Existing law creates the Department of Veterans Affairs, headed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, imbued with certain powers and duties with regard to providing services and support to veterans and their dependents and survivors. The department is authorized to cooperate and contract with the duly authorized representative of the United States government in carrying out its duties. Existing law provides various benefits to veterans and their dependents including opportunities for veterans to continue their education. Existing federal law provides educational awards for eligible active duty members and veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States. This bill would create the California State Accrediting Agency for Veterans Education (CSAAVE) within the department. The bill would require the CSAAVE to implement federal requirements and administer state requirements for an organization that is seeking authorization to offer education awards under federal law, as specified. The bill would authorize the department to adopt and amend regulations to implement these provisions. This bill would provide that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has signatory authority for the CSAAVE.
Existing law, the Cal Grant Program, establishes the Cal Grant A Entitlement Awards, the Cal Grant B Entitlement Awards, the California Community College Expanded Entitlement Awards, the California Community College Transfer Entitlement Awards, the Competitive Cal Grant A and B Awards, the Cal Grant C Awards, and the Cal Grant T Awards under the administration of the Student Aid Commission. Existing law, the Cal Grant Reform Act, revises and recasts the provisions establishing and governing the existing Cal Grant Program into a new Cal Grant Program. Existing law specifies that the act becomes operative only if General Fund moneys over the multiyear forecasts beginning in the 2024–25 fiscal year are available to support ongoing augmentations and actions, and if funding is provided in the annual Budget Act to implement the act. Under either Cal Grant Program that is operative, existing law establishes eligibility requirements for awards under the program for participating students attending qualifying institutions, including, among others, California residency requirements, as provided. Existing law establishes the Middle Class Scholarship Program (MCSP) under the administration of the commission. Existing law makes an undergraduate student eligible for a scholarship award under the MCSP if the student is enrolled at the University of California or the California State University, or enrolled in upper division coursework in a community college baccalaureate program, and meets certain eligibility requirements, including, among others, that the applicant meets the eligibility requirements for a Cal Grant. This bill would extend Cal Grant and MCSP eligibility to a student who was not a resident of California at the time of high school graduation or its equivalent but meets all other applicable eligibility requirements and is a dependent natural or adopted child, stepchild, or spouse of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States stationed outside of California on active duty, if the member of the Armed Forces of the United States otherwise maintains California as their state of legal residence. The bill also would make conforming changes.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. CEQA exempts from its requirements various projects, including, but not limited to, housing projects that meet certain requirements and activities and approvals related to certain prison facilities. This bill would exempt from the requirements of CEQA any activity or approval necessary for the completion of the Gypsum Canyon Veterans Cemetery in the County of Orange if specified conditions are met. To the extent that a local agency would be required to determine whether an activity or approval qualifies for this exemption, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would repeal this provision on January 1, 2030. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Gypsum Canyon Veterans Cemetery in the County of Orange. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
This measure would proclaim the week of September 15, 2025, to September 21, 2025, inclusive, as Military and Veterans Suicide Prevention Awareness Week in California.
SCR 28 designates September 28, 2025, as Gold Star Mothers' and Families' Day in California. This ceremonial resolution honors families who have lost a member in military service. It does not create new laws or alter existing policies; it simply recognizes these families through a formal state designation. The measure directly affects California residents by providing a designated day for public acknowledgment of Gold Star families' sacrifices.
This measure would urge the United States Congress to pass the Major Richard Star Act to ensure veterans with disabilities receive their full United States Department of Defense retirement pay and United States Department of Veterans Affairs disability compensation without offset.
This measure would redesignate a portion of State Highway 198, as described, in the County of Tulare as the Brigadier General Charles Young Memorial Highway. The measure would also request the Department of Transportation to update the signs identifying this highway, as specified.
This measure would designate the interchange on State Route 101 at Indianola Cutoff Undercrossing in the County of Humboldt as the Brad Mettam Memorial Interchange. The measure would request that the Department of Transportation determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources sufficient to cover the cost, erect those signs.
This measure would designate the Feather River Bridge and Overhead of State Highway Route 20 in the Cities of Marysville and Yuba City as the POW/MIA Bridge. The measure would request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering that cost, to erect those signs.
This measure would honor those service members who have served and are serving in our nation's military, and would recognize the month of May 2025 as National Military Appreciation Month.
