Wilson Signs Law on Safer Roof Shingles

In an effort to reduce the number of California homes lost to fires, Gov. Pete Wilson has signed into law a bill requiring the use of fire-retardant shingles on new and re-roofed buildings.

Last year’s Oakland Hills fire destroyed more than 3,000 homes, many of them with wood shingle roofs. “This bill will help us save homes and save lives in the future,” the governor said in signing the measure.

Effective July 1, 1995, the law is the result of a bill (AB 2131) introduced by Assemblyman Jack O’Connell (D-Carpinteria).

It will require that every new home and every home on which more than 50% of the roof is replaced to have shingles at least as fire-retardant as so-called Class C shingles.

GOVERNOR

Bills Signed

Burglar Alarms: AB 2611 by Assemblyman John Burton (D-San Francisco) to prohibit local police from refusing to respond to a burglar alarm solely because a city permit has not been obtained.

ASSEMBLY

Floor Action

Surrogate Parents: Passed on a 43-21 vote and returned to the Senate for concurrence in amendments a bill (SB 937) by Sen. Diane Watson (D-Los Angeles) to implement state regulation of the surrogate parenting process in which another woman agrees to carry the fetus of a woman who cannot bear her own child.

Mental Health: Passed and sent to the governor on a 47-25 vote a bill (SB 1540) by Sen. Dan McCorquodale (D-Modesto) to prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage because applicants have received six months or less of mental health counseling.

Doctors and Interns: Passed and sent to the governor on a 42-30 vote a bill (AB 1199) by Assemblywoman Jackie Speier (D-S. San Francisco) to restrict the number of consecutive hours that hospital doctors and interns can work, to avoid jeopardizing the quality of patient care.

Charter Schools: Passed on a 62-4 vote and returned to the Senate for concurrence in amendments a bill (SB 1448) by Sen. Gary K. Hart (D-Santa Barbara) to allow teachers to create 100 publicly financed charter schools that would be free from many local rules and statewide regulations.

Sexual Harassment: Passed on a 50-10 vote and returned to the Senate for concurrence in amendments a bill (SB 1930) by Sen. Gary K. Hart (D-Santa Barbara) to make sexual harassment an offense for which a public school student can be suspended or expelled.

Hate Crimes: Passed on a 43-31 vote and returned to the Senate for concurrence in amendments a bill (SB 1079) by Sen. Milton Marks (D-San Francisco) to make hate crimes an offense for which a public school student can be suspended or expelled.

Abortions: Passed and sent to the governor on a 45-25 vote a bill (AB 1849) by Assemblyman Mike Gotch (D-San Diego) to crack down on anti-abortion centers that use misleading advertising.

Mammography: Passed and sent to the governor on a 72-0 vote a bill (AB 1841) by Assemblywoman Dede Alpert (D-Coronado) to strengthen state regulation of people and facilities that provide mammograms for early detection of breast cancer.

Prisoners: Passed on a 48-0 vote and returned to the Senate for concurrence in amendments a bill (SB 1509) by Sen. Bill Leonard (R-Big Bear) to prohibit state prison inmates from receiving good behavior credits while under restriction for committing a crime in prison.

Disabled People: Passed and sent to the governor on a 68-1 vote a bill (SB 803) by Sen. Milton Marks (D-San Francisco) to require the Office of Emergency Services to conduct a study on procedures needed to assist disabled people during a natural disaster.

San Francisco Giants: Gave final approval on a 52-7 vote to a resolution (SCR 87) by Sen. Quentin Kopp (I-San Francisco) urging major league baseball owners not to approve a proposed move by the San Francisco Giants to St. Petersburg, Fla.

SENATE

Floor Action

AIDS Needle Exchange Project: Passed on a 21-15 vote and returned to the Assembly for concurrence in amendments a bill (AB 2825) by Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) to authorize pilot needle and syringe exchange projects to try to prevent the spread of AIDS if local communities approve such projects.

Miscellaneous

Budget Prayer: Even Assembly Chaplain Hamilton T. Boswell is getting into the continuing state budget crisis act these days. Boswell recently opened a floor session by saying, “Lord, I pray you will touch each heart present so that the historians must set pen to paper, that on this day, these people did legislate transcending the aspirations of partisan politics or personal gain; that on this day Lord, these people did truly legislate for the betterment of humanity . . . and the glory of God. Amen.” But the state budget wasn’t passed that day either.