HEARINGS ON NEW BILLS START MARCH 24TH

In the final hours before the February 22 deadline, many bills were finally introduced in the State Legislature. It is interesting the, even with all the reports concerning the fiscal crisis in the State, most of these bills would require funding or reductions in the tax receipts. The committees are expected to start hearings on the bills on March 24, after the legislators return from their scheduled Spring Recess.

The following is a partial list of some bills related to veterans affairs:

AB 1758 Postsecondary education. (Chuck DeVore, Irvine)
Would create the California National Guard Education Assistance Program, for the purpose of promoting recruitment and retention of members of the California National Guard. Would also provide for covering the costs of the program by repealing the existing provision in the Education that permits aliens without lawful immigration status to attend the State Universities and Colleges by paying the lower fees for California residents.
Scheduled for hearing by Assembly Committee on Higher Education on March 25.
This bill is supported by the California State Commanders Veterans Council.

AB 2055 Military Personnel: Combat Stress Support Team Program. (Mary Salas, Chula Vista)
Would require the Military Department to create a Combat Stress Support Team Program, to provide emergency crisis counseling, referral and personal support, combat stress evaluations, and mental health support for state military personnel and their families.
This bill is supported by the California State Commanders Veterans Council.

AB 2429 Extracurricular activities: Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) programs. (Audra Strickland, Westlake Village)
Would require that a school or school district that prohibits Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) programs from being established or conducting activities on its campus or campuses, or that prohibits or hinders its pupils from participating in an off-campus JROTC program, be prohibited from expending state funds on any extracurricular activity.

AB 2449 Military service: privileges: job protection. (Mike Davis, Los Angeles)
Would allow a city attorney of the city in which an employer maintains a place of business to act as an attorney on behalf of a service member against an employer who fails or refuses to comply with the provisions of the law which provide protections to members of the National Guard and the military reserves to return to their jobs after they complete a period of active service. (Note: At the present time, a County District Attorney may act on behalf of the service member.)

AB 2557 Vehicles: special license plates. (Chuck DeVore, Irvine)
Would provide for the issuance of special license plates for an active member of the California National Guard who furnishes a certificate provided by the Adjutant General and would exempt these license plates from the payment of a $40 application fee and a $30 transfer fee.

AB 2568 Property Tax exemption: principal residence: veterans and their unmarried surviving spouses. (Guy Houston, Livermore)
Would fully exempt from property taxation, beginning with the lien date for the 2009–10 fiscal year, the principal residence of a disabled veteran, the veteran’s spouse, and the unmarried surviving spouse of a disabled veteran and a veteran who died while on active duty as a result of a service-connected disease or injury.
For purposes of this section, a disabled veteran is one who is blind in both eyes, has lost the use of two or more limbs, or is totally disabled as a result of injury or disease incurred in military service.

AB 2577 Veterans: County Veterans Service Offices. (Mary Salas, Chula Vista)
States that Veteran service officers, within the Department of Veterans Affairs, should not be included in the proposed cuts to California’s budget for the 2008–09 fiscal year.

SB 1450 Sales and use taxes: exemptions: thrift stores operated by nonprofit organizations on military installations. (Bob Dutton, Rancho Cucamonga)
Would exempt from sales and use taxes the sales by a nonprofit organization that operates a thrift store on a military installation, whose purpose is to assist members of the Naval Services of the U.S., and eligible family members and survivors.

SB 1572 Veterans Bond Act of 2008. (Mark Wyland, San Juan Capistrano/Carlsbad)
Provides for submission of a bond proposal to the voters during the November 2008 election to provide for issuance of General Obligation Bonds to support the CAL-VET Farm and Home Loan Program. The new bonds are expected to be needed to fund new applications from veterans of OIF/OEF who will be eligible for the program with the expected changes to federal laws.

Information on all state legislation involving veterans issues is available at the website: http://www.califveterans.com
The bill listings are still being updated, but most veterans issues bills are now listed.

Bill Manes, Legislative Officer
California State Commanders Veterans Council

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