How does a four-day workweek sound? What about getting a refund for all those fees you paid to go to community college? Have a pollution-belching car? Wouldn't it be nice to have it replaced?

These proposals and many more could become reality if San Joaquin Valley lawmakers get their way. During the next six months, legislators will scramble to get these and other bills passed, a mostly uphill battle considering the sheer volume of bills introduced each year.

One measure would levy tougher fines for polluting the air. Another would increase penalties for identity theft.

Local officials would get greater control over failing schools if one bill gets passed. Another measure would increase monitoring of convicted child molesters. One bill with a more modest aim would make it illegal to carry paint into a park. The goal? Less vandalism.

The deadline to introduce legislation into this year's session was Feb. 24. Now the key date is Aug. 31, the day by which bills must be passed by the Assembly and Senate. From there, it's on to the governor's desk for a signature or a veto.

The road will be filled with debate, amendments and committee hearings. Many bills will die along the way. But if lawmakers beat the odds and find enough support, their bill just might be turned into law.

Here's a sample of what Valley lawmakers will push this year, broken down by category. For a complete list, go to www.leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html, click author and plug in your lawmaker's name.

Environment

Assembly Member Juan Arambula, D-Fresno, wants to give tax incentives and low-interest loans to businesses buying equipment that reduces emissions. His Assembly Bill 2553 would extend the benefits to companies operating in the worst air quality zones in the state.

Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, has introduced similar legislation, Senate Bill 1230, that would give incentives only if equipment reduces pollution by 30% below current mandates. Through another bill, SB 1252, Florez will push to increase fees for pollution violations.

San Joaquin Valley residents driving high-polluting vehicles could apply for a replacement vehicle under a bill being pushed by Assembly Member Dave Cogdill, R-Modesto.

AB 1997 would set up the pilot program in the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Low-income residents would be eligible if a smog check technician determines that repairs would not result in long-term smog compliance. The supply of replacement cars would come in donations from residents across the state. The Assembly Transportation Committee on Monday passed the bill by a 12-0 vote.

Crime

Sen. Chuck Poochigian, R-Fresno, who is running for state attorney general, is pushing a slate full of law-and-order bills.

SB 1387, for example, would stiffen penalties for identity theft. SB 1388 would create new criminal penalties for "phishing," scams in which perpetrators send phony e-mails to get your bank information, Social Security number or other personal information.

SB 1313, by Sen. Jeff Denham, R-Merced, would require that convicted child molesters be electronically tracked for 20 years after being released from prison.

Assembly Member Nicole Parra, D-Hanford, will push AB 2300, which would give more oversight of local crime-stoppers programs.

A 15-member council would be formed to make sure, for example, that rewards are only given to residents who provide information on criminal activity. The bill would also allow county boards of supervisors to increase criminal fines with the money used to fund crime-stoppers programs.

A bill by Assembly Member Bill Maze, R-Visalia, would make it a misdemeanor to carry paint into a state, city or county park. AB 1957 is intended to stop graffiti.

Education

Arambula has introduced a pair of bills aimed at poor-performing school districts. AB 2656 would create "academic crisis and management teams" to help failing districts. Patterned after similar teams now assembled to help schools with fiscal problems, the academic teams would include education and management experts.

AB 2859 would give districts greater flexibility when spending money and setting curriculum.

If districts don't improve academically in two or three years, the county or state school superintendents would have the power to appoint an academic trustee or even reconstitute the district -- change district boundaries, for example. The bill targets 18 of the state's poorest-performing schools, a list that includes Fresno Unified.

A bill introduced by Cogdill seeks to encourage students to spend two years at state community colleges before they enroll at universities such as California State University, Fresno. AB 2487 would give enrollment fee refunds to state community college students who go on to graduate from state-run four-year universities. Cogdill is pushing the bill as a cost-saving measure for the state.

It costs the state $4,883 per year to educate a student at a community college compared with $7,872 a year at a university in the CSU system, according to Cogdill's office.

Business

Assembly Member Mike Villines, R-Clovis, wants to give employees the option of a four-day workweek.

Under AB 2217, employees could request to work four 10-hour days. Current law defines a workweek as five eight-hour days with overtime paid to hourly employees if that amount is exceeded. Employees can work alternative workweeks only if two-thirds of the employees agree to do so in a vote.

Villines' bill would give individual employees the right to ask to work alternative schedules. A similar bill was voted down by an Assembly committee in January. It was supported by business groups and opposed by unions.

Another Villines bill, AB 2277, would require workplace posters and regulations to be written in "plain language." The California Chamber of Commerce backed a similar bill last year that was killed in committee when organized labor expressed concerns that simplified wording could result in weaker worker protections.

Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield, introduced a bill that will shorten the amount of time the state has to bring a court action to pursue unpaid personal or corporate income taxes. SB 1713 would reduce the time from 10 to four years.

Other

Maze wants to get more data on how many pregnant women are using drugs. His AB 2818 would randomly drug-test mothers and infants at public hospitals. The information would remain confidential. The intent is to document drug use trends, particularly methamphetamine abuse.

Parra wants to create a transportation planning council. The Southern San Joaquin Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory Council, as proposed in AB 1878, would bring together members of transportation planning agencies from Kings, Madera, Merced, Tulare and Fresno counties. The umbrella group would oversee regional transportation planning for highways, streets, aviation and rail.

The reporter can be reached at eschultz@fresnobee.com or (916) 326-5541.