State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson has introduced 21 bills for the 2017-18 Senate session, following last Friday’s deadline to submit new bills to the Senate.
Jackson represents the 19th Senate district, which includes Santa Barbara and Isla Vista. Her bills address various social issues and changes in criminal trial laws.
EDUCATION
Measure SB 55: This bill proposes to indefinitely extend the Distinguished After School Health (D.A.S.H.) Recognition Program, which ensures that after school programs provide healthy food and drinks for their attendees and include physical activity.
Measure SB 169: Through this bill, Jackson aims to fortify the power of Title IX, a law that students use to protect themselves from sexual discrimination and violence, by making the protections and requirements of Title IX and the role of educational institutions clearer.
Measure SB 203: This bill would allow for more development in technology education, including media literacy and internet safety in public schools and would require administrators to review the policies and procedures of these programs.
Measure SB 331: In instances of domestic violence, this bill would add public or private universities and colleges to the definition of “domestic violence victim service organizations,” which would extend the aid that nongovernment organizations receive to support victims of domestic violence
ENVIRONMENT
Measure SB 44: In response to the damage caused by abandoned oil wells, Jackson hopes this bill would help financially support a coastal hazard and legacy oil and gas wells removal and remediation program.
Measure SB 212: This bill aims to extend the definition of “medical waste” to include medical waste generated in households, making such waste applicable to the Medical Waste Management Act.
Measure SB 224: This bill would prevent the lead agencies of the California Environmental Quality Act from directly establishing the conditions of a project that may harm the environment.
Measure SB 290: With the acquisition of funds, this bill would help establish rehabilitation centers for injured marine animals and would allow the Department of Fish and Wildlife to work with nonprofit organizations.
Measure SB 465: This bill aims to make changes to how the supervisors of abandoned oil wells report their findings.
EMPLOYEE RIGHTS
Measure SB 62: Under current law, an employee is able to take up to 12 weeks off to bond with their child, take care for a sick child, parent or spouse and take time off if they are suffering from a serious health issue. This bill would broaden the definition an employee’s “child,” erase the age restriction and would allow the employee to take time off to take care of an ill grandparent, grandchild, sibling, domestic partner and a parent-in-law.
Measure SB 63: This bill would make it illegal for employers to prohibit an employee from receiving a 12-week parental leave with health benefits.
Measure SB 327: This bill proposes to make changes to the way a business removes customers’ personal information to protect their privacy.
REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM
Measure SR 9: This bill aims to ensure that Planned Parenthood in California retains its current funding and continues to support women’s rights and health care.
Measure SB 309: This bill would allow the State Department of Health Care Services to sponsor a license plate design that shows support of pro-choice reproductive rights. The proceeds made from these license plates would go to the California Reproductive Freedom Fund to support the Family Planning, Access, Care and Treatment program.
CHANGES IN CRIMINAL TRIAL
Measure SB 670: In the case where a person has more than one felony in different counties, this bill aims to clarify that the judicial council must decide in which county the felon should have his or her trial.
Measure SB 725: This bill proposes to extend the definition of a misdemeanor to include DUIs so that people with a DUI misdemeanor can be placed in a pretrial diversion program to receive treatment.
LEGISLATIVE ADJUSTMENTS
Measure SB 347: This bill aims to make various changes to the way remote controlled aircrafts, most commonly known as drones, are used, including adding liability insurance to people operating the remote piloted aircraft.
Measure SB 188: The Emergency Management Assistance Compact allows states to help each other out in instances of emergencies and disasters. This bill would extend the use of this law until 2023.
Measure SB 36: This bill would maintain the $315 fee that active lawyers pay to the State Bar of California for membership.
Measure SB 387: Under this bill, the fines imposed by the False Claims Act would be adjusted with the levels of inflation so the money collected would remain effective.
Measure SB 690: This bill would allow for the applicant‘s information received by the State Bar of California to be public, including their names.
A version of this story appeared on p. 3 of the Feb. 23, 2017, edition of the Daily Nexus.
