Bill to Establish Finality Rule for Adoptions OKd by Senate

Legislation to place a limit on the time in which women who give birth may change their mind about giving the child up for adoption has been passed by the Senate and sent to the Assembly.

“The longer a child remains in an adoptive home without finality the greater the risk for harm to that child,” said Sen. Marian Bergeson (R-Newport Beach), the author of the bill (SB 1148). It was forwarded to the Assembly on a 24-5 vote.

“The independent adoption process in California must be clear so all parties involved will understand it, and more importantly, so babies are not made to suffer because of it.”

Bergeson’s legislation calls for a 90-day time limit for a birth parent to reconsider a decision to give up a child. No such legal limits exist now.

The bill also provides for three counseling sessions for the birth parent, and a complete explanation of rights guaranteed to both the birth and prospective adoptive parent. ASSEMBLY Floor Action

Oil Recycling: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 55-19 vote a bill (AB 2076) by Assemblyman Byron D. Sher (D-Palo Alto) to require motorists to pay an extra nickel a quart for motor oil to help pay for a state program to recycle used oil.

Spousal Rape: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 69-0 vote a bill (AB 2220) by Assemblywoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Los Angeles) to eliminate the legal distinction between rape and spousal rape, which also would eliminate the possibility of a lower penalty for the latter offense.

Automobile Purchases: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 41-27 vote a bill (AB 126) by Assemblywoman Gwen Moore (D-Los Angeles) to give car buyers a one-day “cooling-off period” to change their minds and cancel the contract.

Lip Sync: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 53-15 vote a bill (AB 118) by Assemblyman Bob Epple (D-Norwalk) to make it a misdemeanor for a person who places an advertisement for a concert to fail to disclose any use of prerecorded music. This bill stems from the recent scandal in pop music circles involving the group Milli Vanilli.

Mass Transit: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 46-22 vote a bill (AB 1518) by Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Sylmar) to require half the state funds spent on transportation research and development to be used for improving alternative modes of transportation, such as mass transit.

Taxi Drivers: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 47-15 vote a bill (AB 632) by Assemblyman John Burton (D-San Francisco) to exempt taxi drivers from being required to wear safety seat belts on streets, roads and state highways but not freeways. The author said this would make it easier for them to get away from criminals who get into their cabs.

Bulletproof Vests: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 67-1 vote a bill (AB 1076) by Assemblywoman Jackie Speier (D-South San Francisco) to add one, two or four years to the sentence of a person convicted of wearing a body protection vest during a violent felony offense.

Tree Protection: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 43-29 vote a bill (AB 54) by Assemblyman Terry B. Friedman (D-Los Angeles) to require cities and counties to enact ordinances to protect trees from being cut down.

Tow Trucks: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 57-7 vote a bill (AB 123) to license tow truck operators after doing criminal background checks. The aim of the bill is to prevent drivers who have been arrested for violent crimes from responding to stranded motorists.

Veterans Charities: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 73-0 vote a bill (AB 890) by Assemblyman Steve Clute (D-Riverside) to tighten disclosure requirements for groups claiming to represent veterans when they are soliciting charitable contributions. SENATE Floor Action

English Only: Passed and sent to the Assembly on a 22-3 vote a bill (SB 834) by Sen. Milton Marks (D-San Francisco) to prohibit employers from requiring employees to speak English only while on the job unless the rule can be justified as a business necessity.

Television Commercials: Passed and sent to the Assembly on a 22-14 vote a bill (SB 741) by Sen. Art Torres (D-Los Angeles) to ban the broadcast of commercials in television programs watched by students in the classroom.

Military Recruiters: Passed and sent to the Assembly on a 22-4 vote a bill (SB 400) by Sen. William A. Craven (R-Oceanside) to require high schools to allow military recruiters on campus to make their pitches for signing up students.

Transportation Commission: Passed and sent to the Assembly on a 25-12 vote a bill (SB 810) by Sen. Quentin L. Kopp (I-San Francisco) to revise the makeup of the state Transportation Commission, which approves highway projects, to give legislative members a two-thirds voting majority.

Cultural Center: Passed and sent to the Assembly on a 32-0 vote a bill (SB 1127) by Sen. Art Torres (D-Los Angeles) to reserve building space above the Santa Ana Freeway in downtown Los Angeles for development of a cultural center. The author says the center will be designed to symbolically welcome immigrants to Southern California, as the Statute of Liberty does in New York Harbor. Bill Introductions

Abortions: SJR 27 by Sen. Diane Watson (D-Los Angeles) would put the Legislature on record as opposing a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision curbing the right of health clinics to present abortion as a choice to pregnant women patients. Capital Fact

The state budget requires a two-thirds vote of both the Senate and the Assembly for passage. This means 27 and 54 votes, respectively. The Senate currently has 26 Democrats, 13 Republicans and one independent. The Assembly has 46 Democrats, 31 Republicans and three vacancies.