PRESS RELEASE
Office of Assemblyman Paul Krekorian
Jeremy Oberstein | Press Secretary
300 E. Magnolia Blvd., Suite 504
Burbank, CA 91502-1145
Tel: 818-558-3043
Cell: 323-632-2492
September 3, 2009
Three Krekorian-Backed Bills Pass Senate
Head back to the Assembly then to Governor for his signature
BURBANK – Three bills authored by Assistant Majority Leader Paul
Krekorian (D-Burbank) passed the Senate this week and now head back to
the Assembly for a final vote before landing on the governor’s desk. The
bills, which received broad support, will increase consumer protections,
public safety and healthcare efficiency administration.
Assembly Bill 1319 – The Advance Fee Talent Scam Prevention Act will
protect consumers without inhibiting businesses who act in the best
interest of their clients. It requires talent services claiming to hold
"auditions" or claiming that successful artists have used their service
maintain supporting proof that the claims are true; in turn, that proof
must be made available to law enforcement for inspection and copying.
The bill also promotes consumer protection by requiring that all artist
contracts include a clear notice of cancellation and refund procedures
while prohibiting automatic renewal of terms without the artist’s
affirmative assent. The act will also curb bait-and-switch business
practices by prohibiting talent services from requiring clients to
purchase photographs, websites and other promotional materials as a
condition for using the talent service or for obtaining preferential
treatment from the talent service. The Senate floor vote Wednesday was
24-10.
AB 530 – The Safe Neighborhoods Act arms city attorneys and prosecutors
in the cities of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Palmdale, San Diego, Oakland,
and Sacramento with the authority to bring unlawful detainer actions
against weapons and drug offenders. This bill will also help landlords
who are intimidated from bringing eviction proceedings against tenants
engaged in drug-related crimes and illegal possession of weapons or
ammunition on the premises. The vote was 39-0
AB 952 – Approximately 1.6 million Californians receive their health
benefits from federally regulated "Taft-Hartley" health plans. AB 952
will provide Taft-Hartley plan administrators with the data they need to
administer those benefits smoothly and efficiently, but preserve
California’s strong patient privacy protections and ensure that benefit
data is not misused. The vote was 38-0.
Other Krekorian bills to be taken up this week include potentially
groundbreaking environmental legislation (AB 64), the Golden Shield Act
to honor slain public safety officers (AB 671) and the Financial
Assurances through State Timeliness Act (FAST Act, AB 548), which
quickens the reimbursement process for schools.
Assemblymember Paul Krekorian represents the cities of Burbank and
Glendale, and the Los Angeles communities of Atwater Village, Los Feliz,
North Hollywood, Silver Lake, Toluca Lake, Valley Glen and Van Nuys. His
website is Follow him on Twitter
<; (@PaulKrekorian) and Facebook.
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