By Dan Aiello
Assemblyman Dr. Richard Pan will amend his legislation intended to offer redress to LGBT veterans ousted under the prohibition policies of the nation’s military, including “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” which prevented gays and lesbians from serving openly in the armed forces.
As written, AB 1505 would have required the state Department of Veterans Affairs to reinstate non-federally-funded benefits to military service members who were ousted with less than honorable discharges because they were gay.
But Pan, a Democrat from Fair Oaks, said he will instead introduce a “contingency and enactment clause” to his bill because state veterans benefits are closely tied to federal benefits and congressional action is needed.