California: Governor Newsom signs legislation supporting veterans, servicemembers

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Sep 28, 2026

Governor Newsom signs legislation supporting veterans, servicemembers

What you need to know: Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the signing of bipartisan legislation to better support veterans and active servicemembers in accessing and utilizing their benefits, and highlighted legislation protecting veterans targeted by the Trump administration.

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the signing of bipartisan legislation to better support veterans and active servicemembers, including ensuring they have time with their families, supporting their access to education and other benefits, and helping keep disabled veterans in their homes. He also highlighted legislation signed earlier this month that ensures veterans have access to abortion care and offers support to servicemembers discharged due to the President banning trans people from serving in the Armed Forces.

Veterans served us honorably; now it's our honor to serve them. Whether that means protecting and ensuring access to their hard-earned benefits or making sure they have time with their families, California has their backs.

Governor Gavin Newsom

The bills signed today build on California's long-standing support for veterans and servicemembers by:

✅ Supporting disabled veterans by expanding the disabled veteran's property tax exemption to keep veterans in their homes.

✅ Modernizing veteran services by improving coordination between CalVet and County Veteran Service Officers to provide more efficient support and facilitate easier access for veterans to their benefits.

✅ Ensuring military families have access to Paid Family Leave by clarifying the definition of "covered active duty" to include stateside missions, extended training, or activation as part of the National Guard or Reserve.

✅ Expanding access to education by granting priority enrollment at California Community Colleges, California State Universities, or the University of California to students relying on the CalVet College Fee Waiver or the federal GI Bill to ensure they can complete their degrees efficiently and fully utilize these benefits.

✅Supporting military families by extending eligibility for in-state tuition for dependents returning to a public higher education institution to finish their degree, even if the Armed Forces member has been transferred out of state or has retired from active duty.

"California has made history in support of our disabled veterans," said Senator Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera), Chair of the Senate Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs. "SB 296 provides much needed stability and support for those who have sacrificed so much for our state and nation. I thank Governor Newsom for signing this important legislation, which will help reduce costs for our disabled veterans, and for his continued support of California's veteran community. As the longest-serving Chair of the Senate Military and Veterans Affairs Committee and a former paratrooper, I have made it a priority to advance legislation that supports veterans and helps them build their lives in California. At a time when other states are competing to attract our veterans, SB 296 will help ensure California remains a place where veterans can prosper, thrive, and build a secure future."

Earlier this month, the Governor also signed legislation ensuring that veterans have greater access to the full spectrum of health benefits they are owed, including abortion care, after the Trump administration imposed one of the most severe abortion bans in the country through the Veterans Affairs system. He also signed into law support for LGBTQ servicemembers by providing critical housing, employment, and transition-to-civilian-life support to servicemembers discharged as a result of President Trump's ban on trans servicemembers from the military.

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"Veterans should never have to fight through bureaucracy to access the benefits and support they earned through their service," said Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo (D-Santa Clarita), Chair of the Assembly Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs. "The Faster Services for Veterans Act (AB 2219) will help veterans get connected more quickly to the VA and California programs and services they have earned by reducing delays, strengthening County Veterans Service Officers, expanding access in underserved communities, and making sure veterans' experiences help us continually improve services statewide. This law is about making sure California lives up to its responsibility to the veterans and military families who have sacrificed so much for us."

The full list of bills the Governor signed is below:

• SB 296 by Senator Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera) — Property taxation: exemption: disabled veteran homeowners.
• AB 2219 by Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo (D-Santa Clarita) — Veterans.
• AB 2054 by Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson (D-Carson) — Family temporary disability insurance program: covered active duty. View signing message here.
• AB 2203 by Assemblymember David Tangipa (R-Fresno) — Public postsecondary education: priority registration: veterans and dependents of veterans: federal GI Bill.
• AB 1346 by Carl DeMaio (R-San Diego) — Public postsecondary education: residency: dependents of members of the Armed Forces: reenrollments.

Building on longstanding efforts

Since 2019, Governor Newsom has prioritized veterans through sustained investments — more than $10.5 billion — across state government, including:

• Expanded veteran housing through Proposition 1 and the Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention Program.
• New consumer protections cracking down on companies that exploit veterans seeking benefits.
• Expanded mental health resources and crisis support for veterans.
• Increased investments in County Veterans Service Offices to connect veterans with federal benefits and fraud protection.
• Historic efforts to help veterans become homeowners and expand affordable housing opportunities.
• Continued support for military families facing federal disruptions and economic uncertainty.
• Signing landmark legislation protecting veterans from predatory financial actors and fraudulent claims assistance companies.
• Expanding access to mental health care and suicide prevention resources.
• Investing in veteran homeownership and affordable housing.
• Supporting military families impacted by federal workforce reductions and instability.
• Supporting LGBTQ veterans discharged under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" to update their records and access education, health, burial, and other benefits available to honorably discharged service members.
• Advancing construction of the Southern California Veterans Cemetery in Orange County.
• Investing $4.7 million to improve veteran access to clinical trials for psychedelic-assisted therapy.

More information about support services for veterans is available at calvet.ca.gov.

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