SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) In 1981, the State of California authorized the Adjutant General of the California National Guard to establish a military museum under Section 179 of the Military and Veterans Code.
(b) In 1983, the California Military Museum Foundation established a military museum in historic Old Sacramento near the California State Railroad Museum.
(c) In 1993, the Legislature transferred Civil War artifacts from the State Capitol to the California Military Museum under Section 179.5 of the Military and Veterans Code.
(d) In 1995, the California Military Museum was designated as the official military museum of California by the Governor.
(e) In 2000, Chapter 16 of the Statutes of 2000 authorized the transfer of unclaimed military awards and decorations from the Controller to the California Military Museum.
(f) The California Military Museum maintains, preserves, and displays military artifacts and equipment at California National Guard facilities located in Los Alamitos, Camp San Luis Obispo, and Camp Roberts.
(g) The California Military Museum is the official United States Department of the Army historical holding for the California National Guard, as designated by the United States Army Center for Military History.
(h) During the decade of the 1990s, the closing of numerous military installations of all services in California, including Ford Ord, the Presidio of San Francisco, and Mather Air Force Base caused numerous historical California military memorabilia and collections to be lost, scattered, or placed in storage and created a substantially increased demand on the California Military Museum in terms of space, staff, and financial obligations.
(i) California remains the state with both the largest number of military veterans and military retirees in the United States, and this situation, that began after World War II, continues today.
(j) Much of the history of California has been involved with the wars fought by the United States in Europe, the Pacific Rim, and the Middle East.
(k) The California Military Museum currently has for display over 30,000 artifacts that include weapons, uniforms, unit records, battle flags, medals, and other information of great historical significance from the early beginnings of Spanish California, and continuing through the Bear Flag Republic, the American Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and all military wars and emergencies of the 20th century.
(l) It is in the best interest of all Californians and the nation that urgent steps be taken to preserve and protect the military artifacts and memorabilia that make up California’s military history.