2008 LEGISLATION

AB 1943 - Airline Passenger Bill of Rights

This bill will protect the health of passengers who are stranded for hours on airplanes by requiring airlines to provide basic amenities such as drinking water, fresh air, sanitary restrooms and lights.

• Watch the KTVU-2 Report
• Watch the KPIX-5 Report
• Watch the KNTV-NBC Report
• Read the San Francisco Chronicle's Editorial
• Read the Press Release: Leno Introduces Airline Passenger 'Bill of Rights'
• Read the Press Release: Leno's Airline Passenger Bill of Rights Flies off Assembly Floor, Lands Next in Senate

AB 2279 - Medical Cannabis Employment Non-Discrimination

This bill would make it unlawful to discriminate in employment practices based on an employee’s legal use of medical marijuana outside the workplace and not during working hours.

AB 2547 - Oil Spill Response and Technology Improvement Act

This bill establishes California Oil Spill Prevention and Cleanup Technology Grants to encourage the development of new spill response technologies. It requires a minimum containment response when a spill occurs in low-visibility conditions, mandates a mutual aid agreement that enables spill response organizations to utilize the resources of another when needed, and requires that vital local response personnel are ready to respond within 30 minutes.

• Watch the Assembly Access Web Report

AB 2567 - Harvey Milk Holiday

This measure formally recognizes the efforts of civil rights pioneer Harvey Milk by establishing a non-fiscal annual state holiday in Milk’s name on the anniversary of his birth, May 22. The measure will be written not to generate additional state costs or increase the number of paid state holidays.

• Watch the KNTV Report
• Read the Press Release: Leno, Ammiano & EQCA Shepherd “Harvey Milk Day” through State Legislature

AB 2598 - Residential Care Facilities

This bill would authorize local governments to regulate residential care facilities for the elderly in order to ensure affordability and the highest standard of care for seniors relying upon these facilities to maintain their independence.

• Read the Press Release: Leno's Senior Housing Rent Control Measure Approved by Human Services Committee

AB 2646 - San Francisco Infrastructure Financing District

This bill would encourage development of blighted areas along the San Francisco Waterfront by authorizing the City and County of San Francisco to create an infrastructure financing district to utilize incremental property tax revenue for waterfront development.

AB 2704 – Free Drinking Water in Schools

This bill ensures student access to free tap water at schools. Studies have shown that when young children are thirsty, their mental performance in school deteriorates by 10%, leading to lower academic performance. Surprisingly, many schools do not offer adequate access to free tap water to students. AB 2704 remedies this situation and ensures that no school enters into a contract that would prohibit them from providing or promoting free tap water to students.

AB 2726 - Healthy Food Pilot Extension

AB 2726 extends the sunset date for the “Healthy Food Purchase” pilot program created by AB 2384 (Leno, 2006) and provides the Department of Health with more flexibility in finding creative funding mechanisms, such as private donations and federal funds, to implement the pilot.

AB 2730 – Non-Profit Recycling Centers

This measure allows non-profit convenience zone recyclers to be located within one mile of a supermarket instead of the current ½ mile requirement, allowing better access to recycling facilities.

AB 2760 – Light Brown Apple Moth EIR Requirements

This bill will require that an Environmental Impact Report be completed before the state Department of Food and Agriculture can apply pesticide in an urban area for the eradication of the light brown apple moth.

• Read the Press Release: Leno Applauds Judge's Ruling to Stop Planned Spray in Santa Cruz County
• Read the Press Release: Leno Introduces Bill Requiring an EIR Prior to Any Spraying for Light Brown Apple Moth
• Read more about Controlling the Light Brown Apple Moth

AB 2809 - Violent Crime Witness Reimbursement for Minors

This bill will expand eligibility for minors who are witnesses to violent crime so they can apply for reimbursement from the Victims Compensation and Government Claims Board for counseling and other related expenses.

AB 2863 – Solar Power Purchase Agreements

This bill will encourage a new kind of solar power company that would install solar generation on a home or business, retain ownership of and maintain the equipment, and sell the power back to the resident or business at a price comparable to their electric utility.

AB 2879 - Underground Economy Tax Triggers

This bill will crack down on employers who exhibit a pattern of breaking labor or tax laws by requiring the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, Franchise Tax Board, and the Joint Enforcement Strike Force on the Underground Economy to enhance compliance by these companies. 

AB 2944 – Socially Responsible Corporate Practices

This bill would promote socially responsible corporate conduct by authorizing corporate board of directors to consider the interest of the community, the environment and employees, along with the interest of shareholders, when making official decisions on behalf of the corporation.

AB 2948 - Cow Palace Gun Show Ban

This bill will prohibit the sale of firearms and ammunition at the Cow Palace, thereby ending gun shows at this state-owned facility and help reduce gun violence in the neighboring residential communities of Daly City and San Francisco.

AB 2986 - Clean Water Act of 2008

This legislation will require state regulators to give a letter grade of A, B, C, D, or F to every sewer system and sewage treatment plant in California. It requires failing systems to do wet weather flow monitoring to identify problems, and provides Proposition 84 bond funding to severely disadvantaged communities for sewer improvements. It also requires the internet posting of key regulatory documents regarding waste discharges.

• Watch the KNTV-11 Report
• Watch the KGO-7 Report on Pharmaceuticals in water
• Read the Press Release: Leno Introduces California Clean Water Act

HR 26 – World Kidney Day Resolution

This resolution recognizes March 13, 2008 as World Kidney Day.  It serves to increase the public’s awareness of the health crisis associated with Chronic Kidney Disease and also calls attention to the need for early detection and prevention of kidney disease.