Legislative Updates

Letter/Email to Appropriations Committee

Legislative Affairs

James “Skip” Phair, Legislative Affairs Liaison

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UPDATES

17 March 2023

This week Assembly Bill (AB) 46, Military Services Retirement and Surviving Spouse Benefit Payment Act, received very positive support in the bill’s hearing before the Revenue and Taxation Committee, March 13th.  Due to a projected deficit in Governor Gavin Newsom’s budget, the bill was placed in the suspense file. Voting on the legislation will take place in April after all other proposed taxation bills have been heard.

The presentations by Assembly Member James Ramos and Steve Vancil, Vice President of Solano MOAA and Sue Story, Surviving Spouse  were well done.  Fred Jaffin and Ramona Chávez drove to Sacramento and did an admirable job of providing support for the bill before the committee.  A link to the video of the committee hearing presentation is available on the chapter website. I encourage you to view it. Only takes 12 minutes.

The next key step in getting AB 46 to a vote in the Assembly will be the Appropriations Committee. Chapter members have been very helpful writing the Governor and their representatives.   Now we need to focus our effort on letters of support to the Appropriations Committee. Your correspondence should encourage support for AB 46 because it will improve California's economy by retaining a valuable, well educated, and highly talented labor force.  These military retirees and their families will generate increase tax revenues to the State and local governments.  We need your support in reaching out to the Appropriations Committee before they meet in April.  Please send a letter or email to Assemblymember Chris Holden.  A template can be found here

Assemblymember Chris R. Holden
Chair, Assembly Appropriations Committee
1021 O Street, Suite 8220
Sacramento, California 95814

They can also be emailed to: approps.committee@assembly.ca.gov

Letter to Appropriations Committee

Video:  California Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee Hearing, March 13, 2023.  AB 46, Exclusion: Military Services Retirement and Surviving Spouse Benefit Payment Act Watch committee hearing. Jump to 47-minute mark for AB 46. Length 12 minutes https://www.assembly.ca.gov/media/assembly-revenue-and-taxation-committee-20230313    Starts at minute 46:00

We need your support in pushing out the information on Assembly Bill 46.    Please send a letter to our Governor today – the letter awaits your signature here.

 Contact your representative:

• Look up your California Representatives: https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/
• Assembly Taxation & Revenue Committee: https://arev.assembly.ca.gov/membersstaff
• Assembly Appropriations Committee:  https://apro.assembly.ca.gov/membersstaff

Letter to Governor Assembly Bill 46

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On December 5, 2022, the new California Legislature for 2023-2024 was sworn in.  Almost a third are newly elected to state office. The bills that we had been following are gone. This session comes with fresh proposals.  Many of which will be presented in new bills that were introduced last week and continuing until the end of January.

On the first day of the new term Assembly Member James Ramos introduced this term’s attempt to exempt military retirement and surviving spouse benefits from California state taxes, Assembly Bill 46.  Success for this benefit will depend upon broad support in the California Senate, Assembly, and Governor Gavin Newsom.  The chapter will be encouraging actions over the next several months to make this happen.

The US Congress is still trying to pass a budget for Fiscal Year 23.  As of this publication, the Department of Defense and the Federal Government is still operating on week to week continuing resolutions. With the change in party leadership in the House, priorities for the next year will significantly change, especially in fiscal matters. You are encouraged to pay close attention to the monthly legislative issues provided in this newsletter as well as the MOAA Newsletter.  Of recent concern are the recommendations of the congressional budget Office for actions to reduce the deficit. These include:

• Introduce Enrollment Fees for TRICARE For Life
• Introduce Minimum Out-of-Pocket Requirements in TRICARE For Life
• Means-Test VA Disability Compensation for Veterans with Higher Income
• End VA’s Individual Unemployability Payments to Disabled Veterans at the Full Retirement Age for Social Security
• Reduce VA’s Disability Benefits for Veterans Who Are Older Than the Full Retirement Age for Social Security
• Narrow Eligibility for VA’s Disability Compensation by Excluding Veterans With Low Disability Ratings
• Use an Alternative Measure of Inflation to Index Social Security and Other Mandatory Programs

We need your support in pushing out the information on Assembly Bill 46. 

 Contact your representative:

• Look up your California Representatives: https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/
• Assembly Taxation & Revenue Committee: https://arev.assembly.ca.gov/membersstaff
• Assembly Appropriations Committee:  https://apro.assembly.ca.gov/committeestaff 

Current Issue:	Legislation_22-12-19.pdf
2022 Issues:	Please Select  Legislation_22-12-19.pdf