BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1401
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Date of Hearing: April 28, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS
Jacqui Irwin, Chair
AB 1401
(Baker) - As Introduced February 27, 2015
SUBJECT: Veterans: student financial aid
SUMMARY: Requests the Office of the Adjutant General to, among
other things, make copies of the enrollment fee waiver
application of the Board of Governors of the California
Community Colleges and the Free Application for Federal Student
Aid (FAFSA) available to each member of the California National
Guard, the State Military Reserve, and the Naval Militia not
having a baccalaureate degree. Requests the Office of the
Adjutant General to assist these persons in completing these
forms, as needed. Requests that the Adjutant General also make
available additional information regarding the federal Post-9/11
GI Bill and the California National Guard Education Assistance
Award Program, and contact information for veterans' educational
assistance.
EXISTING LAW: Existing law provides various benefits for
veterans including the GI Bill, National Guard Education
Assistance Award Program, and other state and federal benefits.
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FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown
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|COMMENTS: According to the author: |
| |
| This bill will add Section 981.8 to the Military and Veterans |
| Code. Section 981.8 reinstates the law that expired on January |
| 1, 2012, and requests the Office of the Adjutant general |
| annually to provide all of the following available resources |
| to each member of the California National Guard, the State |
| Military Reserve, and the Naval Militia who do not have a |
| baccalaureate degree: (1) a copy of the enrollment fee |
| waiver application of the Board of Governors of the California |
| Community Colleges; (2) a copy of the Free Application for |
| Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); (3) a copy of the latest brochure |
| of information relative to the current Post-9/11 GI Bill; (4) |
| a copy of the latest brochure of information relative to the |
| California National Guard Education Assistance Award Program; |
| (5) contact information for a county Veterans Service Officer |
| or the division responsible within the California Department |
| of Veterans Affairs for higher education or the California |
| National Guard, and (6) any necessary assistance required to |
| complete the aforementioned forms. |
| |
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|AB 547 (Liu, 2003) created a package of new post-secondary |
|education incentives benefits (the biggest being a student loan |
|assumption program), for California National Guard members both |
|to recognize their service and to incentivize participation in |
|the Guard at a time when the United States was in armed conflict |
|in Iraq. The section concerning information dissemination was at |
|the end of the bill and was likely intended to increase |
|awareness about the new Loan Assumption program. |
| |
|The new program would be administered by the Student Aid |
|Commission, which explains why most of the information |
|dissemination concerned higher education benefits and forms. |
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|Pertinent legislative intent was: |
| |
| Section 1 (d) Postsecondary education benefit incentive |
| programs have been highly successful in providing enlistment |
| and retention inducements for maintaining and strengthening |
| national guard and reserve programs in other states. |
| |
| (e) It is the intent of the Legislature to further the public |
| purposes served by the California National Guard, the State |
| Military Reserve, and the Naval Militia by providing |
| enlistment and retention inducements by making postsecondary |
| education benefits available to members serving the state |
| faithfully for a period of at least one year. |
| |
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AB 547 contained a sunset provision and the particular section
at issue in this bill, MVC 918.8, ceased to operate as part of
the sunset of the program created by the bill.
The wording of the section proposed by the bill before the
Committee is slightly different than the 2003 bill, to reflect
the sunset of the Loan Assumption Program and other changes
since 2003.
Conditions have changed since 2003 and the context of the bill
before the Committee is different than the context of AB 547; no
major new higher education programs are being created by this
bill, the operation tempo of United States' armed conflicts has
decreased, the overall troop strength of the military is
generally in a period of contraction, etc. However, the bill is
permissive, very modest in scope, either wholly or nearly
reflective of the current practice of the Department, and the
information dissemination requested is achievable using the
Internet. The goal of connecting servicemembers with all of the
benefits to which they are entitled is consistent with state
policy.
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Technical Suggestions: If the bill progresses the author may
wish to consider including information dissemination about the
College Tuition Fee Waiver for Veteran Dependents. This
benefit, though not for the student veteran him or herself,
waives mandatory system-wide tuition and fees at any State of
California Community College, California State University, or
University of California campus for certain eligible dependents
of veterans (including spouses). The value and impact of this
benefit to eligible recipients cannot be overstated.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
AMVETS, Department of California
California Association of County Veteran Service Officers
County of Contra Costa
Military Officers Association of America, California Council of
Chapters
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of California
Opposition
None on File.
Analysis Prepared by:John Spangler / V.A. / (916) 319-3550
AB 1401
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