reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 5 - Local Aid › ARTICLE 2 - Burial of Veterans and Veterans Dependents › Section 953.

953. (a) A veterans’ remains organization shall take all reasonable steps to inter the cremated remains of a veteran or dependent of a veteran received in accordance with this article.
(b) A veterans’ remains organization that receives and inters the cremated remains of a veteran or dependent of a veteran pursuant to this article shall not be liable for negligence if the veterans’ remains organization does not know or have reason to know that the cremated remains of the veteran or dependent of a veteran were not released by the cemetery authority, cemetery corporation or association, or other entity in compliance with subdivisions (a) and (c) of Section 952.
(Added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 189, Sec. 5. (AB 1644) Effective January 1, 2011.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 5 - Local Aid › ARTICLE 2 - Burial of Veterans and Veterans Dependents › Section 954.

954. The board of supervisors of each county is encouraged to designate personnel from a veterans’ remains organization, as defined in Section 951, to fulfill the role created in Section 942.
(Added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 189, Sec. 6. (AB 1644) Effective January 1, 2011.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 5 - Local Aid › ARTICLE 2 - Burial of Veterans and Veterans Dependents › Section 955.

955. (a) (1) A county veteran service officer that determines, pursuant to Section 951.5, that unclaimed remains are those of a veteran or dependent of a veteran, and that the remains meet the criteria for interment by a veterans’ remains organization pursuant to Section 952, shall report the following information to the Department of Veterans Affairs:
(A) The name, rank, and branch of service of the deceased or, if the deceased is the dependent of a veteran, the name of the deceased and the name, rank, and branch of service of the eligible veteran.
(B) Dates of service.
(C) Location of the remains and a telephone number and name for the contact at that location.
(2) If, pursuant to Section 951.5, the public administrator of a county determines, without the involvement of the county veteran service officer, that the remains belong to a veteran or dependent of a veteran, the public administrator shall report this information to the county veteran service officer. Following this report, the county veteran service officer shall follow the reporting procedures described in paragraph (1).
(b) The Department of Veterans Affairs shall create and maintain a list of veterans and dependents of veterans whose remains are reported pursuant to subdivision (a). This list shall be available to the representatives of veterans’ remains organizations by telephone or in person.
(Added by Stats. 2012, Ch. 722, Sec. 3. (AB 1806) Effective January 1, 2013.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 5 - Local Aid › ARTICLE 3 - Care of Veterans Graves › Section 960.

960. Whenever in any cemetery or place of burial of human remains, which is established or organized under the authority of the board of supervisors of any county or the governing body of any city, there is any known grave of a former soldier, sailor, or marine of the United States who was not dishonorably discharged from the service, the officers who manage such cemetery or place of burial shall keep such grave properly marked and identified, and free from weeds and rubbish, and keep in decent order and repair and free from defacement, injury, and unlawful markings any tomb, monument, gravestone, wall, or other appurtenance to such grave.
(Enacted by Stats. 1935, Ch. 389.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 5 - Local Aid › ARTICLE 3 - Care of Veterans Graves › Section 960.5.

960.5. Whenever in any cemetery or place of burial of human remains there is any known grave of a former soldier, sailor, or marine of the United States who was not dishonorably discharged from the service, the board of supervisors of any county as to territory, whether incorporated or not, within it, and the governing body of the city as to territory within it, with the consent of the officers who manage such cemetery or place of burial, if any may keep such grave properly marked and identified, and free from weeds and rubbish, and keep in decent order and repair and free from defacement, injury, and unlawful markings any tomb, monument, gravestone, wall, or other appurtenance to such grave.
(Amended by Stats. 1957, Ch. 1867.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 5 - Local Aid › ARTICLE 3 - Care of Veterans Graves › Section 961.

961. Any fraternal or benevolent organization which maintains a plot in a place of burial mentioned in section 960, which is devoted exclusively to the burial of soldiers, sailors, or marines of the United States, may apply under this article to the board of supervisors of the county in which the plot is maintained. Upon a showing of need, the board may keep the plot free from weeds and rubbish, and keep in decent order and repair and free from defacement and injury any tomb, monument, gravestone, wall, or other appurtenance to the graves in the plot.
(Enacted by Stats. 1935, Ch. 389.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 5 - Local Aid › ARTICLE 3 - Care of Veterans Graves › Section 962.

962. The officers who are charged by law with raising money by taxation for maintaining any such cemetery or place of burial shall fix the tax levy at an amount sufficient to comply with the requirements of this article.
(Enacted by Stats. 1935, Ch. 389.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 5 - Local Aid › ARTICLE 4 - Administration › Section 970.

970. (a) The board of supervisors of each county may, but is not required to, appoint, prescribe the qualifications of, and fix the compensation of an officer to be titled “county veterans service officer.” The appointee shall be a veteran.
(b) It shall be the duty of the county veterans service officer to administer the aid provided for in this chapter, to investigate all claims, applications, or requests for aid made pursuant to the terms of this chapter, and to perform any other veteran related services as requested by the county board of supervisors.
(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), two or more counties may jointly establish a single county veterans service office which shall serve all the counties that agree to the joint establishment of that office.
(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 186, Sec. 5. (SB 815) Effective January 1, 2014.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 5 - Local Aid › ARTICLE 4 - Administration › Section 971.

971. (a) The county veterans service officer shall assist every veteran of any war of the United States and every qualified former member, and the dependents of every deceased veteran and every qualified former member, in presenting and pursuing any claim the veteran or the qualified former member may have against the United States and in establishing the veteran’s or qualified former member’s right to any privilege, preference, care, or compensation provided for by the laws of the United States or of this state.
(b) The county veterans service officer shall present and pursue claims against the United States referred by any public agency pursuant to Section 721.
(c) For purposes of this section, “qualified former member” means any former member of the United States Armed Forces, who is eligible under federal law to receive any veterans benefit from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or any other agency of the federal government.
(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 186, Sec. 6. (SB 815) Effective January 1, 2014.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 5 - Local Aid › ARTICLE 4 - Administration › Section 972.

972. (a) The board of supervisors may provide the county veterans service office with any assistance and facilities that it determines to be necessary.
(b) If the position of veterans service officer is created and filled, the compensation and expenses of the county veterans service office shall be a county charge, but the Department of Veterans Affairs, out of state moneys available therefor, shall pay each county a portion of those costs in an amount determined by the department, conditioned upon the observance of standards and regulations adopted by, and in compliance with the direction of, the department and its authorized representatives.
(c) State money available for paying counties any portion of the cost of the compensation and expenses of county veterans service offices shall not include any funds of the Veterans’ Farm and Home Building Fund of 1943.
(Amended by Stats. 1992, Ch. 1274, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1993.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 5 - Local Aid › ARTICLE 4 - Administration › Section 972.1.

972.1. (a) The sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Veterans Affairs for allocation, during the 1989–90 fiscal year, for purposes of funding the activities of county veterans service officers pursuant to this section. Funds for allocation in future years shall be as provided in the annual Budget Act.
(b) Funds shall be disbursed each fiscal year on a pro rata basis to counties that have established and maintain a county veterans service officer in accordance with the staffing level and workload of each county veterans service officer under a formula based upon performance that shall be developed by the Department of Veterans Affairs for these purposes, and that shall allocate county funds in any fiscal year for county veterans service officers in an amount not less than the amount allocated in the 1988–89 fiscal year.
(c) The department shall annually determine the amount of new or increased monetary benefits paid to eligible veterans by the federal government attributable to the assistance of county veterans service officers. The department shall, on or before October 1 of each year, prepare and transmit its determination for the preceding fiscal year to the Department of Finance and the Legislature. The Department of Finance shall review the department’s determination in time to use the information in the annual Budget Act for the budget of the department for the next fiscal year.
(d) (1) The Legislature finds and declares that 50 percent of the amount annually budgeted for county veterans service officers is approximately eleven million dollars ($11,000,000). The Legislature further finds and declares that it is an efficient and reasonable use of state funds to increase the annual budget for county veterans service officers if it is justified by the monetary benefits to the state’s veterans attributable to the effort of these officers.
(2) It is the intent of the Legislature, after reviewing the department’s determination in subdivision (c), to consider an increase in the annual budget for county veterans service officers in an amount not to exceed five million dollars ($5,000,000), if the monetary benefits to the state’s veterans attributable to the assistance of county veteran service officers justify that increase in the budget.
(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 694, Sec. 1. (AB 1566) Effective January 1, 2024.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 5 - Local Aid › ARTICLE 4 - Administration › Section 972.2.

972.2. (a) There is in the State Treasury the Veterans Service Office Fund.
(b) Commencing January 1, 1995, the Veterans Service Office Fund shall be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the Department of Veterans Affairs for allocation and disbursement to counties for the operation of county veterans service offices.
(c) It is the intent of the Legislature, in enacting this section, that revenues from the special interest license plate fees for license plates issued pursuant to Article 8.1 (commencing with Section 5025) of Chapter 1 of Division 3 of the Vehicle Code, and deposited in the Veterans Service Office Fund, shall be used to expand the support of county veterans service offices.
(Added by Stats. 1992, Ch. 1274, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1993.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 5 - Local Aid › ARTICLE 4 - Administration › Section 972.5.

972.5. (a) The Department of Veterans Affairs may enter into an agreement with the State Department of Health Services and the State Department of Social Services for purposes of obtaining federal matching funds for the Department of Veterans Affairs to contribute toward the salaries and expenses of county veteran service officers for their activities which are reasonably related to the programs of the State Department of Health Services and the State Department of Social Services which are benefited, or realize cost avoidance, as a result of the services of those officers.
(b) At such time as the United States Department of Health and Human Services makes available additional federal financial participation, the State Department of Social Services may enter into an agreement with the Department of Veterans Affairs for those county veteran service officers’ activities specified in subdivision (a). Such an agreement shall have no adverse impact on the General Fund.
(c) The sums obtained each fiscal year pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be disbursed by the Department of Veterans Affairs to counties for payment of salaries and expenses of county veteran service officers. The Department of Veterans Affairs shall make the disbursement to a county on a pro rata basis in accordance with the actual workload of each county veteran service officer under a formula based on performance to be developed by the Department of Veterans Affairs for these purposes.
(Amended by Stats. 1989, Ch. 474, Sec. 1.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 5 - Local Aid › ARTICLE 4 - Administration › Section 973.

973. The county veteran service officer shall have power to administer and certify oaths and affirmations, take and certify affidavits and acknowledgments, and exercise any other power of a notary public, as a part of his duties under the provisions of this chapter in assisting veterans with respect to their affairs. The county veteran service officer shall not charge any fee for such service.
(Amended by Stats. 1965, Ch. 436.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 5 - Local Aid › ARTICLE 4 - Administration › Section 974.

974. (a) The Department of Veterans Affairs shall annually prepare a report of the activities of county veterans service officers, and may require each county veterans service officer to submit information required to prepare the report. The report shall include the following:
(1) The number of veterans and their family members who have contacted or utilized the services of the county veterans service offices during the fiscal year.
(2) The number of claims filed to achieve benefits such as pension, disability compensation, and health care on behalf of veterans and their dependents.
(3) The annualized monetary value of benefits received by veterans and their dependents as a result of the efforts of county veterans service offices, broken down by type of benefit.
(4) A summary of other services provided by county veterans service offices and special events and activities in which county veterans service offices participated, such as veterans outreach events, homeless veteran “Stand Downs,” and job fairs for veterans.
(5) The composition of the county office, including the number of staff, and how many are administrative, clerical, or directly supporting claims filed on behalf of veterans.
(6) The annual funding of the county veterans service office by the county, including year-to-year changes and funding over the previous five years.
(b) The information required to be included in paragraphs (1) to (3), inclusive, of subdivision (a) shall be set forth for each county together with a statewide total.
(c) For purposes of implementing this section, the department may require county veterans service officers to apply uniform measurement and workload units, claims, and other information required by the department under this section.
(d) The department shall transmit a copy of the report to the Department of Finance, the State Department of Health Care Services, the California Veterans Board, and to each Member of the Legislature.
(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 694, Sec. 2. (AB 1566) Effective January 1, 2024.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 5 - Local Aid › ARTICLE 4 - Administration › Section 974.5.

974.5. (a) The purpose of this section is to provide a mechanism to facilitate the delivery of complete, efficient, information and other services to veterans in a convenient setting.
(b) By July 1, 1999, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Employment Development may enter into interagency agreements with individual counties that elect to participate in the program pursuant to this section, after a determination that services to be provided pursuant to this section are not otherwise being provided and would, thus, not be duplicated. Services provided pursuant to this section shall not be contrary to the purposes of, nor shall they be in conflict with, any one-stop service program provided under federal guidelines. Pursuant to the agreements the departments may agree to provide resources and staff, or both, as necessary to locate within a single facility owned by the participating county, under the coordination of the county veteran service director, a more complete and convenient local service program for veterans.
(c) The veteran service center shall be staffed with persons knowledgeable in employment and veterans benefits issues, and shall contain all necessary resources, information, forms, and other materials necessary for a veteran to receive full employment assistance and a complete assessment of veterans benefits to which he or she is entitled.
(d) The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Employment Development, after consulting with participating counties, shall jointly report to the Legislature by January 1, 2002, regarding the progress of the program.
(Added by Stats. 1997, Ch. 316, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1998.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 5 - Local Aid › ARTICLE 5 - Veterans Affairs Commissions › Section 975.

975. The board of supervisors of any county may create and appoint members to a veterans’ affairs commission either as an independent agency or in conjunction with a California National Guard members’ commission or a veterans’ memorial commission, or in any combination of these commissions.
(Added by Stats. 1985, Ch. 638, Sec. 1.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 5 - Local Aid › ARTICLE 5 - Veterans Affairs Commissions › Section 975.5.

975.5. (a) The Department of Veterans Affairs shall provide for one paid veterans assistant position within the office of the county veteran service officer for the County of Los Angeles. The department shall establish one similar position for the County of San Diego and one similar position for the City and County of San Francisco.
(b) The veterans assistants employed under subdivision (a) shall conduct outreach programs in order to make veterans aware of readjustment counseling services and alcohol and drug abuse programs offered by community-based organizations and city, county, and federal agencies. The veterans assistants shall advise and counsel veterans concerning readjustment counseling programs and refer veterans to appropriate community-based or city, county, or federal counseling programs.
(Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 372, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1995.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 6 - State Benefits for Veterans › ARTICLE 1 - Veterans › Section 980.5.

980.5. In the event of any conflict between any provision of this chapter and the federal Mortgage Subsidy Bond Tax Act of 1980 (P.L. 96-499; 94 Stat. 2660), including any amendment thereto and any regulation issued thereunder, the department shall comply with that federal law or regulation and any other federal law or regulation to the extent necessary to maintain the tax-exempt status of any issue of general obligation or revenue bonds.
Any prior action of the department to effect that compliance is hereby confirmed and ratified, it having been at all times the intent of the Legislature that the tax-exempt status of those bonds be maintained.
(Added by Stats. 1985, Ch. 416, Sec. 2.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 6 - State Benefits for Veterans › ARTICLE 2 - Educational Assistance › Section 981.

981. There is in the state government an educational institution known as the California Veterans’ Educational Institute, which is under the management and control of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The purpose of the institute is to provide opportunities for veterans to continue their education.
(Amended by Stats. 1961, Ch. 86.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 6 - State Benefits for Veterans › ARTICLE 2 - Educational Assistance › Section 981.1.

981.1. Any veteran who desires to continue his education may apply for admission to the institute and if, in the opinion of the department, the educational needs and desires of the veteran can be satisfactorily met, the department shall assume state wardship and supervision over the education of such veteran. The department may provide for such education in educational institutions in this State, or in other states, or in other countries, when necessary or desirable for postgraduate or professional college courses. The department may provide educational counsel for students and assist them in securing admission to suitable institutions of learning in either public or private school field. The department may assist any eligible veteran who may apply for a short intensive postgraduate or training or refresher course in any professional field where the purposes of such course are to prepare the veteran for a state examination which he must pass as a prerequisite to practice his profession in the State of Calfornia or where said course or courses will acquaint the veteran in professional techniques developed in private practice during the time that he was in the service.
(Amended by Stats. 1959, Ch. 2082.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 6 - State Benefits for Veterans › ARTICLE 2 - Educational Assistance › Section 981.15.

981.15. “Suitable institutions of learning,” as used in this article, includes postgraduate schools of colleges, universities, or other institutions of learning, but does not include educational institutions whose enrollment of students receiving federal or state veteran subsidy exceeds 85 percent of their total enrollment.
(Amended by Stats. 1953, Ch. 475.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 6 - State Benefits for Veterans › ARTICLE 2 - Educational Assistance › Section 981.2.

981.2. The department, insofar as the funds permit, may provide an allowance of one hundred dollars ($100) for each month the student is in satisfactory and actual full-time attendance at an educational institution, and pursuing a course of study leading to a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree, or to a recognized degree, license, certificate, or diploma.
For purposes of this section, the term “full-time attendance” shall be defined in the same manner as it is defined by the educational institution attended by the student. For purposes of this section, “educational institution” shall be defined as any school or college of the collegiate level accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, including a community college, and shall include a vocational school or any other school approved by the State Department of Education for the purpose of receipt by a student of educational benefits afforded by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
The department may provide for such educational benefits for full-time students pursuing a course of study leading to a recognized postgraduate or professional degree, license, certificate, or diploma in educational institutions in other states or in other countries when such course of study is otherwise unavailable to the student.
(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 186, Sec. 7. (SB 815) Effective January 1, 2014.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 6 - State Benefits for Veterans › ARTICLE 2 - Educational Assistance › Section 981.3.

981.3. The amount expended on account of any one veteran under this article shall not exceed one thousand two hundred dollars ($1,200). Eligibility for benefits conferred under this article shall not be granted if either the student has not exhausted his or her rights to educational benefits afforded by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, or four years have elapsed from termination of educational benefits afforded by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 186, Sec. 8. (SB 815) Effective January 1, 2014.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 6 - State Benefits for Veterans › ARTICLE 2 - Educational Assistance › Section 981.4.

981.4. The department shall consider the application of veterans for admission to the institute in the order in which they are received. If the funds available are insufficient to meet the obligations which would arise from the guardianship of all worthy applicants, the department shall assume wardship over such veterans as are most urgently in need of further education.
(Amended by Stats. 1961, Ch. 86.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 6 - State Benefits for Veterans › ARTICLE 2 - Educational Assistance › Section 981.5.

981.5. The department may co-operate and confer with authorized agencies of the United States in carrying out the provisions of this article.
(Amended by Stats. 1961, Ch. 86.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 6 - State Benefits for Veterans › ARTICLE 2 - Educational Assistance › Section 981.6.

981.6. No veteran who is receiving federal educational benefits shall be eligible to receive the educational benefits provided by this article during such time that he is receiving federal educational benefits.
(Added by Stats. 1953, Ch. 354.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 6 - State Benefits for Veterans › ARTICLE 2 - Educational Assistance › Section 981.7.

981.7. Nothing in this article shall be construed as repealing the provisions of Chapter 579, Statutes of 1921, appropriating money for educational assistance to veterans.
(Added by Stats. 1943, Ch. 627.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 6 - State Benefits for Veterans › ARTICLE 2 - Educational Assistance › Section 981.8.

981.8. (a) The Office of the Adjutant General is requested to annually make all of the following available to each member of the California National Guard, the State Guard, and the Naval Militia who does not have a baccalaureate degree:
(1) A copy of the enrollment fee waiver application of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges.
(2) A copy of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
(3) A copy of the latest brochure or information relative to the current federal Post-9/11 GI Bill.
(4) A copy of the latest brochure or information relative to the California National Guard Education Assistance Award Program.
(5) The contact information for a County Veterans Service Officer or the division responsible within the California Department of Veterans Affairs for higher education or the California National Guard.
(b) The Office of the Adjutant General is requested to provide assistance as necessary to help the members complete the forms made available to them under subdivision (a).
(Amended by Stats. 2020, Ch. 97, Sec. 44. (AB 2193) Effective January 1, 2021.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 6 - State Benefits for Veterans › ARTICLE 3.1 - Veterans Farm and Home Purchase Act of 1974 › Section 987.50.

987.50. This article may be cited as the Veterans’ Farm and Home Purchase Act of 1974, also known as the CalVet Home Loan Program.
(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 549, Sec. 4. (SB 661) Effective January 1, 2022.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 6 - State Benefits for Veterans › ARTICLE 3.1 - Veterans Farm and Home Purchase Act of 1974 › Section 987.51.

987.51. The object of this article is to provide veterans with the opportunity to acquire farms and homes.
(Added by Stats. 1974, Ch. 1477.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 6 - State Benefits for Veterans › ARTICLE 3.1 - Veterans Farm and Home Purchase Act of 1974 › Section 987.52.

987.52. The provisions of this article are applicable, and the benefits conferred thereby are available, to:
(a) Any veteran as defined in Section 980;
(b) Any person who is on active duty in the military or naval service of the United States, whose service may or may not have been continuous, and who is in all other respects qualified pursuant to Section 980.
(Added by Stats. 1974, Ch. 1477.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 6 - State Benefits for Veterans › ARTICLE 3.1 - Veterans Farm and Home Purchase Act of 1974 › Section 987.54.

987.54. The administration of the provisions of this article is vested solely in the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(Added by Stats. 1974, Ch. 1477.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 6 - State Benefits for Veterans › ARTICLE 3.1 - Veterans Farm and Home Purchase Act of 1974 › Section 987.55.

987.55. The department shall adopt rules and regulations in keeping with the purpose of this article to establish preferences in the granting of benefits conferred by this article.
(Added by Stats. 1974, Ch. 1477.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 6 - State Benefits for Veterans › ARTICLE 3.1 - Veterans Farm and Home Purchase Act of 1974 › Section 987.56.

987.56. (a) The department shall prescribe and determine the eligibility and qualifications of all veterans. Any person deeming themselves a veteran and desiring to benefit hereunder, shall submit to the department information, in the form prescribed by the department, that will enable the department to determine their eligibility and qualifications. The department may make further inquiries and investigations in order to determine eligibility and qualifications.
(b) Whenever the department determines that a shortage of funds exists in any of the funding sources available, the department shall use the following preference categories for the use of those funds.
(1) Veterans who are otherwise qualified because of service during a time of war and who were wounded or disabled as a result of their service shall be given first preference in the benefits conferred by this article. The department shall determine, in each case, whether the veteran was wounded or disabled as a result of service.
(2) The following group shall be given second preference in the benefits conferred by this article:
(A) The unremarried spouse or registered domestic partner of individuals who were members of the Armed Forces on active military duty and were killed in the line of duty while on active duty.
(B) Members of the Armed Forces who were held as prisoners of war.
(C) The unremarried spouse or registered domestic partner of members of the Armed Forces who have been designated by the Armed Forces as missing in action.
(3) Veterans whose eligibility is derived from service any portion of which was on or after August 2, 1990, and prior to a date to be set by law or by a Presidential proclamation ending the Gulf War, and veterans with wartime service discharged or released from active duty within 10 years of their application to the department shall be given third preference in the benefits conferred by this article.
(4) Active members of the California National Guard or a reserve component of a branch of the United States Armed Forces who meet the eligibility criteria of paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 980 shall be given fourth preference in the benefits conferred by this article.
(5) Veterans with wartime service discharged or released from active duty more than 10 years prior to their application to the department shall be given fifth preference in the benefits conferred by this article.
(6) Veterans who are otherwise qualified and whose only military service was during a time of peace shall be given sixth preference for the benefits conferred by this article.
(7) Veterans eligible for a subsequent loan under subdivision (a) of Section 987.86 shall be given seventh preference in the benefits conferred by this article.
(c) Nothing in this section regarding preferences shall affect any eligibility requirement for benefits conferred by this article.
(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 549, Sec. 6. (SB 661) Effective January 1, 2022.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 6 - State Benefits for Veterans › ARTICLE 3.1 - Veterans Farm and Home Purchase Act of 1974 › Section 987.566.

987.566. Whenever applications exceed the amount of funds available in any one or more of the available funding categories, the department may establish a date for each funding category so as to provide funding to veterans whose applications were filed on or before that date, and whose applications are subsequently approved, before funding is made available to those whose applications are filed after that date.
(Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 465, Sec. 7. Effective January 1, 2003.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 6 - State Benefits for Veterans › ARTICLE 3.1 - Veterans Farm and Home Purchase Act of 1974 › Section 987.57.

987.57. (a) The department shall require that all applicants under this article qualify under applicable federal laws and regulations governing the permitted uses of tax-exempt bond funds, and file within the time limits required under applicable federal law and regulations.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of state law to the contrary, no time limit for filing shall be imposed upon any veterans who served in the Philippine Commonwealth Army, or the Regular Scouts (“Old Scouts”), or the Special Philippine Scouts (“New Scouts”) during World War II, except as required by federal law.
(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (a) or any other law, the department shall require all applicants whose loans would be funded from sources other than tax-exempt bond funds, including, but not limited to, mortgage-backed securities, to qualify under the applicable federal laws and regulations governing the source of funds, whether taxable or tax exempt.
(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 549, Sec. 7. (SB 661) Effective January 1, 2022.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 6 - State Benefits for Veterans › ARTICLE 3.1 - Veterans Farm and Home Purchase Act of 1974 › Section 987.58.

987.58. (a) If a veteran dies after filing an application for purchase of a farm or a home, and the veteran’s eligibility and qualifications are subsequently approved, the veteran’s surviving spouse may, in the discretion of the department, succeed to the veteran’s rights under the application, and may succeed to the veteran’s rights, privileges, and benefits under this article. The contract of purchase which the department otherwise would have made with the deceased veteran may be made with the surviving spouse.
(b) If a person was a member of the Armed Forces on active military duty, entered active duty while in the State of California and lived in this state for six months immediately preceding entry into active duty, and was killed in the line of duty while on active duty or died after discharge from active duty from injuries incurred in the line of duty while on active duty, that person is a veteran for purposes of this article, and his or her unremarried surviving spouse may file an application, is entitled to the same rights, privileges, and benefits for which the Armed Forces member would have been eligible, and may contract with the department pursuant to subdivision (a). In making a determination of eligibility under this subdivision, the department may base its determination on documentation furnished to the surviving spouse by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs specifying the cause of death of the Armed Forces member.
(c) If a member of the Armed Forces entered active military duty while in the State of California, lived in this state for six months or more immediately preceding entry into active duty, and is being held as a prisoner of war or has been designated by the Armed Forces as missing in action, that person is a veteran for purposes of this article, and his or her spouse may file an application, is entitled to the same rights, privileges, and benefits, and may contract with the department pursuant to subdivision (a).
(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 296, Sec. 198. (AB 1023) Effective January 1, 2012.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 6 - State Benefits for Veterans › ARTICLE 3.1 - Veterans Farm and Home Purchase Act of 1974 › Section 987.59.

987.59. (a) When a veteran has been authorized by the department to select a farm or home, the veteran shall submit that selection for approval, as the department prescribes. The department shall have the sole responsibility for the underwriting and approval of all farm or home loans, subject to this article.
(b) In order to achieve efficient processing and approval of loans, the department shall do all of the following:
(1) The department shall establish all systems, procedures, technologies, and guidelines necessary to achieve efficient processing of farm or home loans submitted for approval by the department, with the intent of achieving loan delivery within the industry standard average number of days. These shall include, but may not be limited to, systems and technologies for the electronic transfer of loan funds and related fees.
(2) The department may ensure optimal participation of qualified mortgage brokers and other qualified financial institutions and shall review, standardize, and where possible simplify, the documentation required of mortgage brokers and other qualified financial institutions. The department shall provide adequate training of participating mortgage brokers and other qualified financial institutions.
(3) The department shall establish an outreach program to effectively disseminate program information to professional real estate and mortgage broker associations.
(4) The department, within the financial constraints of the program, shall offer broker compensation and fees sufficient to ensure optimal participation of the private sector in the loan origination process and consistent with the veteran borrower’s interest in efficient and economical loan processing.
(5) The department shall provide access over the internet to veteran applicants and their authorized agents to enable loan applications to be filed electronically.
(6) In cooperation with the Office of Administrative Law, the department shall maintain regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this section and Section 987.67.
(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 549, Sec. 8. (SB 661) Effective January 1, 2022.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 6 - State Benefits for Veterans › ARTICLE 3.1 - Veterans Farm and Home Purchase Act of 1974 › Section 987.602.

987.602. (a) Subject to the conditions and limitations specified in Section 987.603, the department may acquire an Indian veteran’s leasehold interest in tribal trust land for the purpose of entering into a contract with the Indian veteran for the acquisition of a farm or home or for the construction of a dwelling house or other improvements for a farm or home or for the purchase and installation of a mobilehome on the leasehold land.
(b) For purposes of this section, the leasehold interest to be acquired by the department shall have been granted by the tribe for which the land is held in trust to the Indian veteran for a term of at least 25 years renewable without notice on the same terms and conditions for an additional period of at least 25 years. The lease shall be in a form acceptable to the tribe, the department, and the United States Secretary of the Interior, shall be duly executed in accordance with the tribe’s constitution and bylaws or other tribal laws, and shall provide that the Indian veteran and his assignees shall have access to the property for the term of the lease. The Indian veteran shall assign the lease to the department without cost and shall obtain the consents of the tribe and the United States Secretary of the Interior to that assignment.
(Added by Stats. 1979, Ch. 641.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 6 - State Benefits for Veterans › ARTICLE 3.1 - Veterans Farm and Home Purchase Act of 1974 › Section 987.62.

987.62. (a) The department, after consummating a purchase transaction under the provisions of this article and the veteran having occupied the property as required by Section 987.60 of this article, may:
(1) Annually waive the occupancy requirement on a showing of good cause. The property financed under this article is intended to remain owner-occupied, and not become an investment, rental, or business property.
(2) Waive the occupancy requirement for any period of time if the property is a farm and if the veteran personally cultivates the property and harvests the crops or tends livestock.
(3) Annually waive the veteran-occupied unit of a residence with two or four units.
(b) The department shall establish standards for the occupancy waiver and shall make those standards known.
(c) The department shall waive the occupancy requirement in any case where the State Department of Health determines that health hazards on adjacent property render the farm, home, or mobilehome unsuitable for occupancy, and the waiver shall be effective as long as those conditions exist.
(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 549, Sec. 11. (SB 661) Effective January 1, 2022.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 6 - State Benefits for Veterans › ARTICLE 3.1 - Veterans Farm and Home Purchase Act of 1974 › Section 987.63.

987.63. Notwithstanding other provisions of this article relating to the occupancy, leasing, letting, or subletting of a farm or home acquired pursuant to this article, the department, with respect to any veteran who after consummating a purchase of a farm or home under this article and occupying such farms or home reenters the active military, naval, or air service of the United State, may waive the occupancy requirement for the period of such active service and for a reasonable period subsequent to the termination of such active service and consent to the leasing, letting, or subletting of the farm or home during such period or periods.
(Added by Stats. 1974, Ch. 1477.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 6 - State Benefits for Veterans › ARTICLE 3.1 - Veterans Farm and Home Purchase Act of 1974 › Section 987.64.

987.64. In the event of any conflict or difference between any provision of this article and the federal Mortgage Subsidy Bond Tax Act of 1980 (P.L. 96-499; 94 Stat. 2660), including any amendment thereto and any regulation issued thereunder, the department shall comply with that federal law or regulation to the extent necessary to maintain the tax-exempt status of any issue of its general obligation or revenue bonds. Any action taken by the department prior to the effective date of this section to effect that compliance is hereby confirmed and ratified, it having at all times been the intent of the Legislature that the tax-exempt status of those bonds be maintained.
(Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 420, Sec. 2. Effective July 8, 1982.)
2023 California Code › Military and Veterans Code - MVC › DIVISION 4 - VETERANS' AID AND WELFARE › CHAPTER 6 - State Benefits for Veterans › ARTICLE 3.1 - Veterans Farm and Home Purchase Act of 1974 › Section 987.65.

987.65. (a) The purchase price of a home, or the sum to be expended by the department pursuant to a contract for the construction of a dwelling house and other improvements, or the purchase price of a mobilehome sited on a lot owned by the purchaser and installed on a foundation system pursuant to Section 18551 of the Health and Safety Code, or the purchase price of a mobilehome converted to a fixture and improvement to the underlying real property in a mobilehome park that has been converted to a resident-owned subdivision, cooperative, condominium, or nonprofit corporation as set forth in Section 18555 of the Health and Safety Code, shall not exceed 125 percent of the then current maximum United States Department of Veterans Affairs loan limit.
(b) The purchase price of a mobilehome that is to be sited in a mobilehome park, as defined in Section 18214 of the Health and Safety Code, in addition to any assistance provided by the department to a veteran pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 987.85, may not exceed 50 percent of the Federal Housing Finance Agency conforming loan limit for the county in which the mobilehome park is located.
(c) A veteran purchasing the home may advance, subject to Section 987.64, the difference between the total price or cost of the home and the sum of the purchase price of the home and any amount the department adds, under Section 987.69, to the purchase price of the home in fixing the selling price to the veteran. Any amount of the purchase price may be provided by funds from participation contracts, revenue bonds, or other traditional funding options, including mortgage backed securities.
(d) The purchase price of a farm shall not exceed 150 percent of the limit described in subdivision (a). A veteran purchasing the farm may advance the difference between the total price of the farm, or the cost of the dwelling and improvements to be constructed on a farm under a contract, and the sum of the purchase price or contract price to the department and any amount that the department adds, under Section 987.69, to the purchase or contract price to the department in fixing the selling price of the farm to the veteran.
(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 549, Sec. 12. (SB 661) Effective January 1, 2022.)