Board of Supervisors, a proposal for a state-owned and operated veterans' cemetery in Shasta County to be submitted to the Legislature no later than July 1, 1997. Chapter 1128, Statutes of 1996 AB 2479 (Takasugi-R) - California Veterans Board: Membership Increases the membership of the California Veterans Board to 9 members by adding the chairpersons of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee and the Assembly Veterans' Affairs Committee or their designees as ex officio, nonvoting members. (Died in Assembly Governmental Organization Committee) AB 2615 (Morrissey-R) - Veterans Benefits: Dependents Allows a dependent spouse of a veteran to receive educational benefits beyond the age of 27. Limits a dependent spouse to no more than 48 months of full-time training, or the equivalent of part-time training. Chapter 822, Statutes of 1996 AB 2760 (Napolitano-D) - Deputy Secretary of Women Veterans Affairs Requires the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs to appoint a Deputy Secretary of Women Veterans Affairs, within the department. Sunsets January 1, 2001. Chapter 379, Statutes of 1996 AB 2790* (Morrissey-R) - Property Taxation: Veterans' Exemption Increases the amount of the veterans' property tax exemption from $4,000 (as specified in statute) to $7,700, and provides for an automatic increase in the amount of the veterans' property tax exemption if the homeowners' exemption is ever increased to 110% of the new exemption amount. Becomes operative if ACA 39 (Morrissey-R) is also adopted by the Legislature and enacted by the people. (Died in Senate Appropriations Committee) AB 2955 (Knight-R) - Income Taxes: Veterans Memorial Account Extends the sunset date, from January 1, 1997 to January 1, 1998, for the Veterans Memorial Account tax check-off. Clarifies that income tax check-offs which are repealed will appear on the tax forms for the tax year immediately preceding the year of the check-off's repeal. Chapter 960, Statutes of 1996 AB 2973* (Olberg-R) - Veterans' Home: Administrators Requires an administrator for each site of the Southern California Veterans' Home. Chapter 590, Statutes of 1996 AB 3302 (Brown-D) - Veterans' Home Requires Veterans' homes to admit any Medal of Honor recipient. The home must also use every available means by which to collect from third party payors and purchase drugs from specific sources as part of becoming more cost efficient. (Died in Assembly Governmental Organization Committee) ACA 39 (Morrissey-R) - Property Taxation: Veterans' Exemption Increases the veterans' exemption from $4,000 to $7,700 and removes the limitations on eligibility for the exemption for persons owning property in excess of those specified amounts. Provides that if the homeowners' property tax exemption is increased above the amount of $7,000, the amount of the veterans' exemption shall be increased to 110% of the homeowners' exemption. (Died in Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee) AJR 51 (Baldwin-R) - Filipino Veterans of World War II: Veterans' Benefits Memorializes the President and the Congress of the United States to act favorably on legislation giving proper recognition to the service of all Filipino veterans during World War II and on legislation granting full veterans' benefits to all Filipino veterans of the United States Armed Forces. Resolution Chapter 80, Statutes of 1996 AJR 63 (Morrow-R) - Jewish Veterans of War: Commemorating Postage Stamp Memorializes the President, the Congress of the United States, and the Citizens' Advisory Committee of the United States Postal Service to take steps to obtain the issuance of a postage stamp in honor of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States. Resolution Chapter 65, Statutes of 1996 AJR 68 (Assembly Governmental Organization Committee) - Veterans' Hospitals Memorializes the President and the Congress to consider a joint use of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals by retired military men and women, and other qualified veterans. Resolution Chapter 66, Statutes of 1996