DOWNEY — State Sen. Bob Archuleta has been named Legislator of the Year for 2019 by the California State Commanders Veterans Council.

The award is given in recognition for leadership and efforts on behalf of California’s veterans, active duty military, reserves, and the California National Guard. 

Archuleta, who represents Downey in the state legislature, will be presented the award at the state Capitol on April 22. 

“It is an honor for me to receive this recognition from the California State Commanders Veterans Council. I will continue to work with all veterans and active military in the state of California to represent them to the best of my ability,” Archuleta said. “I will continue working with my colleagues and the governor’s office on veterans’ homelessness, as well as issues pertaining to our active military and our 22 armed force bases in California.”

Archuleta authored Senate Bill 289 in 2019, which was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. SB 289 allows active duty service members, upon receiving orders to transfer out of state, to maintain their eligibility status or their place on the waiting list for services. 

This bill would also allow military personnel and their families to apply for the Medicaid HCBS waiver program when they receive notification of their pending transfer into the state.

Elected in 2018, Archuleta is an Army veteran and was a combat paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division. He is the current Chair of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs.

“When Senator Archuleta was appointed as the Chairman of Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, we instinctively knew he would be the right person for the job,” said Frederick Romero, chairman of the California State Commanders Veterans Council. “He has captivated us with his intimate knowledge, and unique ability to understand and relate to the active duty military and California veterans. He has also shown, through action in his first year, his desire to tackle the tough issues such as the California Veterans Homes and the Disabled Veterans Business Enterprise program.” 

Archuleta served as a Presidential Appointee under then-President Barack Obama as the first Mexican American to be appointed to the Board of Visitors to the United States Military Academy at West Point, which inquiries into the morale, discipline, curriculum, and other matters relating to the academy, and he was immediately elected as co-chair. He also served on the Los Angeles County Military Veteran Affairs Commission and the United States Army Advisory Board for Military Recruitment.

The California State Commanders Veterans Council is a group of 20 veterans service organizations and other military service-related organizations, whose mission is to evaluate pending state legislation affecting California’s veterans, whether active, reserve, National Guard, or retired.  The Council was founded in 1966 and meets regularly to coordinate legislative strategies to advance veterans issues at the state level.