BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó




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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                       ACR 108|
          |Office of Senate Floor Analyses   |                              |
          |(916) 651-1520    Fax: (916)      |                              |
          |327-4478                          |                              |
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                                    THIRD READING


          Bill No:  ACR 108
          Author:   Mathis (R), et al.
          Amended:  2/23/16 in Senate
          Vote:     21

          ASSEMBLY FLOOR:  Read and adopted, 1/19/16

           SUBJECT:   Women's Military History Week


          SOURCE:    Author


          DIGEST:  This resolution proclaims the week of March 14 to March 20,  
          2016, inclusive as Women's Military History Week in California  
          and encourages Californians to recognize, among other things,  
          the contributions of women to our military and our freedom and  
          the historic lifting of the ban on women in combat on January  
          24, 2013.
          Senate Floor Amendments of 2/23/16 make technical,  
          non-substantive changes and add coauthors.


          ANALYSIS:  This resolution makes the following legislative  
          findings:


          1)January 24, 2016, marks the third anniversary of the lifting  
            of the ban on women in combat, which overturns a 1994 Pentagon  
            rule that restricted women from artillery, armor, and  
            infantry, among other combat roles, even though in reality  
            women have frequently found themselves in combat to Iraq and  
            Afghanistan.

          2)Former United State Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta  








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            initiated the lifting of the ban on women in combat in 2013  
            and on December 3, 2015, current United States Secretary of  
            Defense Ashton Carter directed the full integration of women  
            into all military branches.  Since the lifting of the ban,  
            three women have already made history by being the first to  
            graduate from the United States Army Ranger School, the Army's  
            premier combat leadership course.

          3)Approximately 300,000 women in uniform have served in the wars  
            in Iraq and Afghanistan and these female members have earned  
            more than 10,000 combat action badges and Bronze Stars,  
            respectively, and at least 12 Bronze Stars with Valor.

          4)As a country based on freedom and opportunity, regardless of  
            creed, race, gender, or sexual orientation, we must  
            demonstrate the same opportunity in our armed forces, while  
            maintaining the same standard of excellence our military has  
            set.  Opening up combat roles to women will add to the  
            military excellence, not subtract from it.

          This resolution proclaims the week of March 14 to March 20,  
          2016, inclusive as Women's Military History Week in California  
          and encourages Californians to recognize, among other things,  
          the contributions of women to our military and our freedom and  
          the historic lifting of the ban on women in combat on January  
          24, 2013.


          FISCAL EFFECT:   Appropriation:    No          Fiscal  
          Com.:NoLocal:    No


          SUPPORT:   (Verified1/27/16)


          American Legion, Department of California
          AMVETS, Department of California
          California Association of County Veterans Service Officers
          California State Commanders Veterans Council
          Military Officers Association of America, California Council of  
          Chapters
          Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of California








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                                                                    Page  3



          Vietnam Veterans of America, California State Council


          OPPOSITION:   (Verified1/27/16)


          None received





          Prepared by:  Jonas Austin / SFA / (916) 651-1520
          2/24/16 15:19:24


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