SECTION 1.

 (a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:

(1) The California State Military Museum, was authorized by the Legislature in 1981 by Section 179 of the Military and Veterans Code, which states “The Adjutant General [of the California National Guard] may establish a California National Guard military museum and resource center as a repository for military artifacts, memorabilia, equipment, documents, and other items relating to the history of the California National Guard.”

(2) The museum was established in 1983 and is operated by a nonprofit educational organization that is exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and has been in its present location in Sacramento since 1990.

(3) In 1994, the museum was designated the official military museum of California by Governor Pete Wilson by executive order.

(4) In 1995, the California Citizen Soldier Museum was renamed the California Military Museum and the museum’s focus was changed to include all of California’s military history.

(5) In true military fashion, a group of volunteers under the auspices of the California National Guard Historical Association began the task of establishing a museum.

(6) Today, the museum has over 30,000 military artifacts including weapons, uniforms, unit records, battle flags, photographs, personal letters, newspaper articles, medals, and other information.

(7) In 1993, the Legislature, by enacting Section 179.5 of the Military and Veterans Code transferred Civil War artifacts that were on display in the State Capitol to the California Military Museum for the museum to preserve, maintain, and exhibit these Civil War artifacts.

(8) In 1998, the Legislature, through the California Arts Council appropriated $250,000 in state funding, allowing the California Military Museum to establish the California Military History Educational Project.

(9) The California Military History Educational Project is a cooperative effort between the California Military Museum, the University of California, Irvine’s Humanities Research Institute, California State University of Los Angeles Charter College of Education, and the University of California San Diego Supercomputer Center.

(10) The California Military History Educational Project has developed an educational Web site, a World War II oral history project, and the project also developed the grade-appropriate California State Educational Curriculum concerning California’s role in World War II for use in California schools.

(11) In 2000, the Legislature enacted an urgency measure, Chapter 16 of the Statutes of 2000, to require that military awards and decorations that come into possession of the Controller as unclaimed property are to be held in trust at the California National Guard Museum and Resource Center. This legislation was a beneficial development in the preservation of California’s military history.

(12) In 2002, the Legislature directed the Adjutant General pursuant to Section 179 of the Military and Veterans Code to establish the California State Military Museum and Resource Center and appropriated funds for a local assistance grant to the museum.

(13) In 2003, the Legislature enacted Chapter 265 of the Statutes of 2003 to amend, among other provisions, Section 1563 of the Code of Civil Procedure to require that military artifacts and memorabilia that come into the possession of the Controller as unclaimed property be held in trust at the California State Military Museum and Resource Center.

(14) The museum is currently operated by the California Military Museum Foundation, a nonprofit organization that is exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, under a memorandum of understanding between the Adjutant General and the foundation.

(15) The legislative and executive branches have a long history of supporting the California State Military Museum and Resource Center over the past 21 years.

(b) The Legislature finds and declares that it is appropriate at this time to designate by statute the California State Military Museum and Resource Center as the official state military museum.