BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 264|
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CONSENT
Bill No: AB 264
Author: Cook (R)
Amended: 6/25/09 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 7-0, 7/8/09
AYES: Romero, Huff, Alquist, Hancock, Liu, Maldonado,
Simitian
NO VOTE RECORDED: Padilla, Wyland
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 79-0, 5/4/09 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : State observance: Welcome Home Vietnam
Veterans Day
SOURCE : Vietnam Veterans of America, California State
Council
DIGEST : This bill designates March 30 of each year as
Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day, and calls for the day to
be observed by the public schools as a day of special
significance. The bill also requires the Governor to
annually proclaim March 30 as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans
Day.
ANALYSIS : Current law designates a number of days as
days having special significance, when public schools are
encouraged to conduct suitable commemorative exercises
integrated into the regular school programs. Current law
calls for the second Wednesday in May to be the Day of the
CONTINUED
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Teacher, April 21 each year to be John Muir Day and April 6
each year to be California Poppy Day. Current law also
requires the Governor to proclaim various days to remember
individuals or groups. These days include September 28 as
Cabrillo Day, January 15 as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Day; February 19 as "A Day of Remembrance: Japanese
American Evacuation," March 31, as Caesar Chavez Day; and
April 21 as John Muir Day.
This bill:
1. Makes various findings and declarations concerning the
contributions of those involved in the Vietnam conflict.
2. Designates March 30 of each year as "Welcome Home
Vietnam Veterans Day," to be a day having special
significance when all public schools and educational
institutions are encouraged to conduct exercises
recognizing the contributions of all those involved in
the Vietnam War and remembering the sacrifices they made
for their country.
3. Requires the Governor to annually proclaim March 30 as
"Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day."
The following are the findings and declaration found in
this bill:
1.In 2007, the United States Congress, by separate Senate
and House Resolutions, declared that a Welcome Home
Vietnam Veterans Day should be established.
2.The Vietnam War was fought in Vietnam from 1961 to 1975,
and involved North Vietnam and Viet Cong in conflict
with the United States and South Vietnam.
3.The United States became involved in Vietnam because
policymakers in the United States believed that if South
Vietnam fell to a communist government, communism would
spread throughout the rest of southeast Asia.
4.Members of the United States Armed Forces began serving
in an advisory role to the South Vietnamese in 1961.
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5.As a result of the Gulf of Tonkin incidents on August 2
and August 4, 1964, the United States overwhelmingly
passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (Public Law
99-408), on August 7, 1964, which effectively handed
over the war-making powers to President Johnson until
such time as "peace and security" had returned to
Vietnam.
6.In 1965, there were 80,000 United States troops in
Vietnam, and by 1969 a peak of approximately 543,000
troops was reached.
7.On January 27, 1973, the Treaty of Paris was signed,
which required the release of all United States
prisoners of war held in North Vietnam and the
withdrawal of all United States Armed Forces from South
Vietnam.
8.On March 30, 1973, the United States Armed Forces
completed the withdrawal of combat troops from Vietnam.
9.More than 58,000 members of the United State Armed
Forces lost their lives in Vietnam and more than 300,000
were wounded.
10.In 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in
the District of Columbia to commemorate those members of
the United States Armed Forces who died or were declared
missing in action in Vietnam.
11.The Vietnam War was an extremely divisive issue among
the people of the United States.
12.Upon their return home, members of the United States
Armed Forces who served bravely and faithfully for the
United States during the Vietnam War were caught in the
crossfire of public debate about the involvement of the
United States in the war.
13.The establishment of a Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day
would be an appropriate way to honor those members of
the United States Armed Forces who served in Vietnam
during the Vietnam War.
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Previous legislation
ACR 151 (Cook and DeVore), Resolution Chapter 163, Statutes
of 2008 , recognized December 10 through 14, 2008 as
"Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Week."
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 7/9/09)
Vietnam Veterans of America, California State Council
(source)
AMVETS, Department of California
American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees
American Legion, Department of California
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Arambula, Beall, Bill
Berryhill, Tom Berryhill, Blakeslee, Block, Blumenfield,
Brownley, Buchanan, Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter,
Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon,
DeVore, Duvall, Emmerson, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher,
Fong, Fuentes, Fuller, Furutani, Gaines, Galgiani,
Garrick, Gilmore, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi,
Hernandez, Hill, Huber, Jeffries, Jones, Knight,
Krekorian, Lieu, Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza,
Miller, Monning, Nava, Nestande, Niello, Nielsen, John A.
Perez, V. Manuel Perez, Portantino, Price, Ruskin, Salas,
Saldana, Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Audra
Strickland, Swanson, Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Tran,
Villines, Yamada, Bass
NO VOTE RECORDED: Huffman
DLW:do 7/9/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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