Governor Signs Bill to Curb Home Improvement Scams

A bill to crack down on home improvement loan scams that have placed an estimated 900 elderly Los Angeles widows in danger of losing the roofs over their heads has been signed into law by Gov. George Deukmejian.

“Scam artists sell residents expensive home improvement services that many do not need and then arrange loans secured by balloon payments,” said Assemblywoman Gwen Moore (D-Los Angeles), sponsor of the measure. “When homeowners are unable to make the balloon payments, the lenders foreclose on their homes.”

The legislation (AB 2607) increases the amount of loans governed by the state mortgage loan brokers act from $10,000 to $20,000 for a second mortgage and from $20,000 to $30,000 for a first mortgage. The act prohibits balloon payments on short-term loans. GOVERNOR Bills Signed

X-Rated Videos: SB 2475 by Sen. William A. Craven (R-Oceanside) to restrict advertising for X-rated videos to that section of a rental store designated and labeled “for adults only.”

Exhaust Fumes: AB 3097 by Assemblyman Tim Leslie (R-Carmichael) to require diesel truck and bus exhaust fumes to be discharged overhead instead of at street level, starting Jan. 1, 1993.

Automatic Teller Machines: AB 244 by Sen. Charles M. Calderon (D-Whittier) to require banks to provide adequate lighting and other safety features for automatic teller machines to help protect customers from attacks.

Child Poisonings: AB 4160 by Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Sylmar) to require highly toxic household products sold in California to include either a bittering agent or child-proof cap to help prevent accidental poisonings.

Church Services: SB 2483 by Sen. Newton R. Russell (R-Glendale) calling for mandatory community service in addition to existing fines and jail time for disturbing a religious assembly.

Credit Reports: AB 2908 by Assemblyman Steve Peace (D-La Mesa) to allow consumers to seek up to $2,500 in civil damages for the illegal use of credit report information. Bills Vetoed

Diapers: SB 2342 by Sen. Lucy Killea (D-San Diego) to require day-care centers to accept babies whose parents want them to wear cloth diapers instead of non-biodegradable disposable ones. The veto message said the governor was concerned that the bill could force some day-care operators out of business.

Gubernatorial Appointees: SB 2241 by Sen. Diane Watson (D-Los Angeles) to require the governor to appoint more women and ethnic minorities to serve on state boards and commissions. The governor indicated that the bill was unnecessary because existing law requires such bodies to be broadly reflective of the general population, including women and minorities.

CHP Commissioner: SB 2847 by Sen. Alfred E. Alquist (D-San Jose) to require the commissioner of the California Highway Patrol to have been employed as a peace officer by the department for at least 10 years. Deukmejian said that the bill would severely restrict his appointing power and that the last five CHP commissioners have met this qualification.

Asian-Americans: AB 2626 by Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) to require a state study of the status of admission, enrollment and graduation rates of Asian-Americans and the proportion of Asian-American faculty members in California’s higher educational system. The veto message said the study would cost money that would have to be taken from other programs.

Cranes: AB 2537 by Assemblyman John Burton (D-San Francisco) to establish a state crane operator licensing board. The bill stemmed from a San Francisco accident in which several people were killed when a high-rise crane collapsed. The governor said the legislation would unnecessarily expand state government.

Base Closures: AB 3591 by Assemblyman Sam Farr (D-Carmel) to create a task force to coordinate state services and resources to assist affected local communities in handling problems caused by federal military base closures. Deukmejian said this group would duplicate efforts of an existing group. Capital Fact

The Assembly motto, “Legislatorum Est Justas Leges Condere,” is inscribed above the chamber rostrum. It translates into “It Is the Duty of the Legislature to Make Just Laws.”