Legislative Report

VVA-CA State Council
Legislative Report
By: Pete Conaty

(Pete Conaty is a retired U.S. Army officer who served and was wounded in Vietnam. He worked in the State Assembly for ten years after he retired from the military. After leaving the Legislature, he established his lobbying firm in 1996. He has worked on veterans issues in California for the past 26 years.)

Pete Conaty, the Governmental Advocate for many Veterans Service Organizations issued the following statement today: "On behalf of my clients, they wish to thank Governor Brown for signing 18 veterans and military bills today. All these bills were either sponsored or supported by my clients."

Pete Conaty and Associates represents the following veterans organizations:

American Legion, Department of California

AMVETS, Department of California

California Association of County Veterans Service Officers

California State Commanders Veterans Council

Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of California

Vietnam Veterans of America, California State Council

VVA,CSC Final Chaptered Bill Report

The year began with over 100 veterans and military related bills being introduced. By the end of the legislative session, 45 bills had reached the Governor's office. Of these 45 bills, he signed 41 of them into law. Below is a list of bills that were signed or vetoed.

Many of the remaining bills that did not reach the Governor are considered still alive and can be moved forward next year after the Legislature reconvenes January 6, 2014.

Pete Conaty Pete Conaty & Associates 1107 9th Street, Suite 530 Sacramento, CA 95814 916-492-0550 916-492-8957 fax 916-768-8940-cell www.peteconaty.com

For more information on these bills or any others, go to: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html

VVA

CA AB 93

AUTHOR: Assembly Budget Committee TITLE: Taxation: Credits, Deductions, and Net Operating Losses LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Extends existing law regarding the designation and oversight of economic development areas and incentives to businesses operating in those areas, and provisions of the Personal Income Tax and Corporation Tax laws that provide tax credits for sales and use taxes paid for purchases, and hiring credits, and the interest deduction. Creates a Tax Credit Committee. Limits the number of certain tax credits. Exempts sales taxes for property used in manufacturing and for materials used by a construction contractor. Position: Support

CA AB 143

AUTHOR: Holden (D) TITLE: Use Tax: Exemption: National Guard: Transfer Orders LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Exempts from use taxes the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of tangible personal property, other than a vehicle, vessel, or aircraft, purchased while outside the state by a qualified service member, or a qualified service member's spouse or registered domestic partner, prior to the report date on official orders transferring the qualified service member to the state. Position: Support

CA AB 150

AUTHOR: Olsen (R) TITLE: State Parks: Armed Services: Fee Waiver LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Authorizes the State Department of Parks and Recreation to offer a veteran or current active duty or reserve military personnel of the United States Armed Forces or the National Guard of any state, a reduced fee or free day use of the California State Parks on Memorial Day and Veterans Day if certain conditions are met, including that proof is supplied. Position: Support

CA AB 151

AUTHOR: Olsen (R) TITLE: Local Government: Disabled Veterans: Assistance LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Authorizes the governing board of a county to grant financial assistance, relief, and support to a disabled veteran. Position: Support

CA AB 163

AUTHOR: Atkins (D) TITLE: Sales and Use Taxes Exemption: Military Thrift Store LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Extends provisions of existing law that exempts from sales and use taxes, the sale of and the storage, use, or other consumption of, tangible personal property by a designated entity that operates a thrift store on a military installation, whose purpose is to assist members of the Armed Forces of the United States, eligible family members, and survivors. Position: Support

CA AB 173

AUTHOR: Weber (D) TITLE: Postsecondary Education: Small Business Procurement LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Authorizes the California State University, and a community college district to award a contract for goods, services, or information technology with a specified value range to a certified small business, including a microbusiness and a disabled veteran business enterprise, without complying with specified competitive bidding requirements. Authorizes the University of California to award contracts for the same purposes with a specified value threshold. Position: Watch

CA AB 244

AUTHOR: Bonilla (D) TITLE: Vehicles: License Plates: Veterans LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to apply to the Department of Motor Vehicles to sponsor a veterans specialized license plate. Requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue the veterans specialized plates if the Department of Veterans' Affairs meets specified requirements. Requires these plates to be subject to specified additional fees, and that the fee revenues be deposited in the Veterans Service Office Fund, after deducting administrative costs. Position: Sponsor

CA AB 258

AUTHOR: Chavez (R) TITLE: State Agencies: Veterans LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Requires every state agency that requests on any written form or written publication, or through its Internet Web site, whether a person is a veteran, to request that information in a specified manner. Position: Watch

CA AB 287

AUTHOR: Frazier (D) TITLE: Vietnam Veterans' Memorial: Update LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to annually compile a list of names of Vietnam veterans to be added to the memorial. Requires that the Department of General Services annually add the names from the list to the memorial. Requires the Department to form a specified committee to review and consider request from the public to include names on the memorial. Authorizes the names on the list to be added, if specified requirements are met, including that adequate private funding is available. Position: Sponsor

CA AB 372

AUTHOR: Eggman (D) TITLE: Civil Service: Veterans' Preference in Hiring LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Provides that whenever a veteran, widow or widower of a veteran, or spouse of a 100% disabled veteran achieves a passing score on an entrance examination, he or she is required to be ranked in the top rank of the eligibility list. Provides an exception. Deletes the provision that excludes those examinations for a class having a requirement of both college graduation and 2 or more years of experience from the definition of an entrance examination for purposes of allowing preference points for veterans. Position: Support

CA AB 409

AUTHOR: Quirk-Silva (D) TITLE: Political Reform Act: Statements: Online Filing LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Authorizes the Fair Political Practices Commission to develop and operate an online system for filing statements of economic interests meeting specified requirements. Provides that with certain exceptions, filers would be authorized to use the system to meet requirements under the Act. Position: Support

CA AB 508

AUTHOR: Calderon I (D) TITLE: Debt Collection: Homeless Veterans LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Prohibits, for a specified time period, the issuance of an order for the garnishment of earnings or the levy of a bank account or the earnings of a homeless veteran for the enforcement and collection of fees, fines, forfeitures, or penalties imposed by a court due to the violation of a state or local law related to loitering, curfew violations, or illegal lodging if the court has reason to believe that the debtor is a homeless veteran. Position: Support

CA AB 526

AUTHOR: Melendez (R) TITLE: Military Service: Benefits LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Provides protection for military service members with respect to the deferral of obligations. Requires a service member to deliver to a lender a letter signed under penalty of perjury requesting a deferment of financial obligation. Extends deferral provisions and reinstatement of health care coverage to a reservist called to active duty. Authorizes deferral of utility payments, obligations secured by mortgages, deeds of trust, credit cards, retail installment accounts, vehicle loans and property taxes. Position: Support

CA AB 530

AUTHOR: Quirk-Silva (D) TITLE: Vote by Mail Ballots: Telephone Applications LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Creates an exception in existing law concerning Vote By Mail procedures, by authorizing a local elections official to offer a voter the ability to apply for a vote by mail voter's ballot by telephone. Requires a telephone applicant for a vote by mail voter's ballot to provide specified information to the elections official. Prohibits a person from applying for a vote by mail voter's ballot by telephone using the name of, or on behalf of, another person. Position: Support

CA AB 555

AUTHOR: Salas (D) TITLE: Social Security Numbers LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Declares that provisions of existing law do not prevent an adult state correctional facility, an adult city jail, or an adult county jail, from releasing an inmate's social security number, with the inmate's consent and upon request of the county veterans service officer or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, for the purposes of determining the inmates' status as a military veteran and his or her eligibility for federal, state, or local veteran's benefits or services. Position: Support

CA AB 556

AUTHOR: Salas (D) TITLE: Fair Employment and Housing Act: Military Veterans LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Relates to the Fair Employment and Housing Act. Adds military and veteran status to the list of categories protected from employment discrimination. Provides an exemption for an inquiry by an employer regarding military or veteran status for the purpose of awarding a veteran's preference as permitted by law. Position: Support

CA AB 557

AUTHOR: Yamada (D) TITLE: Veterans Homes: Accounting of Charges LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Requires a statement contained in the quarterly statement or accounting regarding a Veteran's Home also specify that the home may use a deceased veteran's money or personal property that is outside the home for payment of unreimbursed costs of care. Requires the statement or accounting and any notice relating to those statements posted in any veterans home to be in specified font size or larger. Position: Watch

CA AB 639

AUTHOR: Perez J (D) TITLE: Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention Bond Act LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Amends the Veterans' Bond Act of 2008 to reduce the amount of bonds that are authorized to be issued under the Act. Enacts the Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention Bond Act of 2014 to authorize the issuance of bonds for expenditure by specified Departments to provide multifamily housing to veterans. Authorizes the Legislature to amend the provisions of the Act by a majority vote. Imposes a specified reporting requirement. Position: Support

CA AB 717

AUTHOR: Chavez (R) TITLE: Veterans LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Requires the State Veterans Board to advise the Department of Veterans Affairs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on policies for operations. Requires the Department to respond to all proposed changes offered by the Board. Eliminates certain qualification for board membership. Repeals a board reporting requirement. Requires the Secretary and the Board to each seek to confer with the State Commanders Veterans Council a minimum amount of times per calendar year on issues affecting veterans in the state. Position: Support

CA AB 955

AUTHOR: Williams (D) TITLE: Community Colleges: Intersession Extension Programs LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Authorizes community college districts to establish and maintain extension programs meeting specified characteristics at specified campuses during the summer and winter intersessions. Requires a district establish such a program to collect and keep specified records related to the program and to submit the information in those records to the Office of the Chancellor, for submission to the Legislative Analyst's Office for submission to the Legislature. Position: Support

CA AB 960

AUTHOR: Campos (D) TITLE: Status of Women and Girls Commission LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Relates to the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. Requires one of the public members appointed by the Governor to the Commission to be a veteran or a member of the military. Position: Support

CA AB 1005

AUTHOR: Alejo (D) TITLE: Judicial Appointments: Demographic Data LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Amends existing law that requires specified entities to annually collect demographic data relating to judicial applicants, judicial appointees or nominees, judicial candidates and justices and judges, relative to ethnicity, race and gender. Expands those provisions to include the collection of demographic data relative to disability and veterans status. Requires the data to be released beginning in a specified year. Encourages consideration of candidates from diverse backgrounds. Position: Support

CA AB 1057

AUTHOR: Medina (D) TITLE: Professions and Vocations: Licenses: Military LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Amends an existing law which provides for the licensure and regulation of various professions and vocations by boards within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Requires each board to inquire in every application for licensure if the individual applying for licensure is serving in, or has previously served in, the military. Position: Support

CA AB 1094

AUTHOR: Brown (D) TITLE: CalWORKs: Eligibility LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Expands the definition of disability-based unearned income under the CalWORKs program to include veteran's disability compensation. Position: Support

CA AB 1289

AUTHOR: Cooley (D) TITLE: State Government: Vietnam Veterans Memorial LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Establishes the California Vietnam Veterans Memorial as the official state Vietnam veterans war memorial. Position: Support

CA AB 1410

AUTHOR: Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee TITLE: Courts-Martial Appellate Panel LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Establishes the Courts-Martial Appellate Panel. Authorizes the panel to be convened by the President of the United States, the Governor, or the Adjutant General. Provides the panel would have power over the issuance of extraordinary writs relative to specified matters and adjudicating appeals of sentences of a court-martial. Position: Watch

CA ACR 7

AUTHOR: Wagner (R) TITLE: Korean War Armistice Day LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Proclaims July 27, 2013, as Korean War Armistice Day, and urges Californians to remember the Korean War and those who fought against communism. Position: Support

CA ACR 11

AUTHOR: Muratsuchi (D) TITLE: Day of Remembrance LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Declares February 19, 2013, as a Day of Remembrance in order to increase public awareness of the events surrounding the internment of Americans of Japanese ancestry during World War II. Position: Support

CA ACR 36

AUTHOR: Atkins (D) TITLE: Veterans: Treatment Courts and Review Calendars LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Encourages all superior courts to consider establishing veterans treatment courts or veterans treatment review calendars to assist troubled veterans who have service-related mental health issues. Position: Sponsor

CA AJR 19

AUTHOR: Pan (D) TITLE: Veterans' Benefits LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Urges Congress and the President to provide benefits, including applicable spousal benefits, to those veterans discriminated against solely on the basis of their sexual orientation. Position: Watch

CA SB 50

AUTHOR: Lieu (D) TITLE: Telecommunications: Pay Telephones LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Requires that specified requirements listed in existing law regarding the regulation and operation of coin-activated and credit card-activated telephones for public use, which is not owned by a telephone corporation apply to a telephone available for public use that accepts any form of payment and requires the owners and operators of these telephones to post additional information and to comply with additional specified information. Position: Support

CA SB 76

AUTHOR: Senate Budget & Fiscal Review Committee TITLE: Public Safety LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Relates to allocating local law enforcement funding on a monthly basis, gambling control, requirements to conduct remote caller bingo, mandatory supervision of a felon released from a county jail, parole supervision, postrelease community supervision, the medical status of a person on postrelease community supervision, jail inmate sentence credit for custody work or job training, and county reception centers. Commentary: Remote Caller Bingo

CA SB 90

AUTHOR: Galgiani (D) TITLE: Economic Development: Taxation: Credits:Exemption LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Extends the application of the sales and use tax exemption for property used in manufacturing, processing, refining, fabricating, or recycling of property, used in research and development and and eliminates the property must be used within a designated census tract or former enterprise zone. Provides definitions under State income tax laws for employment-related tax credits and relates to the first year allocation of credit amounts and the taxable years for which the credits may be claimed. Position: Support

CA SB 106

AUTHOR: Monning (D) TITLE: Veterans Cemetery at Fort Ord Endowment Fund LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Authorizes the Department of Finance to enter into any financial agreement to receive cash advances in the Central Coast State Veterans Cemetery Fort Ord Endowment Fund, provided that the agreement does not require the state to repay or make payments on cash advances and that the agreement is reviewed and approved by the department. Provides the procedures for the development and submission for state veterans cemetery grant program application. Provides the conditions which would require refunds. Position: Support

CA SB 119

AUTHOR: Calderon R (D) TITLE: Crematories: Burning of Flags LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Authorizes the incineration of one or more American flags, performed separately from the cremation of human remains and in accordance with specified federal law, during the period within one week before or after specified holidays. Requires a crematory to record and maintain on its premises information regarding the incineration of American flags. Position: Support

CA SB 134

AUTHOR: Hueso (D) TITLE: CalFresh Eligibility LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Requires participating counties to defer from the CalFresh Employment and Training program a person who is a veteran who has been honorably discharged from the U.S. Armed Forces. Requires a participating county that has a veteran applying for such benefits, and is exempt from mandatory placement in the program, be provided with a referral to the local veterans service office and to local veterans' assistance and job training agencies and given the opportunity to participate as a volunteer in the program. Position: Support

CA SB 232

AUTHOR: Monning (D) TITLE: Central Coast State Veterans Cemetery Fort Ord Fund LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Relates to the State Central Coast State Veterans Cemetery at Fort Ord Endowment Fund. Requires any moneys to be allocated to the Department of Veterans Affairs for the nonreimbursable costs of design and construction and the annual operations and maintenance costs of the veterans cemetery. Makes an appropriation to the Endowment Fund for the construction of the cemetery. Provides for transfers of funds for a related loan. Position: Watch

CA SB 272

AUTHOR: Corbett (D) TITLE: Advertising: Military Endorsements LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Authorizes any person, firm, corporation or association that is a nongovernmental entity to advertise or promote any public gathering using a seal, emblem, insignia, trade or brand name, or any other term, symbol or content, if the nongovernmental entity has an expressed connection with, or the approval or endorsement of, a federal, state or local government, military veteran entity or military or veteran service organization. Allows the use of such seals on solicitations. Position: Sponsor

CA SB 290

AUTHOR: Knight (R) TITLE: Nonresident Tuition Exemption: Veterans LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Makes an exemption from payment of nonresident tuition provided to an eligible veteran applicable to a student enrolled, or intending to enroll, at a campus of the California Community Colleges, as a undergraduate at the California State University, if he or she files an affidavit stating specified information about residency and uses the exemption within a specified time period of being discharged. Requests related actions by the University of California Regents. Position: Support

CA SB 440

AUTHOR: Padilla (D) TITLE: Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Requires community colleges to create an associate degree for transfers in every major and area of emphasis offered by that college for any approved transfer model curriculum. Requires California State University campuses to accept transfer model curriculum-aligned associate degrees for transfer in every major or concentration offered by the University. Provides the conditions for a guarantee of admission for such students. Requires a marketing strategy. Relates to high school outreach programs. Position: Support

CA SB 594

AUTHOR: Hill (D) TITLE: Use of Public Resources LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Prohibits a nonprofit organization from using, or permitting another to use public resources received from a local agency for campaign activity. Provides for a civil cause of action for damages for violations. Provides bank account requirements for the organizations. Requires the organizations to disclose funding to the Franchise Tax Board and to post same on its Internet Web site. Authorizes audits of those accounts by the Board and a report of the audit to the Attorney General. Authorizes civil penalties. Position: Watch

CA SB 720

AUTHOR: Correa (D) TITLE: Military Service: Benefits LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Authorizes, in the case of an obligation payable in installments under a contract for the purchase of real estate, or secured by a mortgage or other instrument, a deferment of the payments due on the obligation for a period equal to a service member's period of service. Prohibits interest being charged during that period. Prohibits foreclosure on a deferred property. Requires the continuance of monthly payments on impound accounts. Relates to making deferred mortgage payments. Position: Support

CA SB 725

AUTHOR: Anderson (R) TITLE: Veterans Buildings and Memorials LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Amends existing law stating a county may not revoke the dedication of specified facilities to a veterans' association, so long as the veterans' association has not violated the dedication, unless it dedicates substitute facilities or unless the organization has either consented to the proposed county action or has abandoned its use of the facilities. Extends the law to cities, cities and counties, and nonprofit veteran service agencies. Provides conditions where the property is not considered abandoned. Position: Sponsor

CA SB 759

AUTHOR: Nielsen (R) TITLE: Firearms: State Military Museum and Resource Center LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Corrects an incorrect reference to the State Military Museum and Resources Center in provisions of existing law that provides that an officer having custody of any firearm that maybe useful to the state's armed forces, with his or her employers permission, deliver that firearm to any of specified entities, in lieu of destruction as otherwise required, and specified how firearms of the military museum and resource center may be disposed of. Authorizes the donation of specified weapons to such museums. Position: Watch

CA SB 769

AUTHOR: Block (D) TITLE: Veterans: Criminal Defendants LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Amends existing law that provides a person who has been convicted of a felony, or who is addicted to the use of a narcotic drug, and who owns, purchases, receives, or has in possession or under custody or control any firearm is guilty of a felony. Provides that dismissal of an accusation, information, or conviction pursuant to provisions relating to a defendant who served in the United State military, does not authorize the defendant to own, possess, or have in his or her custody or control any firearm. Position: Neutral

CA SB 815

AUTHOR: Senate Veterans Affairs Committee TITLE: Veterans LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Adds updated titles to state law to correspond with federal law regarding the federal Department of Veterans Affairs. Amends existing law that authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to assist a veteran and his or her dependents or survivors to make a claim against the U.S. arising out of war service and establishing a right to a privilege, care or compensation. Authorizes assistance for claims against the U.S. arising out of military service. Updates county service officer assistance requirements. Position: Support

CA SCR 27

AUTHOR: Jackson (D) TITLE: National Purple Heart Trail LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Designates specified portions of State Highway Route 101 in the counties of Santa Barbara and Ventura for inclusion in the National Purple Heart Trail. Position: Support

CA SCR 40

AUTHOR: Hueso (D) TITLE: Korean War Armistice Day LOCATION: Chaptered SUMMARY: Proclaims July 27, 2013 as Korean War Armistice Day. Position: Support

For full text of the bills, visit: http://leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html.

If you'd like to weigh in with the governor on a bill, you can do it here (http://govnews.ca.gov/gov39mail/mail.php).