Gov. 's office used Veterans Day on Nov. 11, 2026, to highlight tax relief, education access and workforce programs for veterans and their families, most of them measures already in place.
The release said the administration has given veterans receiving military retirement pay and families getting federal Survivor Benefit Plan payments a $20,000 break from state income taxes, and is expanding property-tax relief for qualifying disabled veterans and surviving spouses from 2027 through 2031, with larger exemptions for eligible low-income households.
The office said the administration also cut local business-license fees for honorably discharged veterans who operate service businesses as sole proprietors, cracked down on fraud targeting veterans navigating the federal benefits system, and clarified that military families called to stateside missions, extended training or National Guard or Reserve activation can use Paid Family Leave.
On workforce programs, the release said Jobs First Catalyst funding helped the Kern County Coalition award $276,000 to a Veteran and Workforce Talent Accelerator Initiative to expand training and employer ties in aerospace, defense, energy and manufacturing.
The release said the Division of Apprenticeship Standards awarded more than $51 million through Equal Representation in Construction Apprenticeship grants, supporting 44 programs that include veterans; California had 4,320 active veteran apprentices as of Sept. 30, 2026, and 14,794 veterans have participated in DAS-registered apprenticeships since 2019.
On small business support, the office said the California Office of the Small Business Advocate’s Technical Assistance Program has served 1,688 veteran-owned small businesses since the start of 2026.
On higher education, the release said a $35 million statewide Credit for Prior Learning initiative set a 30,000-veteran goal and has already served more than 31,000 veterans by translating military training and other prior learning into college credit; the office said the administration also waived tuition fees for children and spouses of qualified veterans and expanded priority enrollment for students relying on the CalVet College Fee Waiver or the federal GI Bill.
The governor's office did not include application steps or eligibility details in the release.
State
Gavin Newsom
Governor · Democrat
Named 2 times in this story.
Portrait: Official portrait
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