BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 258
Author: Chávez (R)
Amended: 4/23/13 in Assembly
Vote: 21
SENATE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE : 7-0, 6/11/13
AYES: Hueso, Knight, Block, Correa, Lieu, Nielsen, Roth
NO VOTE RECORDED: Vacancy
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 78-0, 4/29/13 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : State agencies: veterans
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires, on or after July 1, 2014, 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.
ANALYSIS : Existing law does not specify whether or how a
state agency should request to know if someone communicating
with that agency is in the military or is a veteran.
This bill:
1. Mandates that every state agency that inquires whether a
person is a veteran must request that information only in the
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following format: "Have you ever served in the United States
military?"
2. Specifies that this section applies only to a written form or
written publication that is newly printed on or after July 1,
2014.
Background
In 2011, the most recent data available from the U.S. Department
of Veterans Affairs, California veterans received an average
compensation and pension amount of $1,929. This was less than
the national average of $2,104. Increasing the participation
rate for California veterans would benefit the veterans and the
economy of the state.
According to the author's office, when residents are asked if
they are a veteran many will incorrectly answer in the negative.
The problem seems to be that the term "veteran" often has
connotative meanings can that restrict its practical
application. In the minds of many, "veteran" refers to older
men, who served in the military during World War Two, Korea or
Vietnam, wearing an American Legion or VFW uniform cap - and not
to younger persons, particularly women, who have served in the
military in the last two decades, or who may not have served in
combat. Many younger and/or female veterans more readily
self-identify as "prior military" or a similar term.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 6/28/13)
AFSCME, AFL-CIO
American Association of University Women - California
California Association of County Veterans Service Officers
Housing California
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author:
Currently California residents are simply asked, "Are you a
veteran?" Although a very simple question, many veterans
believe they are not true veterans because they have never
served in combat or, most commonly, because they are women.
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In 2011 the California Research Bureau [CRB] conducted a
survey on women, 63 of the 843 respondents (7.4%), marked that
they were not a veteran then included comments such as, "I
served in the Air Force," additionally the women stated "I
thought veteran benefits were only for men.
Furthermore, when the CRB held the ICV (Interagency Council on
Veterans) meetings in December 2011, and Jan. and Feb. 2012
both women in the services repeatedly stated that the, "Are
you a veteran?" question was insufficient for identifying
female veterans and men who had not served in combat.
Veterans who do not identify themselves can lose out on many
Federal Benefits for which they are entitled. Such benefits
include the GI Bill, disability compensation and pension,
access to free or reduced cost medical care, vocational rehab,
unemployment benefits, veteran home loans, burial benefits,
and survivor benefits.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 78-0, 4/29/13
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Bigelow, Bloom,
Blumenfield, Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Brown,
Buchanan, Ian Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chávez, Chesbro, Conway,
Cooley, Dahle, Daly, Dickinson, Donnelly, Eggman, Fong, Fox,
Frazier, Beth Gaines, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gordon, Gorell,
Gray, Grove, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Roger Hernández, Holden,
Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Linder, Logue, Lowenthal,
Maienschein, Mansoor, Medina, Melendez, Mitchell, Morrell,
Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Nestande, Olsen, Pan, Patterson,
Perea, V. Manuel Pérez, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon, Salas,
Skinner, Stone, Ting, Torres, Wagner, Waldron, Weber,
Wieckowski, Wilk, Williams, Yamada, John A. Pérez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Atkins, Vacancy
AL:k 7/1/13 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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