BILL NUMBER: SB 637 CHAPTERED 09/15/99 CHAPTER 404 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 15, 1999 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR SEPTEMBER 15, 1999 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 26, 1999 PASSED THE SENATE MAY 13, 1999 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 7, 1999 INTRODUCED BY Senator Baca (Coauthors: Senators Johannessen and Solis) (Coauthors: Assembly Members Alquist, Briggs, Havice, Honda, Knox, Kuehl, Leach, Oller, Romero, Washington, and Zettel) FEBRUARY 24, 1999 An act to amend Section 18979 of the Government Code, and to amend Section 891 of, and to repeal Section 891 of, the Military and Veterans Code, relating to veterans. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 637, Baca. Veterans . (1) Existing law provides for the making of appointments to state civil service positions and specifies preferences for the appointment of disabled veterans' outreach program representatives in the following order: (a) a disabled veteran of the Vietnam era, (b) any other disabled veteran, and (c) any veteran. This bill would revise that order of preference to (a) any disabled veteran and (b) any veteran. In addition, the bill would specify that for these purposes, "disabled veteran" and "veteran" have the same meaning as those terms are defined in a specified provision of federal law relating to the employment and training of veterans. (2) Existing law establishes various educational benefits for dependents of veterans who were killed during military service or totally disabled, as specified. Existing law entitles a veteran's dependent, who attained eligibility for benefits while under 21 years of age, to receive certain educational benefits until he or she attains the age of 27 years or until the training is no longer needed, whichever occurs first. Existing law excludes dependent widows from this limitation. Existing law, which is to be repealed on January 1, 2000, also excludes a veteran's spouse from this limitation. This bill would delete the January 1, 2000, repeal date regarding a veteran's spouse, thereby excluding for an indefinite period a veteran's spouse from the above limitation for educational benefits. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 18979 of the Government Code is amended to read: 18979. (a) In making appointments to positions performing the duties of disabled veterans' outreach program representatives in the disabled veterans' outreach program or successor program of the Employment Development Department, appointments shall be made in the following order of preference: (1) Any disabled veteran. (2) Any veteran. (b) For the purposes of this section, "disabled veteran" and "veteran" have the same meaning as those terms are defined in Section 4211 of Title 38 of the United States Code. (c) A person who does not meet the criteria specified in subdivision (a) shall not be appointed to the position of disabled veterans' outreach program representative. SEC. 2. Section 891 of the Military and Veterans Code, as amended by Section 1 of Chapter 822 of the Statutes of 1996, is amended to read: 891. (a) A dependent of a veteran applying for aid under this article shall be over 14 years of age or shall have entered the ninth grade, and shall be a native of or shall have lived in this state for five of the nine years immediately preceding the date that the application is filed. (b) Any dependent of a veteran who has attained eligibility pursuant to this article while under 21 years of age may continue to receive the benefits of this article until the needed training is completed or until he or she attains the age of 27 years, whatever first occurs. (c) The eligibility limitations of subdivision (b) shall not apply to the spouse or dependent widow of a veteran. However, the spouse or dependent widow of a veteran shall be limited to not more than 48 months, of full-time training, or the equivalent thereof in part-time training. (d) Notwithstanding the eligibility limitations of subdivision (b), a dependent who has honorably served in the Armed Forces of the United States may be granted an extension of training through the age of 30 years. (e) The eligibility limitations of subdivisions (a) and (b) shall not apply to the dependent of a veteran as defined in paragraph (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 890. SEC. 3. Section 891 of the Military and Veterans Code, as added by Section 2 of Chapter 822 of the Statutes of 1996, is repealed.