Legislative Wrap-Up: Voters Rights, School Exams, Clean Vehicles

Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill this week by state Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) to ensure voting rights during natural disasters.

AB 214 requires the secretary of state to establish procedures to ensure voting continues in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency.

"One of the state's most important duties is ensuring the right to vote," Skinner said. "Natural disasters don't occur on schedule. If one happens near an election, we need to be prepared to ensure that every Californian can vote."

Another bill by Skinner was signed by the governor this week.

AB 1220 gives consumers access to the same credit reports that banks, landlords and prospective employers have.

Gov. Brown also signed a bill by state Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla (D-Concord) that protects children in mixed martial arts.

The bill, AB 1186, clarifies the California State Athletic Commission's authority to regulate all forms of full contact mixed martial arts competitions that involved participants 18 years of age and younger.

Another bill by Bonilla was also signed by Gov. Brown

AB 484 allows California to move away from the STAR testing system and into the next generation of assessment exams.

Bonilla also co-hosted a hearing with the Assembly Select Committee to examine the California STEM Task Force's findings on how to best implement science, technology, engineering and math into California schools.

The hearing with state Superintendent of School Tom Torlakson was held from 10 a.m. to noon Friday at the Contra Costa Transportation Authority Board Room in Walnut Creek.

State Sen. Ellen Corbett hosted a Senate Select Committee on Emerging Technology on the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies initiative.

The hearing was held Friday from 9 a.m. to noon in La Jolla.

Corbett will also host a hearing in Hayward on Sunday on the federal Affordable Care Act in California as well as a hearing Monday in Pleasanton on stopping scams aimed at senior citizens.

Corbett also had two energy-related bills signed by the governor early this week.

SB 454 would allows electric vehicle charging stations to operate similar to gas stations by allowing drivers to use multiple payment methods to charge their car battery.

SB 359 provides funding to the Air Quality Improvement Program to ensure vital clean vehicle projects have sufficient funding through this fiscal year.

A bill by state Sen. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) that protects home buyers was signed into law by Gov. Brown.

SB 652 requires home sellers to disclose any construction defect claims made on that home.

The governor also signed a bill by state Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) to require curriculum in California schools to include the contributions of Filipino-Americans to the state's farm labor movement.

“The goal of AB 123 is to supplement California’s rich farm worker history with the contributions of the Filipino American community. The Filipino American population composes the largest Asian population in California and continues to grow; yet the story of Filipinos and their crucial efforts to the farm labor movement is an untold part of California history,” explained Bonta.

A bill co-sponsored by State Sen. Lois Wolk (D-Davis) was signed by Gov. Brown.

AB 1425 allows non-profit organizations to sell homemade beer and wine at fundraising events.

“Assembly Bill 1425 will ensure that charities statewide can take full advantage of homemade wine and beer donations and use this fundraising tool to finance the valuable services they provide,” said Wolk.

Another bill by Wolk was signed over the weekend by the governor.

SB 43 enables Californians who can't install their own solar, wind or other renewable power generation system to receive that energy from their utility.

State Assemblyman Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) helped kick off a petition drive on a plan for the city of San Jose and the Santa Clara Unified School District to purchase the Agnews East Development Center.

The 81-acre surplus state property on Zanker Road would be used to build a school and a park.