Military and veterans: transition assistance: citizenship.

Existing law requires, by July 1, 2015, the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop a transition assistance program for veterans who have been discharged from the Armed Forces of the United States or the National Guard of any state, as specified. This bill would require the transition assistance program for veterans to provide information to noncitizens who are leaving military service in California or who have already been discharged from military service in California on how to become citizens, including information on where to acquire state legal assistance. Existing law establishes the militia of the state, consisting of the National Guard, State Military Reserve, and the Naval Militia. Under existing law, the militia of the state consists of all able-bodied male citizens and all other able-bodied males who have declared their intention to become citizens of the United States, who are between 18 and 45 years of age, and who are residents of the state. This bill would require the California National Guard to inform its members that it will assist noncitizen members in acquiring United States citizenship as soon as they are eligible. The bill would additionally require the California National Guard to, upon request of a noncitizen member, assist the member in filing all forms and paperwork necessary to become a United States Citizen. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.