INTRODUCTION REPORT
Introductions From 02/15/07 thru 02/21/07

AB 384

(Portantino) Firefighters. (I-02/15/2007   html   pdf)

Status:02/16/2007-From printer. May be heard in committee March 18.

Current Location:02/15/2007-A PRINT

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Summary:

Existing law requires the Regents of the University of California, the Board of Directors of the Hastings College of the Law, and the Trustees of the California State University to excuse the mandatory systemwide tuition and fees of any surviving spouse or surviving child, natural or adopted, of a deceased person who was a resident of the state, who was employed by a public agency, who was a contractor, or who was an employee of a contractor, as defined, whose principal duties consisted of active law enforcement service or active fire suppression and prevention, and who was killed in the performance of those duties. This bill would enact the California Fallen Federal Firefighter Survivor Assistance Act of 2007, which would excuse the mandatory systemwide tuition and fees of any surviving spouse or surviving child or stepchild of a deceased permanent career civilian federal firefighter who was performing services in this state, upon specified circumstances. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

AB 397

(Adams) Local agencies: membership dues. (I-02/15/2007   html   pdf)

Status:02/16/2007-From printer. May be heard in committee March 18.

Current Location:02/15/2007-A PRINT

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Summary:

Existing law prescribes the duties and powers of local governmental agencies. The Political Reform Act of 1974, among other things, governs campaign disclosure requirements. This bill would prohibit any local agency from paying dues to an organization of which it is a member that makes monetary contributions to a political campaign.

AB 409

(Hayashi) Fire protection: crimes. (I-02/16/2007   html   pdf)

Status:02/20/2007-From printer. May be heard in committee March 22.

Current Location:02/16/2007-A PRINT

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Summary:

Existing law provides that any person who violates specified provisions relating to fire protection, or any order, rule, or regulation made pursuant to those provisions, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $100 or more than $500, or by imprisonment for not more than 6 months, or by both. This bill would raise the fine described above to a minimum of not less than $500 and a maximum of not more that $1,000.

AB 419

(Lieber) Workers' compensation. (I-02/16/2007   html   pdf)

Status:02/20/2007-From printer. May be heard in committee March 22.

Current Location:02/16/2007-A PRINT

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Summary:

Existing workers' compensation law requires employers to secure the payment of workers' compensation, including medical treatment, for injuries incurred by their employees that arise out of, or in the course of, employment. This bill would, for purposes of these provisions, delete the requirement that these employees be members of the Public Employees' Retirement System or the Los Angeles City Employees' Retirement System or subject to the County Employees' Retirement Law of 1937. By increasing the duties of local officials with respect to the administration of this provision, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

AB 476

(De La Torre) Fireworks. (I-02/20/2007   html   pdf)

Status:02/21/2007-From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.

Current Location:02/20/2007-A PRINT

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Summary:

Existing law provides that it is a crime punishable by a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $1,000, or by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both to violate the State Fireworks Law or the regulations issued pursuant thereto, as specified. Existing law provides that notwithstanding these provisions, any person who violates these provisions by selling, giving, or delivering any dangerous fireworks to a person under 18 years of age is punishable, for a 2nd or subsequent violation, by a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $1,000, or by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both. This bill would provide that a violation of the State Fireworks Law is punishable by a fine not exceeding $2,000 nor more than $5,000, imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both. This bill would also provide that a 2nd or subsequent violation involving selling, giving, or delivering any dangerous fireworks to a person under 18 years of age is punishable by a fine not exceeding $2,000 nor more than $5,000, imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both. This bill contains other related provisions.

AB 506

(Lieu) Battery: code enforcement officer. (I-02/20/2007   html   pdf)

Status:02/21/2007-From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.

Current Location:02/20/2007-A PRINT

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Summary:

Existing law provides if a battery is committed against a peace officer, firefighter, or other officer, excluding code enforcement officers, and an injury is inflicted on the victim, the battery is punishable by a fine not exceeding $2,000, imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both, or by imprisonment in the state prison for 16 months, or 2 or 3 years. This bill would include code enforcement officers in those provisions. Because this bill would change the definition of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

AB 518

(Mendoza) Hazardous material: aboveground storage tanks. (I-02/21/2007   html   pdf)

Status:02/22/2007-From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.

Current Location:02/21/2007-A PRINT

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Summary:

The Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act requires the State Water Resources Control Board to adopt a schedule for the inspection of aboveground storage tank facilities. This bill would require the schedule to provide, on and after January 1, 2008, that an inspection be conducted at least once every two years. The bill would also state an intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to prohibit the siting of aboveground storage tanks on lands that are subject to liquefaction.

AB 524

(Hancock) Public employees: local agencies. (I-02/21/2007   html   pdf)

Status:02/22/2007-From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.

Current Location:02/21/2007-A PRINT

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Summary:

The Public Employees Retirement Law provides a comprehensive set of rights and benefits based upon age, service credit, and final compensation. Under that law, a member of the Public Employees' Retirement System shall be retired for service upon his or her written application to the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System if the member has attained 50 years of age, and is credited with 5 years of state service. This bill would provide that a local member shall be retired for service upon his or her written application to the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System if the member has attained 50 years of age, and is credited with 10 years of state service. The bill would provide that these provisions shall not apply to employees of a contracting agency until the contracting agency elects to make these provisions applicable to its employees, by amendment to its contract with the Board of Administration, as specified. The bill would further provide that these provisions shall only apply to a person who is first employed with the contracting agency on or after January 1, 2009. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

AB 525

(De Leon) Homeland security: training center. (I-02/21/2007   html   pdf)

Status:02/22/2007-From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.

Current Location:02/21/2007-A PRINT

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Summary:

Existing law sets forth the duties of the Director of Homeland Security, including the coordination of homeland security activities in the state. This bill would require the director to examine the utilization of state and federal funding options for the development of a homeland security training center in the state, as specified.

AB 529

(Torrico) Local public employees organizations. (I-02/21/2007   html   pdf)

Status:02/22/2007-From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.

Current Location:02/21/2007-A PRINT

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Summary:

Existing law gives public employees the right to form, join, and participate in the activities of employee organizations of their own choosing for the purpose of representation on all matters of employer-employee relations, except as specified. Existing law requires a public agency to grant exclusive or majority recognition to an employee organization based on a signed petition, authorization cards, or union membership cards showing that a majority of the employees in an appropriate bargaining unit desire the representation, unless another labor organization has previously been lawfully recognized as exclusive or majority representative of all or part of the same unit. This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to these provisions.

AB 536

(Portantino) Fire protection: state responsibility areas. (I-02/21/2007   html   pdf)

Status:02/22/2007-From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.

Current Location:02/21/2007-A PRINT

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Summary:

Existing law requires the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to classify all lands within the state for the purpose of determining areas in which the financial responsibility of preventing and suppressing fires is primarily the responsibility of the state. Specified classes of land, including lands covered by forests or by trees producing or capable of producing forest products, lands covered by timber, brush, undergrowth, or grass that meet specified requirements, and specified lands that are contiguous to both of those types of lands, are required to be included within state responsibility areas. However, the board is prohibited from including within state responsibility areas, lands that do not come within those specified classes, lands owned or controlled by the federal government or an agency of the federal government, and lands within the exterior boundaries of certain cities. This bill would delete the prohibition of the board including within state responsibility areas, lands within the exterior boundaries of those cities.

AB 552

(Hernandez) County employees: health insurance. (I-02/21/2007   html   pdf)

Status:02/22/2007-From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.

Current Location:02/21/2007-A PRINT

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Summary:

The County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 permits a member of a retirement system to retire and receive a retirement allowance based upon years of service if he or she meets specified requirements, including, but not limited to, completing 10 years of service and attaining a minimum retirement age. This bill would provide that if a member of a retirement system subject to that law retires and receives a retirement benefit based upon years of service, and that member participates in an employer group health plan for at least 10 years, the member may elect health care plan coverage at a rate that does not exceed 102% of the active employee rate for that health care plan coverage. The bill would permit a county board of supervisors, by resolution adopted by majority vote, to provide that health care plan coverage to a member of a county retirement system who participates in an employer group health plan for less than 10 years, as specified. The bill would also provide that these provisions do not preclude a member who retires based upon years of service from participating in, or preclude an employer from providing, alternate or supplemental Medicare coverage, as specified. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

AB 553

(Hernandez) Public Employment Relations Board. (I-02/21/2007   html   pdf)

Status:02/22/2007-From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.

Current Location:02/21/2007-A PRINT

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Summary:

The Meyers-Milias-Brown Act delegates jurisdiction to the Public Employment Relations Board to resolve disputes and enforce the statutory duties and rights of local public agency employers and employees. The act prescribes the powers and duties of the board with regard to, among other things, elections, the processing of unfair practice charges, and, in connection to an enumerated section of the Government Code, the authority of the board to petition the court for appropriate temporary relief or restraining orders. This bill would provide that, under the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, the Public Employment Relations Board is authorized exclusively to make a determination whether to seek from a court of competent jurisdiction injunctive relief involving or growing out of relations between an employee organization and a public agency. The bill would provide that those changes are declaratory of existing law, as specified.

AB 554

(Hernandez) Public employees: benefits. (I-02/21/2007   html   pdf)

Status:02/22/2007-From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.

Current Location:02/21/2007-A PRINT

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Summary:

The Public Employees' Medical and Hospital Care Act permits an employer to elect to participate in the prefunding of health care coverage for annuitants. Under that law, if an employer elects to participate in the prefunding of health care coverage for annuitants, the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System determines the contribution rate for that employer. That law requires the board of administration to notify each employer that provides retirement benefits through the Public Employees' Retirement System of that employer's contribution rate, regardless of whether that employer participates in the prefunding of health care coverage. This bill would revise and recast those provisions to permit the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System to authorize an employer to participate in the prefunding of health care coverage and other postemployment benefits for annuitants. The bill would require a participating employer to contract with the board of administration regarding specified terms and conditions of the prefunding of health care coverage and other postemployment benefits.

AB 565

(Berryhill) Arson: registration. (I-02/21/2007   html   pdf)

Status:02/22/2007-From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.

Current Location:02/21/2007-A PRINT

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Summary:

Existing law generally provides that any person who, on or after November 30, 1994, is convicted in any court in this state of arson or attempted arson shall be required to register, with the chief of police in the city where the person is residing, or the sheriff in the county in which the person is residing, for the rest of his or her life. Failure to register, as specified, is a misdemeanor. This bill would make failure to register under the these provisions a felony. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.

AB 587

(Karnette) Antiterrorism: Office of Emergency Services: report. (I-02/21/2007   html   pdf)

Status:02/22/2007-From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.

Current Location:02/21/2007-A PRINT

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Summary:

Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to make available for issuance the California memorial license plate. Additional fees other than the base fees are required for the issuance, renewal, retention, or transfer of California memorial license plates. Existing law requires 85% of the additional revenue derived from the issuance, renewal, transfer, and substitution of California memorial license plates to be deposited in the Antiterrorism Fund. Upon appropriation by the Legislature, 1/2 of the money in the fund is required to be allocated to the Office of Emergency Services to be used solely for antiterrorism activities. This bill would require the office of Emergency Services to annually report to the Legislature, on March 1 of each year, how the office complies with, administers, and plans to comply with and administer that requirement.

AB 596

(Dymally) County employees' retirement: safety members: physicians. (I-02/21/2007   html   pdf)

Status:02/22/2007-From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.

Current Location:02/21/2007-A PRINT

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Summary:

The County Employees' Retirement Law of 1937 provides a comprehensive set of rights and benefits based upon age, service credit, and the final compensation of county and district employees who are members of a retirement system subject to that law. Under that law, specified county and district employees whose principal duties consist of active law enforcement or fire suppression are classified as safety members, and all other employees are classified as general members. The board of supervisors of a county, by resolution, may classify a general member as a safety member. Under that law, an employee classified as a safety member is entitled to generally higher benefits and is subject to higher contribution rates than a general member. This bill would require, as of January 1, 2008, physicians working in a county jail or county mental health facility in Alameda County or Los Angeles County to be classified as safety members, without a board of supervisors resolution, but would allow those members to elect not to become safety members. The bill would provide for the calculation of the retirement allowance of a member with credit for time during which he or she was not a safety member, as specified. The bill would further provide that those safety members shall be subject to retirement contributions applicable to existing safety members in Alameda County or Los Angeles County, respectively.