California Assembly Bill ACR36 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: ACR 36AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 13, 2015 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Gray FEBRUARY 27, 2015 Relative to the  Honor and Remember Flag.   California Association of County Veterans Service Officers.  LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST ACR 36, as amended, Gray.  The Honor and Remember Flag.   California Association of County Veterans Service Officers.   This measure would recognize the California Association of County Veterans Service Officers for helping veterans secure their federal and state benefits over the past 70 years.   This measure would designate the Honor and Remember Flag as the state's emblem of service, and encourage the display of that flag at all state military memorials, state veteran cemeteries, and certain other public displays.  Fiscal committee:  yes   no .  WHEREAS, Some California counties established County Veterans Service Officers (CVSOs) after World War I to assist California's veterans to obtain their hard-earned entitlement; and   WHEREAS, San Bernardino established the first CVSO office in California in 1926, and at least 10 other counties with large veteran populations also established CVSO offices between World War I and World War II; and   WHEREAS, At the end of World War II, most California counties recognized the need to help their returning veterans to obtain federal benefits, and quickly established CVSO offices in their counties; and   WHEREAS, In 1945, with the end of World War II and the return of thousands of veterans to California, the California Association of County Veterans Service Officers (CACVSO) was formed; and   WHEREAS, The CACVSO was created to assist returning veterans in accessing their earned entitlements as authorized by Congress, such as the GI Bill for education and the veteran home loan program, as well as compensation and pension benefits for wounded veterans and their families; and   WHEREAS, The CACVSO promotes state and federal legislation and policy supportive of veterans' rights and issues, in harmony with our national obligation to veterans of the United States Armed Forces; and   WHEREAS, The CACVSO provides a medium for the exchange of ideas, information, training, and support to facilitate delivery of services to nearly two million California veterans; and   WHEREAS, The CACVSO recognizes the importance and merit of the congressionally chartered veterans service organizations, and is committed to fostering a mutually beneficial relationship with them for the common good of all veterans, since it is the intent of all these organizations that every veteran residing in California receives the benefits and services to which they are entitled by law and moral obligation; and   WHEREAS, The CACVSO is an organization of professional veterans advocates whose purpose is to mutually promote the professionalism of all CVSOs; and   WHEREAS, Through CVSOs, the CACVSO is committed to California counties to provide a vital and efficient system of services and advocacy for veterans, their dependents, and their survivors; and   WHEREAS, The State of California has adopted and is currently using the CVSO model that is used in 27 other states as the primary method of delivering services to veterans; and   WHEREAS, In California, a CVSO plays a critical role in the veterans advocacy system and is often the initial contact in the community for veterans services; and   WHEREAS, The CVSOs and the California Department of Veterans Affairs work closely together to assist California's veterans in obtaining federal and state veterans benefits, with CVSOs serving as the "boots on the ground" for the department; and   WHEREAS, CVSOs are primarily funded by the counties, and receive some state funding; and   WHEREAS, Since 1995, CVSOs have assisted veterans in qualifying for and receiving $4.6 billion in federal benefits, which are sent directly to veterans and ultimately spent in the local economy; and   WHEREAS, In the 2013-14 fiscal year, CVSOs assisted California's veterans in filing claims with the federal government that resulted in payments of more than $545 million, an increase of over 23 percent from the $445 million that the CVSOs helped veterans claim during the previous fiscal year, which is attributable to increased state funding, from $2.6 million in 2013 to $5.6 million in 2014, which allowed CVSO offices to increase outreach activities and hire additional staff to assist veterans in the claims process; and   WHEREAS, CVSOs are responsible for planning and administering a countywide program, so they must be knowledgeable about all entitlements, programs, and ancillary services as administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, the California Department of Veterans Affairs, and other federal, state, and local agencies; and   WHEREAS, The CACVSO has raised the professionalism of all CVSOs through training and working to improve the federal claims process with the California Department of Veterans Affairs, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, and congressionally chartered veterans service organizations; and   WHEREAS, The CACVSO promotes the welfare and rights of veterans statewide through legislative advocacy, provides training and education to CVSOs and their employees, promotes the mission of CVSOs throughout the state, and provides members of the CACVSO with a collaborative network of resources, information, and ideas; now, therefore, be it   Resolved BY THE ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, THE SENATE THEREOF CONCURRING, That the Legislature commends the California Association of County Veterans Service Officers for 70 years of service to California's veterans and their families through the advancement of professionalism within its ranks and the pursuit of advocacy across all levels of government so that veterans may receive the benefits to which they are entitled by virtue of their military service to our country; and be it further   Resolved, That the CACVSO has maintained and nurtured the high professional standards of California's CVSOs so that these veterans advocates can fulfill the CACVSO's slogan of "Serving Those Who Served"; and be it further   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.   WHEREAS, Since the Revolutionary War, more than one million members of the United States Armed Forces have paid the ultimate price by sacrificing their lives in the line of duty; and   WHEREAS, The contribution of those fallen members of the United States Armed Forces are deserving of national recognition; and   WHEREAS, There is no officially recognized symbol that specifically acknowledges members of the United States Armed Forces who have died in the line of duty; and   WHEREAS, House Resolution No. 1034 of the 111th Congress designates the Honor and Remember Flag, created by Honor and Remember, Inc., to officially recognize and honor fallen members of the United States Armed Forces; and   WHEREAS, The Honor and Remember Flag's red field represents the blood shed by brave men and women who sacrificed their lives for freedom; and   WHEREAS, The Honor and Remember Flag's blue star is a symbol of active service in military conflict that dates back to World War I; and   WHEREAS, The Honor and Remember Flag's white border recognizes the purity of sacrifice; and   WHEREAS, The Honor and Remember Flag's gold star signifies the ultimate sacrifice of a warrior in active service who is not returning home and reflects the value of the life given; and   WHEREAS, The Honor and Remember Flag's folded flag element highlights this nation's final tribute to a fallen serviceperson and a family's sacrifice; and   WHEREAS, The Honor and Remember Flag's flame symbolizes the eternal spirit of the departed; and   WHEREAS, It benefits the State of California to answer calls for a unifying symbol recognizing this nation's solemn debt to the estimated 1.6 million fallen servicepersons throughout history and the families and communities who mourned their loss; now, therefore, be it   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature designates the Honor and Remember Flag as the state's emblem of service and sacrifice by the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces who have given their lives in the line of duty; and be it further   Resolved, That the Legislature encourages the display of the Honor and Remember Flag at all state military memorials and state veteran cemeteries, as well as public displays on Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Fourth of July, National POW/MIA Recognition Day, Veterans Day, Gold Star Mother's Day, and whenever there is a state military casualty; and be it further   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.