Newsom Unveils California Veterans Support Rundown: $20,000 Tax Break on Military Retirement Pay, Over $51 Million for Apprenticeships
California — On Veterans Day, November 11, the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom released a rundown of his administration's measures to cut costs and open education and career pathways for veterans, spanning an income-tax break on military retirement pay, property-tax relief for disabled veterans, apprenticeship funding and college tuition waivers for the state's veterans and military families.
On cost savings, veterans receiving military retirement pay and families receiving federal Survivor Benefit Plan payments get a $20,000 break from state income taxes. Property-tax relief for qualifying disabled veterans and surviving spouses expands from 2027 through 2031, with larger exemptions for eligible low-income households, and local business-license fees are cut for honorably discharged veterans running service businesses as sole proprietors. The state is also cracking down on fraudulent practices targeting veterans navigating the federal benefits system, and has clarified that "covered active duty" for military families' Paid Family Leave includes stateside missions, extended training and National Guard or Reserve activation.
"California's veterans answered the call to serve, and we have a responsibility to stand with them when they come home. That means protecting the benefits they earned, lowering costs, and opening doors to education, careers, and opportunity," Governor Newsom said.
On careers, California hosts more than 30 federal military installations and the U.S. Department of Defense directly employs more than 236,000 people statewide; the California Military Economic Impact Study put the defense economy's annual contribution at $66 billion. Through Jobs First Catalyst funding, the Kern County Coalition received $276,000 for the Veteran and Workforce Talent Accelerator Initiative. The Division of Apprenticeship Standards awarded more than $51 million in two rounds of ERiCA grants across 44 program awards; as of September 30, 2026, California had 4,320 active veteran apprentices, and 14,794 veterans have taken part in registered apprenticeships since 2019. The California Office of the Small Business Advocate's Technical Assistance Program has supported 1,688 veteran-owned small businesses since the beginning of 2026.
On higher education, a $35 million statewide initiative is expanding Credit for Prior Learning so military training and other prior learning count toward a degree or credential; its goal of serving 30,000 veterans has already been surpassed, with more than 31,000 veterans served. Tuition fees at California public colleges and universities are waived for children and spouses of qualified veterans, including those disabled, deceased or 100% service-disabled; students using the CalVet College Fee Waiver or the federal GI Bill get priority enrollment at California Community Colleges, California State Universities and the University of California; and dependents returning to finish a degree keep in-state tuition eligibility even if the service member has been transferred out of state or has retired.
Related: Newsom Proclaims Veterans Day in California: Proclamation Cites $1 Billion for Veteran Housing
Source: Office of the Governor of California
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：州长纽森签署法案，消防与急救人员在场。照片：加州政府，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Governor Gavin Newsom signing bills with first responders. Photo by Government of California, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
