Bill Text: CA SR26 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Enrolled

California Senate Resolution 26 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Relative to National Blinded Veterans Day.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 4-1)

Status: (Passed) 2019-03-28 - Read. Adopted. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 475.) [SR26 Detail]

Download: California-2019-SR26-Enrolled.html

Enrolled April 01, 2019

Passed IN Senate March 28, 2019

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Resolution

No. 26

Introduced by Senator Borgeas
(Coauthors: Senators Grove, Nielsen, Roth, and Wilk)

March 18, 2019

Relative to National Blinded Veterans Day.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SR 26, Borgeas.

WHEREAS, On March 28, the Blinded Veterans Association will promote national recognition for National Blinded Veterans Day and its efforts to improve rehabilitation services, education, and benefits for our nation’s blinded veterans during more than seven decades of service; and

WHEREAS, The Blinded Veterans Association is worthy of special congratulations and recognition on its 74th anniversary of representing blinded veterans and their families since March 28, 1945, when 100 World War II blinded service members at Avon Old Farms Army Convalescent Hospital in Connecticut, at 8:45 a.m., formed the Blinded Veterans Association; and

WHEREAS, These individual blinded veterans, a cross-section of American WWII heroes, were pioneers in establishing rehabilitation services for the war blinded, who not only shaped the rich history, philosophy, knowledge, and skills of education and rehabilitation of the blind, giving us insight into current and future challenges, but also shared their personal lives and showed us strategies to ensure that services for all blinded veterans remain unique and specialized; and

WHEREAS, General Omar Bradley, the Veterans Affairs Administrator, appointed BVA as the first official representative for blinded veterans to assist blinded veterans in obtaining VA benefits and to advocate upon their behalf, making it only the eighth veterans service organization to receive that authorization and the only veterans service organization since then to receive its own day of recognition; and

WHEREAS, The Blinded Veterans Association was originally incorporated in the State of New York as a nonprofit association, then moved to Washington, D.C. in 1947; and

WHEREAS, The 58th Congress approved the Congressional Charter for recognizing the Blinded Veterans Association in 1958; and

WHEREAS, From its early beginnings, the Blinded Veterans Association encouraged the blinded veterans it served “to take their rightful place in the community with their fellow men and work with them toward the creation of a peaceful world,” and have continued to advocate for veterans with visual impairments to regain independence, confidence, and self-esteem through rehabilitation training; and

WHEREAS, Many Americans recognize March 28 of each year as National Blinded Veterans Day; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate supports the goals and ideals of National Blinded Veterans Day and expresses appreciation for the efforts and goals of the Blinded Veterans Association in improving the rehabilitation services, education, and benefits for blinded veterans of the United States, and calls upon the people of California and the United States to recognize and observe National Blinded Veterans Day with appropriate programs and public activities; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.