Legislative Wrap-Up: A Flurry Of Bills Sent To The Governor's Desk

This was the final week of this particular session in the state Legislature, so there was a plethora of bills approved and sent to the governor’s desk.

Here is a recap of some of those bills, grouped by individual East Bay legislator. Also included is some of the action involving East Bay members of Congress.

Eleven bills by state Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) were approved and are headed to the governor’s desk.

Among them are bills is AB 48 that bans kits that convert guns into assault-type weapons and AB 1131 that lengthens from six months to five years the firearms prohibition on people who make credible threats.

Other bills by Skinner include AB 626 that raises nutritional guidelines and increases healthier options at California schools and AB 1165 that requires employers to fix serious safety hazards even while they are appealing the citation.

A bill by state Sen. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) aimed at reducing gun trafficking is also headed to the governor’s office. SB 299 would require people whose firearms are lost or stolen to report the missing weapon within seven days of the time they discovered the firearm was missing.

Another bill by DeSaulnier is headed to the governor’s desk. SB 809 would provide the funding to help prescribers and pharmacists to quickly review controlled substance information and patient prescription history to identify and deter drug abuse.

A bill by state Sen. Lois Wolk (D-Davis) that restricts firearms ownership to people with drug and alcohol convictions is also headed to the governor. SB 755 would add individuals with two or more such convictions within a 3-year period to the list of people subject to a 10-year firearms prohibition in California.

Another bill by Wolk approved by the Legislature is SB 43,  which would establish a program that opens access to clean energy to millions of Californians.

A bill by state Sen. Ellen Corbett (D-San Leandro) that supports clean vehicle programs was approved and is headed to the governor for approval. SB 359 provides funding to the Air Quality Improvement Program to ensure that clean vehicle projects have sufficient funding for this fiscal year.

Other bills by Corbett that advanced to the governor’s desk include one that requires limousines to have more rear doors and rear push-out windows as well as a bill that requires 12-point font print or larger on prescription labels.

Another Corbett’ bill would creates a “Made in California” program. SB 12 would create a marketing campaign similar to the “Buy California” program and operate out of the governor’s office.

A bill by state Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan (D-Alamo) that streamlines the teacher dismissal process was approved and is headed to the governor’s office.

AB 375 requires all appeal hearings to begin within six months of the filing of allegations. It also removes the four-month summer ban on issuing dismissal notices for unprofessional conduct.

A bill co-authored by Buchanan and state Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) to keep San Leandro Hospital and Alameda Hospital open was signed by Gov. Brown on Friday. AB 1008 allows the Alameda Health System to maintain its current workforce at the two medical facilities.

The governor signed another bill by Bonta today. AB 817 assists counties and limited English proficient voters by allowing up to five permanent residents to work at the polls and provide language assistance.

Bonta has three other bills on the governor's desk. They deal with providing assistance to Oakland to reduce gun violence as well as a program to distribute condoms in prisons and a requirement that California schools instruct students on the contributions made by Filipino Americans to the farm labor movement.

A bill by state Sen. Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley) that encourages mattress recycling also sailed through the Legislature and is headed to the governor’s desk. SB 254 would creates a recovery and recycling program for used and unwanted mattresses in California.

Another bill by Hancock would create a new parole process for people under the age of 18 at the time they committed an offense but were prosecuted as adults.

A bill by state Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla (D-Concord) that protects children in mixed martial arts programs is also headed to the governor’s office. AB 1186 clarifies the state’s authority to regulate all forms of contact mixed martial arts contest involving participants 18 years and younger.

Another bill by Bonilla would allow greater use of technology to streamline California’s early childhood development system.

A bill by state Assemblyman Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) that provides funding for a spinal cord injury recovery program. AB 714 would direct $1 million in funds to the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research program.

Rep. George Miller (D-Concord) announced that $700,000 in federal funds will be allocated to two organizations in Contra Costa County that assist victims of violence and human trafficking. The groups are the Contra Costa Employment and Human Services Department and STAND! For Families Free of Violence.

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) was nominated by President Obama to be a U.S. representative at the 68th session of the United Nations’ General Assembly.

Rep. Mike Honda (D-San Jose) was awarded the Congressional STEM Education Champion award by the Triangle Coalition at a ceremony this week.