2009 - 2010 Legislation

Dear Neighbor,

It is important to let you know about the legislation introduced by my office. Below are details on legislation that emphasize the values of the community: improving children’s education, increasing access to quality healthcare, protecting California’s environment, preparing for a disaster, and support for working families in California.

It is a pleasure to serve the constituents of the 35th Assembly District. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me.

Thank you.

Pedro Nava
Chair, Banking and Finance
Chair, Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency Services and Homeland Security

 

ANIMAL WELFARE

 

AB 241 - THE RESPONSIBLE BREEDER ACT OF 2009
Limits to 50 the number of non-spayed or neutered adult dogs or cats that a seller may possess in an attempt to curb the proliferation of “puppy mills” in California. 

AB 242 – THE DOGFIGHT PREVENTION ACT OF 2009
Strengthens penalties for spectatorship at a dogfight in California.

AB 243 - THE ANIMAL CRUELTY PREVENTION ACT OF 2009
Makes it mandatory for a judge to prohibit a person convicted of specified animal-related crimes from owning or possessing, caring for, or having any contact with animals for a minimum period of time.

 

BANKING & FINANCE

 

AB 33 - STATE BANKING REGULATORS
Combines the Department of Financial Institutions, Department of Corporations and the mortgage loan broker functions of the Department of Real Estate into the California Department of Financial Services into a one stop shop regulator providing clarity for licensees and increased consumer protections.  Also creates the Office of the Financial Consumer Advocate to serve as an advisor to DFS on consumer protection issues.

AB 34 – THE SAFE ACT
Requires all mortgage loan originators to be individually licensed.  Also requires all loan originators to register with a national database and submit criminal history background checks.

AB 764 – HOMEOWNER FRAUD PREVENTION ACT
Bans the collection of advance fees for modifying a loan.  This will ensure that homeowners receive a modification before paying.  Violations will be subject to a fine of $20,000 for an individual and $60,000 for a corporation and up to one year in county jail.  AB 764 will also ban false and misleading advertising by individuals and companies that offer loan modification services. 

AB 1075 - THE CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY ACT
Prohibits state chartered financial institutions from using any emergency economic stimulus funding for: lobbying expenditures or political contributions; the hosting, sponsorship, or payments for conferences and events; the use of corporate aircraft, travel accommodations, and travel expenditures; expenses relating to office or facility renovations or relocations; executive bonuses; and/or expenses relating to entertainment, holiday parties, employee recognition events, or similar ancillary corporate expenses.

AB 1156 - CALIFORNIA FIRST
Prioritizes the investments of state funds into California community banks. 

 

CIVIL RIGHTS

 

AB 67 - PARENTAL CONSENT FOR CAMPAIGN COMMERCIALS
Requires parental consent for use of images of minors in political campaign commercials.

HR 16 - RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF FEDERAL MATTHEW SHEPARD HATE CRIMES ACT
(Sponsor: Equality California)
Calls on the United States Senate and the President of the United States to approve the Matthew Shepard Act which will expand the landmark 1969 United States federal hate crimes law to include crimes motivated by a victim’s real or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability.

EDUCATION

 

AB 1022 - VENTURA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
Authorizes Ventura Unified School District to use the proceeds from the sale of surplus property for any one-time general fund purpose.

 

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE

 

AB 50 – WILDFIRE RELIEF FOR GAP FIRE VICTIMS
Provides disaster relief assistance for victims of numerous fires that occurred in 2008.  This will allow victims to receive a homeowner’s property tax exemption while their home is being repaired or rebuilt even if they can not live in the property.  In addition, provides state reimbursements of local property tax losses to the county resulting from the downward property tax assessments of properties damaged by the fire.

AB 1214 - PRIVATE PROPERTY FIRE TECHNICIANS
Requires any private property fire technicians hired by an insurer to report to, and follow the direction of, an event’s Incident Commander.

AB 1440 - EMERGENCY WORKER PROVISIONAL BALLOTS
Allows emergency workers deployed during declared states of emergency during elections to vote by provisional ballot in the county of their service.

ENVIRONMENT

 

AB 305 - HAZARDOUS MATERIAL AND WATER CODE ENFORCEMENT
The bill will allow prosecutors to seek jail sentences for polluters who knowingly make a false or misleading report about an offshore oil spill. AB 305 will also extend the statute of limitations for violations of Hazardous Material Release Response Plans and Inventory related violations from 1 to 5 years to bring it into accordance with other hazardous material and hazardous waste laws in the same Division of the Health and Safety Code.

AB 376 – VOLUNTARY CARBON OFFSET DISCLOSURE
Sets up minimum information disclosure and verification requirements for the sale of retail voluntary carbon offsets and requires that all offsets be registered and tracked so as to prevent the sale of the same greenhouse gas emission reduction more than once.

AJR 3 – OFFSHORE OIL DRILLING
Voices opposition to the damaging coastal provisions of proposed federal energy policies, including, but not limited to the adoption of HR 2784. Also asks that Congress continue the federal Offshore Leasing Moratorium for Fiscal Year 2009 and beyond.

 

GENERAL GOVERNMENT

 

AB 471 – GENERAL/LEAD COUNSEL DESIGNATIONS
Clarifies the Attorney General's (AG) authority to act as legal counsel for state agencies in civil litigation.  The bill would also establish clear authority for state agencies to retain in-house legal counsel to provide advice in non-litigation matters, without first having to obtain the Attorney General's consent. This bill essentially clarifies the role of the Attorney General as the chief litigator in the state, but allows agencies to engage in litigation with consent of the Attorney General.

AB 798 - CALIFORNIA TRANSPORTATION FINANCING AUTHORITY
Creates the California Transportation Financing Authority and allows the Authority to issue revenue bonds in support of local transportation projects and toll roads while assuring appropriate financing is available for local governments and transportation agencies.

 

HEALTH

 

AB 159 - THE HEALTHY MOTHERS ACT OF 2009
Allows the State Department of Public Health to establish a Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders Task Force from nonpublic funds to develop both a best practices model for public awareness and a standard of care that may be used by physicians, medical centers, hospitals, and other medical organizations.

AB 359 - DIGITAL MAMMOGRAMS
Requires digital mammography screening to be covered under the “Every Woman Counts” (EWC) Cancer Detection Program administered by the California Department of Public Health when analog mammography is not available. 

AB 721 - PHYSICAL THERAPY DIRECT ACCESS
Allows patients to see a physical therapist directly for evaluation and treatment of movement related conditions.

AB 867 - CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY (CSU) DOCTORATE OF NURSING PRACTICE
Gives CSU the ability to offer doctoral nursing programs independently of the University of California and other institutions of higher education.

 

HOUSING

 

AB 566 – MOBILEHOME PARK CONVERSIONS
Allows local governments or advisory agencies to consider whether the currently required survey represents a majority support of the residents prior to approving, denying, or conditionally approving a mobile home park subdivision. The bill gives residents a voice in the mobile home park conversion process allowing them to protect the equity in their homes.

 

PUBLIC SAFETY

 

AB 61 – SEX CRIME LOOPHOLE CLOSURE
Will prohibit authorities from granting deferred entry of judgment to juveniles who have committed egregious sex crimes, making them ineligible to go directly to probation.

AB 86 – PERS FOR AIRPORT PATROL OFFICERS
Changes the classification of specified airport law enforcement under the Public Employees’ Retirement Law from “local miscellaneous” members to “local safety” members.

AB 168 – SEX CRIME DISCLOSURE
Would unseal sexual violent predator listed crimes from juvenile records when assessing an individual, who has been convicted of a listed SVP crime as an adult, for eligibility to civil commitment program.