POLICY

 

Our Priorities:   SDMAC is a leading voice for our military, their families, and our business community that supports them.  Throughout our community and beyond we speak on their behalf, engaging with our elected officials and community leaders in an effort to address the issues most important to our military community.

Our Efforts:   SDMAC is working on National, State, and Local level issues to meet our priorities.  Current efforts include:

  • Supporting California AB107 (Military Spouse Licensure).  Signed into law by Govenor Newsom in October 2021.    AB107 (ASM Salas) helps military spouses gain temporary work licenses (in work areas under the purview of the CA Department of Consumer Affairs) as they relocate to California.  SDMAC worked with other organizations across the state including the Governor's Military Council (GMC) and the California Defense Communities Alliance (CDCA) to ensure passage of the bill.  SDMAC helped recruit additional bi-partisan sponsors, wrote letters of support, and testified before committees on the importance of this effort.  SDMAC continues to monitor the work needed to ensure this law is enacted in January 2023. 

  • Supporting California AB1675 (Military Spouse Licensure).  SDMAC supports this legislation to help military spouses gain temporary work licenses as teachers as they relocate to California.  (Note that in 2021 California AB107 did not include the teaching profession as this licensing is controlled by a different entity).  SDMAC is working with the California Defense Communities Alliance (CDCA) to support the effort by the Department of Defense State Liaison to gain passage of this Bill.  AB1675 (ASM Ward) has support from the San Diego Unified School District.  Please consider expressing your support by letter to ASM Ward -- letters of support may be uploaded at the California Assembly website.  

  • Supporting California AB1623 (Military Retire Pay and Military Spouse Survivor Benefit Tax Exemption).  SDMAC supports this legislation to help military retirees remain in California.  AB1623 (ASM Ramos) excludes from state income tax the military retiree pay earned after the age of 60.  SDMAC is working with the San Diego Chamber of Commerce, The California Defense Communities Alliance (CDCA), and the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) to gain passage of this bill.  California needs to retain our transitioning retiring veterans for their skills and citzenship.  Our 2016 SDMAC Report shows that the cost to the state is minimal as retirees continue to work second careers and pay considerable income taxes, property taxes, and state fees that will offset the excusion to the income tax.  

  • Supporting California AB1629 (Survivor Benefit Tax Exemption).  SDMAC supports AB1629 (ASM Seyarto) in this effort to exclude up to $20,000 in military survivor benefits from state income tax.