National Guard

G. NATIONAL GUARD

AB 1758 Postsecondary Education. (Chuck DeVore, Irvine. Coauthors, Assembly: Martin Garrick, Carlsbad; Doug LaMalfa, Redding; James Silva, Huntington Beach. Coauthors, Senate: Jim Battin, Palm Desert; Bob Dutton, Rancho Cucamonga; Dennis Hollingsworth, Temecula; George Runner, Lancaster; Mark Wyland, San Juan Capistrano.) [FAILED PASSAGE ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS MAY 22]
DESCRIPTION: Existing law requires that a person, who has attended high school in California for 3 or more years, who has graduated from a California high school or attained the equivalent thereof, who has registered at or attends an accredited institution of higher education in California and who, if he or she is an alien without lawful immigration status, has filed an affidavit as specified, is exempted from paying nonresident tuition at the California Community Colleges and the California State University. This bill would repeal that exemption.
This bill would also create the California National Guard Education Assistance Program, for the purpose of promoting recruitment and retention of members of the California National Guard.
NOTE: The purpose of the bill is to provide the education benefit for members of the National Guard and to provide for the costs of this program by repealing the provision that permits non-immigrant aliens to attend the state universities and colleges by paying non-resident fees.)
The bill was amended by the Committee on Higher Education to remove the section that repeals the exemption for aliens without lawful immigration status from paying nonresident tuition at State Colleges and Universities.

STATUS: Amended and passed by the Assembly Committee on Higher Education March 25 (vote 7-0). Passed by the Assembly Committee on Veterans Affairs April 17 (vote 9-0). Placed on Suspense File by the Assembly Committee on Appropriations May 7. Held under submission May 22.

SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: Officially supported by California State Commanders Veterans Council; Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of California; California Federation of Republican Women; Californians for Population Stabilization.
Officially opposed by American Civil Liberties Union; California State PTA; California State University; California Teachers Association; Community College league of California; Faculty Association of California Community Colleges; and a long list of groups representing immigrants and minorities. Many individuals present at the Committee hearing stating that they would remove their opposition if the bill was amended.

AB 2055 Military Personnel: Combat Stress Support Team Program. (Mary Salas, Chula Vista) [FAILED PASSAGE ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS]
DESCRIPTION: 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 would also require each support team to consist of a state psychologist with training in combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder.
Note: The bill is the same as AB 581 which was introduced in 2007 but which failed to pass the Senate Committee on Appropriations.

STATUS: Passed by Assembly Committee on Veterans Affairs April 15 (vote (-0). Placed on Suspense File by Committee on Appropriations May 14. Held under submission May 22.

NOTE; The Appropriations Committee refused to approve this bill even though the analysis indicated "minimum annual General Fund costs of about $200,000."

SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: Officially supported by California State Commanders Veterans Council; Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of California; California Association of County Veteran Service Officers; California Correctional Peace Officers Association; California Statewide Law Enforcement Association.

AB 2082 Student financial aid: military service. (Mary Salas, Chula Vista) [UPDATED AUGUST 17] [FAILED PASSAGE SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS]
DESCRIPTION: Existing law requires that priority for the Cal Grant B Entitlement awards be given to students with the lowest expected family contribution and the highest level of academic merit.
This bill would require that priority also be given to students serving in the California National Guard with at least 2 6 years of service.
As currently amended, the priority given to students who have served in the National Guard cannot be higher than the priority given to students who are considered to be disadvantaged by consideration of financial, educational, cultural, language, home, community, environmental, and other conditions that hamper a student's access to, and ability to persist in, postsecondary education programs.

NOTE: The Governor's budget proposes to end the Competitive Cal Grant Program. Although current law authorizes 22,500 new competitive awards annually, the Governor's budget includes no funding for new awards under this program in 2008-09. The Administration intends that the program be entirely phased out as existing recipients graduate or otherwise leave the program.
Both the Assembly and the Senate Budget Committees restored the funding, approximately $57 million for 22,500 awards. (This budget, of course, has not yet been approved by the Legislature -- or the Governor.)

STATUS: Passed by the Assembly Committee on Higher Education March 25 (vote 7-0), and by the Assembly Committee on Veterans Affairs April 15 (vote 9-0). Passed by Committee on Appropriations May 22 (vote 17-0). Passed by the Assembly May 29.
In the Senate, passed by the Senate Committee on Education June 30 (vote 9-0). Placed on Suspense File by Committee on Appropriations August 4. Held under submission August 7.
Bill is dead.

SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: Supported by the California State Commanders Veterans Council; American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees.

RECOMMENDATION: In the current form of the bill, the support should be removed.

AB 2449 Military service: privileges: job protection. (Mike Davis, Los Angeles. Coauthors: Chuck DeVore, Irvine; Anthony Portantino, Pasidena.) [UPDATED AUGUST 8] [CHAPTERED]
DESCRIPTION: Existing law provides protections for members of the National Guard ordered into active state or federal service for emergency purposes, and for reservists called to active duty. Protections are provided for these persons during their period of military service with respect to their private employment rights upon return from service, and authorizes a district attorney of the county in which an employer maintains a place of business to act as an attorney on behalf of a service member in any action against an employer who fails or refuses to comply with those provisions.
This bill would expand those provisions by additionally allowing 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 those provisions.

STATUS: Referred to Assembly Committees on Veterans Affairs and Judiciary. Passed by the Committee on Veterans Affairs April 1 (vote 9-0), and by the Judiciary Committee on April 8 (vote 10-0). Passed by Assembly Committee on Appropriations April 23 (vote 17-0). Passed by the Assembly May 1 (vote 76-0).
In the Senate, passed by the Committee on Judiciary June 16 (vote 5-0). Discharged from Committee on Appropriations June 30. Passed by the Senate July 3 (vote 36-0).
Assembly concurred with Senate amendments July 14.
Enrolled and to the Governor July 21.
Signed by the Governor August 1. CHAPTERED.

SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: Officially sponsored and supported by California State Commanders Veterans Council. Officially supported by Air Firce Sergeants Associatiion; Armed Forces Retirees Association of California; Jewish War Veterans of the USA; Legion of Valor; Marine Corps League; Military Order of the Purple Heart; Vietnam Veterans of America; City Attorney of Los Angeles; City Attorney of San Diego.

AB 2641 Military service protection: ombudsman. (Paul Cook, Yucaipa) [UPDATED AUGUST 17] [ENROLLED]
DESCRIPTION: Would require the Governor and each state agency and department to appoint an ombudsman to take complaints, as specified, and to resolve and coordinate the resolution of those complaints from state employees that are members of the California National Guard or members of a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States.

STATUS: Passed by Assembly Committee on Veterans Affairs April 15 (vote 9-0). Passed by Assembly Committee on Appropriations May 14 (vote 17-0). Passed by the Assembly May 22 (vote 76-0).
In the Senate, referred to Committees on Veterans Affairs and on Judiciary. Withdrawn from Committee on Veterans Affairs without hearing. Passed by Committee on Judiciary June 25 (vote 5-0). Passed by Committee on Appropriations August 4. Passed by the Senate August 7 (vote 39-0).
To enrollment.

SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: Officially supported by the California State Commanders Veterans Council.

AB 3020 Small business programs: National Guard members. (Mary Salas, Chula Vista)
DESCRIPTION: ~~Would add National Guard members who qualify as owning a small business to the population assisted by the Office of Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Services.~~
Bill has been amended. No longer a veterans interest bill.

SB 1290 National Guard: Educational Benefits. (Mark Wyland, San Juan Capistrano/Carlsbad) [FAILED PASSAGE SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS]
DESCRIPTION: Would require any campus of the University of California, the California State University, or the California Community Colleges to provide a tuition and fee waiver, as specified, to any qualified member of the California National Guard.

STATUS: Referred to Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. No hearing scheduled.

SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: Officially supported by the California State Commanders Veterans Council.

SB 1353 State employees: military benefits. (Gloria Negrete McLeod, Chino) [UPDATED AUGUST 9] [ENROLLED]
DESCRIPTION: Existing law authorizes a state employee who is a member of the California National Guard or a United States military reserve organization to receive specified compensation benefits for a period not to exceed 365 days if he or she is ordered to serve on active duty on and after September 11, 2001, as a result of the War on Terrorism.
Existing law authorizes the Governor to extend these benefits by executive order by up to an additional 365 days.
This bill instead would authorize the Governor to extend these benefits by executive order by up to an additional 1,460 days.

STATUS: Passed by the Senate Committee on Public Employment and Retirement April 14 (vote 5-0). Passed by Senate Committee on Appropriations April 28 (vote 10-0 with 5 abstentions). Passed by the Senate May 1 (vote 35-0).
In the Assembly, passed by the Committee on Veterans Affairs June 17 (vote 9-0), and Public Employment, Retirement, and Social Security June 25 (vote 6-0). Passed by Committee on Appropriations July 9 (vote 15-0). Passed by the Assembly August 7 (vote 75-0).
Returned to the Senate for enrollment.

SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: Supported by California Correctional Supervisors Organization; California Peace Officers Association; California Police Chiefs Association; California Narcotic Officers Association; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; Professional Engineers in the California Government; California State Employees Association; National Guard Association of California.

SB 1480 State Militia: Adjutant General: duties. (Mark Wyland, San Juan Capistrano/Carlsbad) [FAILED PASSAGE]
DESCRIPTION: This is a spot bill which will be amended later.

Note: This bill is, apparently, intended to replace SB 1290, above, by the same author. See also AB 1758, above.

STATUS: Passed by the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs March 25 (vote 5-0). Placed on Suspense File by the Senate Committee on Education April 9. Taken off Suspense File and passed by the Committee on Education April 17 (vote 9-0). Referred to Suspense File by Senate Committee on Appropriations May 19. Held under submission May 22.

SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: Officially supported by the Adjutant General, California Military Department (sponsor). Also sponsored by the Office of the Governor.