Burbank Leader, United States
POLITICAL LANDSCAPE:
Lawmakers await approval
September 22, 2007
The state Legislature sent more than 400 bills,
including dozens backed by area lawmakers, to the
governor’s desk at the close of this year’s
legislative session last week. Here’s a look at the
bills that were introduced by local state officials
earlier this year and are now one step away from
becoming laws. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has until
Oct. 12 to act on the bills. Bills that were approved
by the governor before last week’s legislative
deadline are not listed.
-SB 52, Career Technical Education, aims to
simplify and streamline the teacher credentialing
process for career technical education.
-SB 193, Paraprofessional Teachers, aims to
increase funding for the California Paraprofessional
Teacher Training Program, which brings classroom aides
into the teaching profession through a plan of
financial and instructional support.
-SB 859, College Faculty for High School
Classrooms, would make it easier for school districts
to hire qualified, experienced college faculty from
the University of California, California State
University and California community college systems,
when they are unable to recruit certified teachers to
fill vacant teaching positions.
-SB 139, Nursing Education, would exempt
students pursuing a nursing career who have already
earned a bachelor’s degree from completing non-nursing
courses.
SB 339, Mutual Funds, would update a statute in the
Insurance Code by allowing insurers to invest their
funds in a wider variety of investments than allowed
under current law.
-SB 515, Armenian Trade Office, would extend the
statutory sunset for the privately funded California
trade office in Armenia until Jan. 1, 2010.
-SB 718, Inmate Welfare Fund, would authorize
the county sheriff to use money from the existing
Inmate Welfare Fund to provide inmates with
transitional assistance services, including housing
and job placement.
-SB 910, Rosemead Boulevard, would authorize the
state to relinquish a part of Rosemead Boulevard to
the city of Temple City.
-SB 280, Omnibus Education, aims to streamline
various bills dealing with teaching credentials and
restore the ability of the Carnegie Institution of
Washington, which has offices in Pasadena, to issue
revenue bonds. The bill would allow Carnegie to issue
bonds through the California Educational Facilities
Authority to support the institution’s effort to build
a large telescope in northern Chile.
-AB 258, Marine Debris, would require
manufacturers of pre-production plastic pellets known
as `nurdles’ to utilize proper housekeeping procedures
for handling and disposal of the pellets to avoid
spillage and release to the environment. The bill
calls for significant penalties against businesses
that fail to take precautions against allowing pellets
to enter the storm water system.
-AB 291, Public Social Services Hearings, would
extend the time frame during which recipients of
public social services can file a complaint regarding
the services to secure a hearing. Existing law
requires complaints to be filed within 90 days of the
incident.
-AB 949, Burbank Gardens/Nursing Home Reform,
would require a licensed residential care facility for
the elderly – prior to transferring a resident to
another facility or to an independent living
arrangement as a result of the forfeiture of a
license, or a change of use of the facility – to take
all reasonable steps to transfer affected residents
safely and minimize possible trauma by taking
specified actions relating to resident notification,
transfer and relocation planning.
-AB 1013, Weapons/Nuisance Eviction, would
authorize prosecutors to bring eviction actions
against gang members who use their residences to
stockpile illegal weapons and ammunition.
-AB 966, Senior Citizen ID, would require the
Department of Motor Vehicles to include with every
notice of renewal of a driver’s license that is mailed
to a licensed driver, a notice that a person who is 62
or older may be issued, free of charge, an
identification card bearing the notation `Senior
Citizen.’
-AB 1307, Public Employee Benefits, would allow
individuals employed by a company that contracts with
the California Public Employees’ Retirement System to
contribute to the program.
-AB 1427, Developmental Disability Services,
would create a pilot program to provide greater
compensation and training for direct support workers
who provide services to the developmentally disabled.
-AB 1484, Model State Trademark Law, would
repeal the Trademark Law and would enact the Model
State Trademark Law to expand the information required
to be provided with an application for registration of
a mark to include, among other things, a drawing of
the mark and three specimens of that mark as it is
actually used.
-AB 1539, Terminally Ill Prisoners. Under
existing law, a state prisoner who is diagnosed with a
disease that would lead to death within six months and
whose release is deemed not to threaten the public
safety may have his or her sentence recalled and be
resentenced. Existing law additionally sets forth
grounds under which the court has discretion to find
that a prisoner is eligible for resentence or recall.
AB 1539 would extend those provisions for early
release to prisoners who are permanently, medically
incapacitated and whose release is deemed not to
threaten public safety.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress