Senator Thomas J. Umberg (D-Santa Ana) announced that his measure, Senate Bill 901, which combats extremism in California’s National or State Guards was officially singed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday evening.

In 2021, the Defense Department Inspector General reported 281 extremism investigations. In last year’s Annual Threat Assessment published by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the U.S. intelligence community deemed racially or unethnically motivated violent extremism — with adherents such as white supremacists, Nazis, and other racist groups — the “most lethal threat” to Americans and are recruiting members of the military.

“Just this year, the media exposed a public school teacher and member of the Arizona National Guard as a neo-Nazi,” said Senator Umberg, a retired US Army colonel and member of the Senate Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs. “In life or death situations, members of the military must be able to trust each other implicitly without fear of discrimination or disparate treatment. And, in an emergency, all members of the public must be able to trust our National and State Guard.”

Last December, the Pentagon published an in-depth report on prohibited extremist activities in the U.S. Department of Defense. The report found that the Pentagon’s effort to counter extremism was mired in a hodgepodge of sometimes contradictory policies, security clearance reviews that struggled to weed out extremists, and data collection efforts that were flawed and produced “inconsistent data at best.” The problems uncovered by the report appear to be even more acute in the National Guard, where the members are far more attached to their communities than the military and its policies of equal inclusion.

To counteract this murkiness, SB 901 enacts provisions at the state level to prevent enlistment or require an administrative discharge for members of the California National and State Guard if a person engages in extremist activity.

“California’s flag, our military, our laws – our nation — all stand for the defense of freedom, safety, and equality,” added Senator Umberg. “People who do not share these beliefs should not be allowed to represent California locally or nationally, especially with a weapon in hand.”

Governor Newsom signed SB 901 into law, making it Chapter 774 of the Statues of 2024, in a package of measures designed to improve services for California’s veterans. The provisions of SB 901 take effect on January 1, 2025.

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Senator Thomas J. Umberg is Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and represents the 34th Senate District, which includes the cities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Fullerton, Garden Grove, La Habra, Long Beach, Orange, Placentia, Santa Ana, and East and South Whittier. Umberg is a retired U.S. Army Colonel, former federal prosecutor, and small businessman.

He and his wife, Brigadier General Robin Umberg, USA (ret.), live in Orange County.