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California expands benefits access for veterans and military families
Five bipartisan laws add disabled-veteran property-tax relief, streamline benefits assistance and broaden leave, college-enrollment and tuition protections for military households.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed five bills on September 28 intended to make state benefits easier to use for veterans, active servicemembers and military families. The package addresses housing costs, coordination with local veteran-service offices, paid family leave and access to public higher education.
What it means locally
Senate Bill 296 expands California’s disabled-veteran property-tax exemption. Assembly Bill 2219 strengthens coordination between CalVet and county veteran service officers, while Assembly Bill 2054 clarifies that Paid Family Leave can cover stateside missions, extended training and National Guard or Reserve activation. Assembly Bill 2203 gives priority enrollment at California public colleges and universities to students using the CalVet College Fee Waiver or federal GI Bill, and Assembly Bill 1346 preserves in-state tuition eligibility for certain military dependents who return to finish a degree after the servicemember transfers or retires. The accompanying photograph shows California National Guard and State Guard members supporting wildfire-response operations near Malibu in February 2025 and is not an image of the bill signing.
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