Quirk‑Silva measure to expedite Gibson Canyon veterans cemetery clears Senate committee

The Senate Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs voted to pass Assemblymember Sharon Quirk‑Silva’s bill, AB 571, to the Committee on Appropriations, advancing a targeted California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemption intended to speed construction of the Gibson Canyon Veterans Cemetery in Anaheim.

Quirk‑Silva told the committee the bill includes an urgency clause and is designed to remove a narrow CEQA barrier that supporters say has delayed the project for more than a decade. “This project now enjoys a broad community and bipartisan support,” she said, citing local, county and federal backing.

Supporters told senators the cemetery has wide local approval and is close to being shovel‑ready if the exemption and related steps move forward. Don Wagner, a member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, said the project had unanimous resolutions from nearly every city in Orange County and that “this is a project that brings together the left, the right.” Katrina Foley, vice chair of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, asked members for a yes vote.

Witnesses from veterans organizations also spoke in favor. Seth Reeb of Reeb Government Relations said he represented the American Legion (Department of California), AMVETS (Department of California), the Military Officers Association of America (California Council of Chapters) and the Vietnam Veterans of America (California State Council).

Quirk‑Silva and others described the funding picture and next steps: committee discussion referenced roughly $55 million in combined state and county funds available for early phases and about $20 million provided by Orange County. Quirk‑Silva said the project team is working with the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) and federal partners to move the site onto the federal priority list; she said the goal is to be high enough on that list to obtain federal cemetery construction funds. “Once we are on the list, then the land would be transferred to CalVet and we can actually…get some shovels in the ground,” Quirk‑Silva said, adding she hoped construction could begin within about a year if federal ranking and transfers proceed.

Committee members repeatedly praised the broad local support. Don Wagner told senators that one city’s lawsuit had been filed against the project and that the bill’s exemption aims to prevent such litigation from killing otherwise supported public projects.

There were no speakers recorded in opposition during the committee hearing.

The motion to pass AB 571 to the Appropriations Committee was moved by Senator Tom Umberg and carried on a 5‑0 vote. Recorded ayes in committee were Senators Archuleta, Grove, McNerney, Menjivar, and Umberg. The committee chair announced the bill as due to pass to appropriations.

Next steps: AB 571 will be considered by the Senate Appropriations Committee; supporters said further action will depend on CalVet’s transfer of land and on securing a favorable federal ranking to unlock federal cemetery funds.