2005 LEGISLATION 

AB 19 / 849: Religious Freedom & Civil Marriage Protection Act

This bill would define marriage as a civil contract between two persons, a definition that was in effect prior to 1977. It would also reaffirm that no religious entity is required to solemnize a marriage that is contrary to its religious tenets.

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AB 499: Local Small Business Contracting Preferences

Current law creates a scoring preference for small businesses competing for local contracts. rently, there is no opportunity for local agencies to encourage contracting to small businesses in their communities. This bill would offer an optional preference for local agencies that wanted to include more local small businesses in the contracting process.

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AB 519: Reinstating Parental Rights for Legal Orphans

In cases of child abuse or neglect, existing law sets timeframes in which parents must make substantial progress in meeting the requirements of their family reunification plan or face termination of parental rights, thereby freeing the child for adoption. This bill allows the court to reinstate parental rights upon petition by the child or the child' s attorney only if, after three years past the termination of parental rights, the child still has not been adopted, and reinstatement of parental rights is found to be in the best interests of the child.

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AB 631: Mobile Methadone Treatment MediCal Reimbursement

San Francisco' s mobile methadone maintenance treatment program is the first of its kind in California, operating since March 2003 in close cooperation with the state Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. The program is highly effective in treating the City' s estimated 15,000 to 17,000 heroin addicts by taking the services directly to where they reside in neighborhoods throughout the City. As a pilot, the program is not formally licensed, and thus not eligible for MediCal reimbursement. This bill would create a category of licensure for mobile methadone maintenance treatment programs to facilitate MediCal reimbursement for services, thereby encouraging its financial viability.

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AB 749: Local Dungeness Crab Industry Protection

This bill grants authority to the State Fish and Game Commission to regulate the crab fishing industry and establishes trap limits, in an effort to protect the long-term sustainability of the crab fishermen, local businesses and the Dungeness crab species.

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AB 781: Ellis Act Eviction Reform

Existing law as codified in the Ellis Act authorizes landlords of rent-controlled units to get out of the business of renting by evicting their tenants. This bill requires that landlords must own the building for a period of at least five years prior to making evictions under the Ellis Act. This removes an incentive for speculative buying of buildings with the intention of evicting residents.

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AB 799: Vehicle License Fee Option for San Francisco

This bill would authorize the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to put a measure on the local ballot that would reinstate the Vehicle License Fee to its historic 2% level, with the proceeds going to fund critical local health, safety, and transportation services.

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AB 1099: Solar Tax Exemption

This bill removes the sunset clause on a tax exemption for the construction or addition of solar energy systems on public or private buildings.

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AB 1147: Industrial Hemp Production

0506rent law allows hemp to be imported into California for manufacturing a wide array of consumer goods and products, but prohibits hemp from being grown in the state. This bill would remove that prohibition, providing California farmers with an environmentally friendly alternative that requires fewer pesticides and less water than many other crops.

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AB 1237: Tasers

Following seven deaths involving tasers in Northern California, this bill would prohibit the possession or sale of tasers to the general public. It also requires law enforcement agencies to report information about their training protocols and use of tasers to the Department of Justice.

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AB 1261: Improving Foster Youth Educational Outcomes

This bill clarifies legislative intent and makes technical corrections to a landmark 2003 legislation that promotes better educational outcomes for foster youth.

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AB 1391: Political Reform Act Loophole Closure

This bill closes a loophole in the Political Reform Act. 0506rently, election committees need not follow local election regulations if they are registered as a state election committee, regardless of whether they participate in local elections or not. This bill would require that any committee that participates in a local election must follow local disclosure requirements.

Read the bill text, analyses, status, and votes on the California Legislative Information Site