Legislative Update Report - March 17, 2007

[boardman]

Legislative Update Report - California Veterans Affairs - March 17, 2007

There are, at the present time, over 50 bills in the State Legislature which concern veterans issues. The legislative committees are now beginning to schedule hearings on the bills. The following is a review of just a few that are coming up for hearings in the near future.
(Note: All of these bills are supported by the Council, and the authors have been so notified.)

AB 279 Unlawful demonstrations: military funerals. (Bob Huff, City of Industry)
Would make it an infraction, punishable by a fine not exceeding $250, for a person to engage in disruptive activity at a funeral of a member or former member of the Armed Forces during the time period beginning one hour prior to the funeral and ending one hour after the conclusion of the funeral.
Scheduled for a hearing in the Assembly Committee on Judiciary March 27.
ACTION REQUESTED: The following are members of this Committee. Constituents of these Assemblymembers are requested to contact them and request their support for the bill:
Dave Jones (Chair), (District 10, Sacramento); Van Tran (Vice Chair) (District 68, Costa Mesa, Garden Grove, Westminster, Fountain Valley); Anthony Adams (District 58, Hesperia, Apple Valley, Glendora, Claremont, San Dimas); Noreen Evans, (District 7, Santa Rosa, Napa, Vallejo); Mike Feuer (District 42, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood); Rick Keene (District 3, Chico, Paradise, Truckee, Susanville); Paul Krekorian (District 43, Glendale, Los Angeles, Burbank); John Laird (District 27, Santa Cruz, Morgan Hill, Seaside, Monterey, Marina, Pacific Grove); Lloyd Levine (District 40, Van Nuys, Northridge, Canoga Park); and Sally Lieber (District 22, San Jose, Santa Clara, Mountain View, Cupertino)
Members of the State Assembly are listed at: http://www.Cali.com/State%20Assembly.htm
Information provided on this page includes both the mail address and e-mail or other electronic mail addresses.

AB 11 Vehicles: special license plates. (National Guard) (Chuck DeVore, Irvine)
Provides for the issuance of special license plates by the department for an active member of the California National Guard and exempts the license plates from the payment of a $40 application fee and a $30 transfer fee.
Scheduled for hearing by Assembly Committee on Transportation March 26.

AB 767 Student financial aid: veterans and dependents. (Mimi Walters, Laguna Niguel)
Would prohibit the University of California, the California State University, or the California Community Colleges from charging any mandatory systemwide tuition or fees, including enrollment fees, registration fees, differential fees, or incidental fees, to a California resident who was a member of the armed forces of the United States who enlisted therein while he or she was a California resident, or as a member of the California National Guard, the State Military Reserve, or the Naval Militia, at any time on or after December 7, 1941, and has exhausted all federal educational benefits for which he or she is eligible. The bill would also provide the same benefit to the child of such a veteran.
Scheduled for a hearing by the Assembly Committee on Higher Education March 27.

AB 950 Public postsecondary education: resident classification: military veterans and members of their immediate families. (Mary Salas, Chula Vista)
This bill would remove the current one year limitation for graduate students at California State University or University of California who are on active duty in the Armed Forces and stationed in California, and who are granted residency classification for purposes of determining tuition and fee payments.
The bill would additionally entitle members of the military reserves and military veterans, as well as members of the immediate families of those persons, to resident classification.

Complete information on all state legislation involving veterans issues is available at the website: http://www.Califveterans.com

Bill Manes, Legislative Officer