AB 287, Frazier. Vietnam veterans’ memorial: update.
Existing law authorized the construction of a memorial to California’s Vietnam veterans on the grounds of the State Capitol, as specified, and provided that funds for the construction of the memorial would be provided through private contributions. Existing law requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a statewide Veterans Memorial Registry, and to make it available on that department’s Internet Web site.
This bill, until January 1, 2020, would require the department to annually compile a list of names of Vietnam veterans to be added to the memorial, as specified. The bill would require the department to form a specified committee to review and consider requests from the public to include names on the memorial, as specified. The bill would authorize the names on the list to be added to the memorial if specified requirements are met, including that adequate private funding is available.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 1300) of Division 6 of the Military and Veterans Code is repealed.
Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 1300) is added to Division 6 of the Military and Veterans Code, to read:
For the purposes of this chapter, “Vietnam Veterans Memorial” means the memorial to California’s Vietnam veterans on the grounds of the State Capitol.
(a) The Department of Veterans Affairs shall compile a list of names of Vietnam veterans to be added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The department shall compile the list by November 1, 2014, and by November 1 of each year thereafter.
(b) The department shall form a committee by July 1, 2014, chaired by the secretary or his or her designee and consisting of three representatives from the California State Commanders Veterans Council and two representatives from the Vietnam Veterans of America, California State Council, to review and consider requests to include names on the memorial pursuant to the requirements of subdivision (c). The committee’s decisions shall be final.
(c) The list compiled pursuant to subdivision (a) shall contain the names of those deceased Vietnam veterans that are not included on the memorial at the time the list is compiled, including the names of veterans that were inadvertently left off of the memorial and the names of veterans who later died as a result of illness or injuries, including physical or mental injuries documented by the Department of Defense, the Veterans Administration, or licensed medical professionals, that can reasonably be assumed to have resulted from military service in the Vietnam war.
(d) Any veterans’ service organization or individual may submit the name of a veteran to the committee requesting it to be included on the list of names prepared pursuant to subdivision (a).
(e) The names on the list compiled pursuant to subdivision (a) may be added to the memorial if adequate private funding is available and there is sufficient space on the memorial to accommodate the names.
(f) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2020, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2020, deletes or extends that date.
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