CHAPTER 3. State Military Reserve Act [550. - 567.]

Cal. Military and Veterans Code - MVC 3.
in effect

Cal. Military and Veterans Code - MVC § 550. Section 550.

Whenever any part of the National Guard of this state is in active federal service, or when Congress consents thereto, the Governor may organize and maintain within this state during that period, under regulations the Secretary of Defense of the United States may prescribe for discipline in training, the military forces the Governor deems necessary to defend and for the security of this state; provided, however, the Governor may authorize the organization and maintenance of these forces at cadre strength at any time. These forces shall be composed of officers commissioned or assigned, and the qualified citizens or persons who are not citizens or nationals of the United States who have declared their intentions to become citizens and who volunteer for service, supplemented, if necessary, by members of the unorganized militia enrolled by draft or otherwise as provided by law. These forces shall be additional to and distinct from the National Guard and shall be known as the State Guard. These forces shall be uniformed under the conditions and subject to the regulations as the Governor may prescribe.

Cal. Military and Veterans Code - MVC § 551. Section 551.

The Governor is hereby authorized to prescribe rules and regulations not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter governing the enlistment, organization, administration, equipment, maintenance, training, and discipline of forces. The rules and regulations, insofar as the Governor deems practicable and desirable, shall conform to existing law governing and pertaining to the National Guard and the rules and regulations adopted thereunder and shall prohibit the acceptance of gifts, donations, gratuities, or anything of value by those forces or any member of those forces from any individual, firm, association, or corporation by reason of that membership. Former Section 167 shall at no time apply to the forces herein authorized except that all officers, warrant officers, and enlisted persons on active duty with the Office of the Adjutant General shall be appointed by the Governor, with consideration of the recommendation of the Adjutant General. All officers, warrant officers and enlisted persons on active duty under former Section 167 who are ordered into federal service by federal authority during the emergency or who are ordered by state authority to perform duty with the forces herein authorized shall not thereby lose the rights and privileges provided in former Section 167 and shall be restored to those rights and privileges upon completion of that service or duty. Members of the California National Guard not ordered to federal service or who are not required to perform federal service or who have been deferred from federal duty may perform service as members of the California National Guard on state active duty on behalf of the forces herein authorized and may be compensated as provided in Sections 320 and 321.

Cal. Military and Veterans Code - MVC § 552. Section 552.

(a) Officers and warrant officers of the forces herein authorized on active duty in the service of the state shall receive the same pay and allowances as officers of similar grade in the Army of the United States. (b) An officer, warrant officer or enlisted person of the forces herein authorized may, with their consent, be detailed for duty and may be paid compensation in any grade lower than the officer, warrant officer, or enlisted person actually holds; provided, the officer, warrant officer, or enlisted person voluntarily waives all compensation in excess of the lower grade in which they are detailed to duty. (c) When an officer or warrant officer of the forces herein authorized is detailed for special duty in any matter relating to those forces, by order of the Governor, they shall be allowed the same pay and allowances as officers or warrant officers of similar grade in the Army of the United States and actual traveling expenses. An enlisted person similarly detailed shall be allowed the same pay and allowances as enlisted persons of similar grade in the Army of the United States and actual traveling expenses, except that family allowances shall not be allowed those enlisted persons. An officer, warrant officer, or enlisted person of the forces herein authorized may, with their consent, be detailed for special duty without expense to the state, except and provided, however, they may be paid their actual traveling expenses. (d) In addition to the pay and allowances authorized in this code, personnel of the forces created herein having administrative functions connected therewith may be paid not more than twenty dollars ($20) per month for the performance of those duties according to rules and regulations adopted by the Adjutant General. (e) All enlistments of members of the active militia may be extended by the Adjutant General if necessary during the existence of a national emergency.

Cal. Military and Veterans Code - MVC § 553. Section 553.

Enlisted persons of the forces herein authorized on active duty in the service of the State shall receive the same pay and allowances, except family allowances, as enlisted persons of similar grade in the Army of the United States.

Cal. Military and Veterans Code - MVC § 554. Section 554.

(a) For the use of the State Guard, the Governor may submit requisitions to the United States Secretary of Defense for any arms and equipment in the possession of and excess to or not required by the Department of the Army or allotted or available to the State Guard. The Governor may provide arms and equipment to the State Guard that are not furnished by the Department of the Army and are required in the defense of the state. The Governor may make available to the State Guard armories and other state premises, property, supplies, and equipment as may be available. (b) The members of the State Guard are members of the state militia for purposes of this code. (c) All unexpended balances appropriated for the use of the California National Guard or the Adjutant General and not required by the California National Guard or the Adjutant General may be expended by the Adjutant General for the use and benefit of the State Guard and its members. Section 255 does not apply to the State Guard.

Cal. Military and Veterans Code - MVC § 555. Section 555.

Such forces shall not be required to serve outside the boundaries of this state except: (a) Upon the request of the Governor of another state, the Governor of this state may, in their discretion, order any portion or all of such forces as may be then in actual service to assist the military or police forces of the other state who are actually engaged in defending the other state. These forces may be recalled by the Governor at their discretion. (b) Any organization, unit, or detachment of forces upon order of the officer in immediate command thereof, may continue in fresh pursuit of insurrectionists, saboteurs, enemies, or enemy forces beyond the borders of this state into another state until they are apprehended or captured by such organization, unit, or detachment or until the military or police forces of the other state or the forces of the United States have had reasonable opportunity to take up the pursuit or to apprehend or capture such persons if the other state shall have given authority by law for the pursuit by such forces of this state. Any person who is apprehended or captured in another state by an organization, unit, or detachment of the forces of this state shall without unnecessary delay be surrendered to the military or police forces of the state in which they are taken or to the United States. This surrender shall not constitute a waiver by this state of its rights to extradite or prosecute the person for any crime committed in this state. (c) Pursuant to the provisions of the National Defense Act of 1916, as amended, and such amendments as may be made thereto hereafter.

Cal. Military and Veterans Code - MVC § 556. Section 556.

Any military forces or organization, unit or detachment thereof, of another state who are in fresh pursuit of insurrectionists, saboteurs, enemies or enemy forces may continue such pursuit into this State until the military or police forces of this State or the forces of the United States have had a reasonable opportunity to take up the pursuit or to apprehend or capture such persons and are hereby authorized to arrest or capture such persons within this State while in fresh pursuit. Any such persons who shall be captured or arrested by the military forces of such other state while in this State shall without unnecessary delay be surrendered to the military or police forces of this State to be dealt with according to law. This section shall not be construed so as to make unlawful any arrest in this State which would otherwise be lawful, and nothing contained in this section shall be deemed to repeal any of the provisions of the Uniform Act of the Fresh Pursuit of Criminals.

Cal. Military and Veterans Code - MVC § 557. Section 557.

(a) A person shall not, by reason of their enlistment or commission in any such forces, be exempted from military service under any law of the United States. (b) Section 230 and Sections 232 to 237, inclusive, apply to commissioned officers. Section 225 applies to warrant officers. Sections 252, 253, 254, and 260, except subdivision (b) of Section 260, apply to enlisted personnel of the forces authorized herein. However, this code shall not prevent the transfer, by order of the Governor, at any time, of any member of those forces to a reserve list created in the office of the Commanding General of the State Military Forces.

Cal. Military and Veterans Code - MVC § 558. Section 558.

No civil organization, society, club, post, order, fraternity, association, brotherhood, body, union, league, or other combination of persons or civil group shall be enlisted in such forces as an organization or unit.

Cal. Military and Veterans Code - MVC § 559. Section 559.

(a) A person shall not be commissioned or enlisted in the State Guard if either of the following apply: (1) The person is not a citizen of the United States or has not declared their intention to become a citizen of the United States. (2) The person has been expelled or dishonorably discharged from a military or naval organization of this state, of another state, or of the United States. (b) A person is not eligible to commission or enlist in the State Guard if they actively participate in any of the conduct set forth in subdivision (a) of Section 240. (c) A person who is commissioned or enlisted in the State Guard shall be discharged under undesirable conditions if they actively participate in any of the conduct set forth in subdivision (a) of Section 240.

Cal. Military and Veterans Code - MVC § 560. Section 560.

(a) The Uniform Code of Military Justice (Chapter 47 (commencing with Section 801) of Title 10 of the United States Code) and the rules and regulations adopted thereunder, together with the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, 1984 (Executive Order No. 12473 of April 13, 1984, as amended), are hereby adopted as part of this code and shall be applicable to and govern the State Guard. (b) An officer or enlisted person of the State Guard shall not be arrested on any warrant, except for treason or a felony, while going to, remaining at, or returning from a place the person is ordered to attend for military duty. Every officer and enlisted person of the State Guard, while on active military orders, is exempt from service upon any posse comitatus and from jury duty.

Cal. Military and Veterans Code - MVC § 562. Section 562.

In all cases in which any officer, warrant officer or enlisted person of the State Guard, when organized or authorized as a cadre or otherwise, when in the performance of ordered duty, or when ordered into the active service of the state, is wounded, injured, disabled, or killed in active service, or in the performance of ordered duty and in line of duty, the officer or warrant officer or enlisted person or the dependents of that officer or warrant officer or enlisted person shall be entitled to receive compensation from the state in accordance with the provisions of Division 4 (commencing with Section 3201) of the Labor Code. In all such cases, an officer, warrant officer, enlisted person shall be held and deemed to be an employee of the state. The compensation to be awarded to any such officer, warrant officer, enlisted person shall be ascertained, determined, and fixed upon the basis of the person’s average income from all sources during the year immediately preceding the date of the injury or death or the commencement of the disability, but the compensation shall in no case exceed the maximum prescribed in Division 4 (commencing with Section 3201) of the Labor Code. In the determination of the benefits to be awarded any member of the State Guard or the member’s dependents under the provisions of this section it shall be conclusively presumed that the average yearly earning of the injured or deceased member is not less than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500). Any injury, death, or disability shall be deemed to have been suffered in line of duty unless the same resulted from misconduct or disobedience of lawful orders by the injured or deceased member.

Cal. Military and Veterans Code - MVC § 563. Section 563.

All members of said forces are hereby declared to be engaged in military service within the meaning of that term as used in Article XXIV of the Constitution of this State and are exempt from civil service.

Cal. Military and Veterans Code - MVC § 564. Section 564.

All of the rights, privileges and benefits provided in Sections 394 and 395 of this code are hereby extended to members of said forces while in the active service of this State.

Cal. Military and Veterans Code - MVC § 566. Section 566.

Sections 9, 16, 141, 176, 188, 230, 361, 366, 389, 395.1, 395.01, 395.2, 395.02, 395.3, 395.03, 395.4, 395.5, 395.05, 395.06, 395.8, 411, 421, 423, 439, 612, 640, 641, 642, 643, 643.1, 644, 645, 646, 647, 648, and 649 apply to, and include, the forces authorized herein.

Cal. Military and Veterans Code - MVC § 567. Section 567.

This chapter shall take effect on the day following the day on which the National Guard or any part thereof is in federal service or on the day following the day on which Congress consents to the organization and maintenance of said forces, whichever event first occurs shall be the effective date hereof, and shall be effective forthwith upon approval by the Governor with respect to the authority granted in this act to the Governor to organize and maintain said forces at cadre strength at any time.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

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