California National Guard.

Existing law authorizes the Adjutant General and the Military Department to solicit and accept funds or other donations for deposit in the California Military Department Support Fund. Money in the fund is available, upon appropriation, for specified purposes relating to the programs of the department. Former law, repealed by its own provisions, allowed taxpayers to designate on their tax returns that a specified amount in excess of their tax liability be transferred to the California Military Family Relief Fund, established to accept contributions from taxpayers and from other sources. Money in the California Military Family Relief Fund, upon appropriation, was required to be allocated to the department to provide financial aid grants to eligible members of the California National Guard. The former law provided that, notwithstanding repeal, any contribution amounts designated prior to repeal were to continue to be transferred and disbursed in accordance with those repealed provisions. This bill would establish the California National Guard Military Family Relief Fund as an account within the California Military Department Support Fund for the purpose of providing financial aid grants to eligible members of the California National Guard who are California residents and who have been called to active duty. The bill would require the department to establish eligibility criteria for the grants by January 1, 2015. The bill would transfer any and all moneys remaining in the California Military Family Relief Fund to the California Military Department Support Fund and would require those moneys to continue to be disbursed in accordance with the original intent of the contributions made by taxpayers to the California Military Family Relief Fund as established under former law.