BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2664
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 2664 (Quirk-Silva)
As Amended April 1, 2014
Majority vote
VETERANS AFFAIRS 8-0 APPROPRIATIONS 17-0
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|Ayes:|Quirk-Silva, Dababneh, |Ayes:|Gatto, Bigelow, |
| |Brown, Eggman, Fox, | |Bocanegra, Bradford, Ian |
| |Melendez, Muratsuchi, | |Calderon, Campos, |
| |Salas | |Donnelly, Eggman, Gomez, |
| | | |Holden, Jones, Linder, |
| | | |Pan, Quirk, |
| | | |Ridley-Thomas, Wagner, |
| | | |Weber |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Establishes a California National Guard Military
Family Relief Fund (the New Fund) within the existing California
Military Department Support Fund, and transfers money from the
California Military Family Relief Fund (the Old Fund) to the New
Fund. Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires that the California Military Department Support Fund
shall include the New Fund a special fund as established
within the California Military Department Support Fund.
2)Specifies that for accounting and recordkeeping purposes, the
California Military Department Support Fund shall be deemed to
be a single special fund, and any special funds therein shall
constitute and be deemed to be a separate account in the
California Military Department Support Fund.
3)Mandates that each account or fund shall be available for
expenditure only for the purposes as are now or may hereafter
be provided by law.
4)Establishes the New Fund as an account within the California
Military Department Support Fund for the purpose of providing
financial aid grants to members of the California National
Guard who are California residents and who have been called to
active duty.
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5)Requires the Military Department to establish eligibility
criteria for the grants by January 1, 2015.
6)Directs that the grant criteria shall include, but not be
limited to, a demonstration of financial need.
7)Requires that in addition to grant criteria established by the
Military Department members of the California National Guard
must show proof of all of the following to be eligible to
receive a grant:
a) Current membership in the California National Guard.
b) Residency in California.
c) Deployment to active duty for at least 60 consecutive
days.
8)Mandates that grants awarded may be used only for food,
housing, childcare, utilities, medical services, medical
prescriptions, insurance, and vehicle payments.
9)Directs that California National Guard members shall not be
eligible to receive a grant if the member receives a punitive
discharge or an administrative discharge with service
characterized as under other than honorable conditions.
10)Requires the Adjutant General to conduct annual audits of the
California Military Department Support Fund and the New Fund
and to report findings to the Department of Finance.
11)Transfers on January 1, 2015, any and all moneys remaining in
the Old Fund to the New Fund.
12)Directs that the moneys transferred shall continue to be
disbursed in accordance with the original intent of the
contributions made by taxpayers to the Old Fund.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee:
1)Absent this bill, $1.2 million would revert to the
General Fund from the Military Family Relief Fund January
AB 2664
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1, 2015. These funds are the proceeds of a state income
tax check-off that was operative from 2005 through 2009,
inclusive. The check-off was repealed after 2009 for
failing to reach the $250,000 minimum contribution level
in that year.
2)The new Family Relief Fund has no funding source. It
could, however, receive fund transfers from the
California Military Department Support Fund.
COMMENTS : Rather than revert to the General Fund, this bill
extends the time for disbursement of relief funds to California
National Guard families in crisis arising out of active duty
service. Though deployments are generally decreasing,
California National Guard members are still called to active
duty for overseas deployment and for other purposes.
Unfortunately these periods of active duty too often result in a
net income loss to the California National Guard member's
family. In short, there is still a need for the money in the
Old Fund. Finally, the continued availability of this relief
money, with the eligibility criteria specified, is in accord
with the donors' intent, as opposed to reversion of the funds to
the General Fund.
Analysis Prepared by : John J. Spangler / V.A. / (916)
319-3550
FN: 0003594