(a) The Adjutant General shall establish a California State Military Museum and Resource Center as a repository for military artifacts, memorabilia, equipment, documents, and other items relating to the military history of California, and to the history of the California National Guard, in accordance with applicable regulations of the United States Army governing Army museum activities. The museum may consist of the facility described in the Proclamation of the Governor dated May 11, 1994, and any branches as may currently exist or may from time to time be created throughout the state. Each facility shall be deemed to be an armory within the meaning of Section 430.
(b) The Adjutant General may enter into operating agreements with nonprofit historical foundations, military museums, historical societies, or other entities to conduct museum activities pursuant to the rules and regulations promulgated hereunder.
(c) Volunteers, docents, members of the California State Military Reserve, or others working with or for the California State Military Museum and Resource Center, for purposes consistent with the mission of the organization, shall be considered volunteers under Sections 3118 and 3119 of the Government Code and Section 3363.5 of the Labor Code.
(d) No funds raised or assets acquired by an entity described in subdivision (b) shall be used for purposes inconsistent with support of the museum.
(e) The Military Department shall, no later than March 15 of each year, submit a business plan for the following fiscal year to the Director of Finance and the Chair of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee for review and comment. The Military Department shall also submit, not less than 30 days prior to adoption, any proposed formal amendments to the business plan to the Director of Finance and the Chair of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee for review and comment.
(f) (1) The Adjutant General or an entity described in subdivision (b) may solicit, receive, and administer donations of funds or property for the support and improvement of the museum. Any grants or donations received may be expended or used for museum purposes.
(2) Property of historical military significance, not including real property, that is owned by the state and is determined by the Adjutant General to be in excess of the needs of the Military Department, shall be transferred to the museum.
(3) Property determined by the Adjutant General or an entity described in subdivision (b) to be in excess of the needs of the museum may be sold, donated, exchanged, or otherwise disposed of, at its discretion, in a manner appropriate to the historical and intrinsic value of the property, and the benefits from the disposition shall inure to the museum. This paragraph does not apply to property held in trust for the Controller pursuant to Section 1563 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
(g) The Adjutant General or an entity described in subdivision (b) may solicit and receive firearms and other weaponry confiscated by or otherwise in the possession of law enforcement officers as donations to the museum if he or she deems them to be of historical or military interest.
(h) The Adjutant General shall, in cooperation with an entity described in subdivision (b), conduct a study of the future needs of the National Guard to preserve, display, and interpret artifacts, documents, photographs, films, literature, and other items relating to the history of the military in California.
(i) (1) An entity described in subdivision (b) may enter into agreements with other military museums in California, including, but not limited to, the Legion of Valor Museum, to loan property that is not real property and that is under the direct control of the foundation.
(2) An entity described in subdivision (b) may enter into agreements with other military museums in California to loan property held in trust for the Controller pursuant to Section 1563 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
(Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 28, Sec. 72. (SB 854) Effective June 20, 2014.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018