2012 Legislation Bill Package
CHILD ABUSE
AB 1438: Child Abuse Reporting
AB 1438 improves upon current legislation requiring any person to report to a peace officer a known or suspected instance of a child being the victim of sexual abuse, and would make a failure to report punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for a period of 6 months or a fine of up to $1,000, or by both.
_______________________________________________________________________
2011 Legislative Bill Package
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
AB 38: Banking Development District
AB 38 creates a Banking Development District Program in the Treasurer’s Office to encourage the establishment of banking branches in specially designed geographic locations where there is a demonstrated need for banking services.
AB 1379: Emerging Domestic Markets
AB 1379 seeks to obtain information from the public pension systems throughout the state on the investments made in emerging domestic markets (EDMs), which refer to people, places, or business enterprises with growth potential that face capital constraints due to systemic undervaluation as a result of imperfect market information. These markets include ethnic- and women-owned firms, urban and rural communities, companies that serve low-to-moderate-income populations, and other small- and medium-sized businesses. Public pension systems are already required to report all their investments to the State Controller’s office, and this bill simply asks them to specifically include investments in these markets.
GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY
AB 1065: Request for Transferred Student Records
Establishes that school districts have a “reasonable amount of time” to comply with records requests from school districts where a student is transferring. This bill gives school districts a defensible position when requests are not processed, and improves classroom learning for teachers who are fully aware of a transferring student’s needs, background, test scores, etc.
AB 1322: Regulation Philosophy and Review
Adopts guidelines from federal executive order 12866 by President Clinton that directs agencies to promulgate regulations with respect to effects on small businesses, growing industries, alternatives to regulation, as well as areas where regulations can be streamlined to improve efficiencies and requires the Office of Administrative Law, the body that oversees and reviews regulations before they go into effect, to determine where inefficiencies can be improved.
CONSUMER PROTECTION
AB 1063: Underinsured Motorist Coverage
Will allow uninsured and underinsured motorist insurance (UM/UIM) policy holders to draw down the full benefit of the policy regardless of the number of injured passengers in their car in a no fault accident and the regardless of whether the at fault driver had equal or lesser coverage in comparison.
RATEPAYER PROTECTION
AB 1180: Study of once through cooling policy and impact on California electric ratepayers
This bill would require the State Water Control Board to provide a report to the Legislature on the economic impacts to utility ratepayers because of the implementation of the Statewide Water Quality Control Policy on the Use of Coastal and Estuarine Waters for Power Plant Cooling, adopted May 4, 2010. This bill forces the state to respond directly to the concerns on behalf of ratepayers of new regulations placed on utilities and the ability of utilities to seek rate increases to comply with the regulation.
REDUCING RECIDIVISM
AB 1384: Criminal Record Expungement Request
Adds judicial discretion to 1203.4a of the Penal Code, which would equalize the treatment for all people convicted of misdemeanors. Current law allows for judicial discretion as a factor in determining whether to expunge the record of a person who was assigned probation, but lacks the same option for those who were not assigned probation. AB 2068 will serve as an incentive for people convicted of low-level misdemeanors to do their best to fully reintegrate into the general society by finding work and housing.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
AB 721: California Solar Initiative and the Renewable Portfolio Standard
This bill would expand the definition of an eligible renewable energy resource to include a facility that generates electricity from an eligible solar energy system, for the purpose of meeting their minimum percentage of electricity generate by eligible renewable energy resources.
AB 723: Public Goods Charge: extension of sunset date
This bill would extend the collection of the public goods charge, which is paid by utilities to fund energy efficiency, renewable energy, and research, development, and demonstration programs that enhance system reliability, from January 1, 2012 to January 1, 2016.
AB 724: Mobile Home Parks – PUC proceeding
This bill would require the Public Utilities Commission to open an investigation or proceeding, by February 1, 2012, to evaluate when an owner of a mobilehome park or manufactured housing community that provides master-metered gas or electric service to its residents of the park should be required to transfer responsibility for the service to the utility providing local service. The Commission is required to report on this issue to the Legislature by July 1, 2013.
AB 725: Undergrounding of electrical and communications facilities
This bill would require the Public Utilities Commission, in consultation with electrical and telephone corporations, and representatives of local government, to open an appropriate proceeding to evaluate whether to amend, revise, or improve its rules for replacing overhead electrical and communications facilities with underground facilities. The bill would require the commission to submit a report relative to its evaluation to the Legislature by June 30, 2012.
_______________________________________________________________________
REDUCING RECIDIVISM
AB 2727 – Re-Entry Employment Opportunity Act (HELD)
AB 2727 would prohibit an employer from denying an application for employment simply because the applicant has been convicted of a past unrelated and non-serious criminal offense. This bill will retain an employer’s right to conduct a background check, but more importantly, will provide an additional step towards helping those who have been rehabilitated reintegrate into our communities.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
AB 2581 – Banking Development Districts (VETOED)
AB 2581 seeks to bring vital financial services to underdeveloped and low income communities by creating a Banking Development District Program to encourage banks to establish branches in specific locations where there is a demonstrated need for banking services.
JOB CREATION
AB 2687 – Port Economic Growth Incentive Program (HELD)
AB 2687 provides an incentive to increase goods movement at California’s ports by requiring companies to demonstrate that their projects have produced positive net tax revenues to the state before receiving a tax credit. This bill rewards businesses that contribute to the growth of California’s economy and helps realize the goal of job creation in our state.
IMPROVING BUSINESS CLIMATE
AB 2572 – Hired Driver Services (SIGNED INTO LAW)
AB 2572 will protect consumers by giving law enforcement additional tools to enforce an airport’s and the Public Utilities Commissions’s rules and regulations for licensed “hired drivers” and keep unlicensed “hired drivers” off the streets.
AB 2585 – State Contract Notification to Small Business Community (HELD)
AB 2585 encourages job creation, economic growth and competitive bidding within the small and minority business communities, by requiring state departments and agencies to notify local business associations and chambers of commerce about procurement projects located in their area.
AB 2593 – Workers’ Compensation: Pharmacy Rates (HELD)
AB 2593 seeks to stabilize prescription drug costs for injured workers by de-linking worker’s compensation reimbursement rates for drugs from the Medi-Cal rate structure.
PUBLIC SAFETY
AB 2290 – Inmate Early Release Notification (VETOED)
AB 2290 encourages successful integration of ex-offenders into local communities through coordination of vital mental health and public health services by requiring the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to notify county sheriffs 60 days prior to an inmate being released on summary parole.
CONSUMER PROTECTION
AB 2188 – Disability Benefits: Pay Cards and Direct Deposit (SIGNED INTO LAW)
AB 2188 will lead to timelier and more efficient delivery of unemployment benefits to unemployed workers by authorizing the Employment Development Department (EDD) to issue benefits through direct deposit and pay cards.
AB 2426 – Surrogacy Practitioners Fraud Prevention Act (SIGNED INTO LAW)
AB 2426 seeks to protect consumers from fraudulent business practices by preventing non-attorney surrogacy practitioners from having direct access to a client’s funds. By requiring surrogacy practitioners to use a bonded escrow company or an attorney trust account, this bill ensures that if a surrogacy practitioner suddenly closes its business, their client’s funds are protected.
GOOD GOVERNMENT
AB 2266 – School District records (HELD)
AB 2266 creates an opportunity for cost savings for schools districts around the state, by authorizing districts to convert their paper records into an electronic format.
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT
AB 2567 –Street Sweepers: Digital Photography (SIGNED INTO LAW)
AB 2567 seeks to assist cities and counties with urban runoff mitigation by authorizing local public agencies to install cameras on street-sweepers for the purpose of encouraging compliance with “no parking” regulations.
RESOLUTIONS
ACR 108 proclaims February 2010 as Black History Month, recognizing the accomplishments and contributions of African-Americans throughout America’s history, and recognizing Black History as a part of an American heritage that is shared by all Americans.
ACR 114 proclaims February 19th as the Day of Remembrance, to commemorate the internment of 120,000 citizens and legal residents of Japanese ancestry and to celebrate the accolades and bravery of the same individuals as they fought for America during World War II.