2013-14 Legislation
SB 106 - Clarifies language contained in AB 1842, authored by then Assemblymember Monning, Chapter 745, Statutes of 2012, allowing the California Department of Veteran Affairs to enter into financial agreements to receive cash advances for the California Central Coast State Veterans Cemetery at Fort Ord Endowment Fund. SB 106 adds technical clean-up language that ensures any agreement reached will not require the state to repay or make payments on cash advances, and is approved by the Department of Finance.
SB 112 - Allows historic voter records available to the public 100 years after their creation. Historic voter registration records are often contained in bound books called Great Registers. These books are valuable sources of historic information to archivists, historians, and those interested in their genealogical roots. SB 112 would mirror federal Census laws, which allow public access to similar records after 72 years.
SB 168 - Holds a successor to any licensed or unlicensed farm labor contractor, which owes wages or penalties to the predecessor’s former employee or employees, liable for those wages or penalties if the successor meets specified criteria, such as use of the same facilities and workforce or the shared ownership and management of the successor contractor includes an immediate family member of the owner, partner, officer, licensee, or director of the predecessor employer.
SB 189 – Establishes additional consumer protections for wellness programs offered by group health care plans or insurers. Wellness programs would need to be reasonably designed to promote health and prevent disease, as well as ensure fairness to all individuals who voluntarily participate. The measure prohibits wellness program incentives that are linked to premiums, cost sharing or conditioned on meeting specific health status outcomes, and would sunset on January 1, 2020.
SB 193 - Requires chemical manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, importers and their agents, when requested by the Hazardous Evaluation System and Information Service (HESIS) and when data is jointly maintained at the Department of Industrial Relations and the Department of Public Health, to provide the names and addresses of their customers who have purchased chemicals or products containing chemicals, and their proportions, to the repository maintained by the HESIS under the condition of confidentiality.
SB 232 – Current law requires a local government agency to give a 10% preference to any bidder on a public transit service contract who agrees to retain employees of the prior contractor or subcontractor for a period of not less than 90 days. This bill applies this provision to any state agency when awarding a public transit service contract.
SB 261 - Allows the Contractors’ State License Board (CSLB) to issue administrative citations whether or not these violations are pursued by a district attorney, and enables the CSLB to establish a relevant record against licensees and non-licensees.
SB 262 - Provides that the failure of a qualified individual to exercise direct supervision and control of a construction project, in accordance with statue and regulations adopted by the Contractors’ State License Board (CSLB), constitutes grounds for disciplinary action with violations punishable as misdemeanors.
SB 263 – This measure simultaneously addresses two reoccurring issues with current state contracting statutes. First, it clarifies the definition of an “unlicensed” contractor by including individuals who are not listed as personnel of record on a renewable entity, as well as licensed persons who are under suspension due to unpaid civil judgments and/or outstanding tax liabilities owed to the state. Second, it clarifies that licensed contractors may be eligible for partial compensation if they enter into a contract while properly licensed, but subsequently perform work out of their classification or operate under an expired, suspended, or inactive license.
SB 427 - Amends existing law as it pertains to life jacket requirements for boating safety and clarifies the existing statutory definition of a vessel. Taken together, the bill updates California’s boating safety laws and makes them general enough to remain relevant as life jackets and other boating equipment changes over time.
SB 457 - Updates boating accident reporting requirements to improve compliance with federal regulations by requiring boating law enforcement agencies to report to the Department of Boating and Waterways all boating incidents they respond to or about which they receive a report as a condition of receiving any funding from the Department.
SB 462 – Clarifies current law and affirms the rights of a worker to bring court action against an employer for wages or financial benefits owed to them without fear of paying attorney’s fees if they do not prevail.
SB 494 – Increases the patient capacity a Physician Assistant (PA) can be assigned for the coordination of comprehensive health care services, and conforms state law to federal law by recognizing a PA as a Primary Care Provider without altering physician supervision or changes in clinical skills.
SB 564 – Requires ski resorts to prepare an annual safety plan that includes information about the resort’s safety and accident prevention related management, operational standards, and specified policies. Copies of the safety plan and reports must be posted on the resort’s website and be available upon request.
SB 622 – Levies an excise tax of one cent ($0.01) per fluid ounce on any beverage that adds caloric sweeteners, such as sodas, energy drinks, sweet teas, and sports drinks. The funds generated would support statewide childhood obesity prevention activities and programs through the newly created Children’s Health Promotion Fund.
SJR 4 - Asks Congress and the President of the United States to enact legislation that reauthorizes the federal Older Americans Act.