SB-1040 • 2026

Veterans Cemetery Maintenance-Endowment Match Act.

Budget

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Choi
Last action: 2026-05-14
Official status: May 14 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide specific details on funding availability or what happens if a limit is exceeded.

Veterans Cemetery Maintenance-Endowment Match Act

This act establishes a matching funds program for maintaining veterans' cemeteries in California.

What This Bill Does

Establishes a state and local matching fund program to help maintain veterans' cemeteries.
Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to match $1 from the state for every $1 contributed locally, up to $250,000 per cemetery each fiscal year.
Creates an account in the General Fund called the Veterans Cemetery Maintenance-Endowment Account.
Veterans cemeteries must apply to participate in this program and be reviewed annually by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Requires the department to report on participating cemeteries, state matches, and fund performance.

Who It Names or Affects

Veterans cemeteries
Local donors including individuals, veterans’ service organizations, local governments, or private donors

Terms To Know

matching funds program: A system where the state matches money given by locals to help maintain veterans' cemeteries.
Veterans Cemetery Maintenance-Endowment Account: An account in the General Fund that holds money for maintaining veterans' cemeteries.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if a cemetery exceeds the $250,000 limit.
It is unclear how much funding will be available each year from the state and local sources.

Bill History

2026-05-14 California Legislative Information
May 14 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.
2026-05-08 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing May 14.
2026-04-27 California Legislative Information
April 27 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2026-04-22 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 27.
2026-04-21 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 4. Noes 0.) (April 20). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2026-02-18 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on M. & V.A.
2026-02-12 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 14.
2026-02-11 California Legislative Information
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 1040, as introduced, Choi.
Veterans Cemetery Maintenance-Endowment Match Act.
Existing law requires the Department of Veterans Affairs, in voluntary cooperation with specified local entities, to design, develop, and construct a state-owned and state-operated Northern and Southern California Veterans Cemetery and California Central Coast Veterans Cemetery. Existing law requires the department to oversee and coordinate the design, development, and construction of these cemeteries. Existing law requires the department to adopt regulations to specify the eligibility requirements for interment in one of these cemeteries.
This bill would require the department to establish and administer a state and local matching funds program for veterans cemetery maintenance funds by requiring that for $1 contributed locally by individuals, veterans’ service organizations, local governments, or private donors, the state would contribute $1 in
matching funds, up to $250,000 per veterans cemetery per fiscal year. The bill would require a veterans cemetery to apply to the department to be part of the program, and would require the department to, among other things, review the applications annually. The bill would establish the Veterans Cemetery Maintenance-Endowment Account in the General Fund that would be administered by the department. The bill would require moneys in the account to be allocated, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the department for distribution to a veterans cemetery. The bill would require the department to provide to the Legislature a report summarizing all participating veterans cemeteries, total state matches, and fund performance.

Current Bill Text

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