Governor Puts a Wrap on Legislation

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday completed action on the 961 bills sent to him by the Legislature this year. In total, he signed 729 into law and vetoed 232. For more information on bills, go to www.leginfo.ca.gov.

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Bills Signed

Armenia: Extends a law to allow California to create a trade office in the Republic of Armenia and authorize the state to accept private donations to run the office. (SB 897 by Sen. Jack Scott, D-Altadena)

Battery recycling: Requires stores that sell rechargeable batteries to accept those batteries for recycling, reuse or proper disposal starting in July 2006. The law exempts grocery stores and stores with sales of less than $1 million a year, and it does not apply to ordinary household batteries. (AB 1125 by Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills)

Boat fees: Increases boat registration fees from $10 to $20 for two years. (SB 255 by Sen. Tom Torlakson, D-Antioch)

Body piercing: Makes it an infraction, punishable by a $250 fine, to pierce the body of someone younger than 18 without the consent of a parent or guardian. (AB 646 by Assemblywoman Sharon Runner, R-Lancaster)

Codes: Makes it easier and cheaper for homeowners to remove unlawful and discriminatory language in the covenants, conditions and restrictions that govern use of their property, such as those that date to the 1940s and ‘50s and restrict ownership to whites. (AB 394 by Assemblyman Roger Niello, R-Fair Oaks)

Cosmetics: Requires cosmetic makers to inform the state of any toxic product ingredients. (SB 484 by Sen. Carole Migden, D-San Francisco)

Defibrillators: Requires fitness clubs to keep an automatic external defibrillator on the premises and teach staff how to use it to help a customer in cardiac arrest. (AB 1507 by Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills)

Dietary supplements: Prohibits high school athletes from using performance-enhancing dietary supplements that are banned in college and Olympic sports. Requires coaches to take a course on the harmful health effects of those substances. (SB 37 by Sen. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough)

Doctorates: Allows the California State University system to issue the doctor of education degree. (SB 724 by Sen. Jack Scott, D-Altadena)

Domestic partners: Allows domestic partners to transfer private property to each other without triggering a reassessment and taxation at current market value. (SB 565 by Sen. Carole Migden, D-San Francisco)

Homeowners associations: Requires the state’s more than 41,000 homeowners associations, which collect fees from residents in many condominium, mobile home and gated subdivision developments, to use secret ballots for elections (SB 61 by Sen. Jim Battin, R-La Quinta). Bans such associations from foreclosing on a home for unpaid assessments of less than $1,800 or 12 months’ delinquency (SB 137 by Sen. Denise Ducheny, D-San Diego). Requires the associations to make accounting records and minutes of proceedings available to members (AB 1098 by Assemblyman Dave Jones, D-Sacramento)

Incest: Amends a 1981 law so that people who sexually assault family members younger than 14 are treated the same as those who assault children who are strangers. The old law allowed child molesters to avoid prison time if their victim was a family member. (SB 33 by Sen. Jim Battin, R-La Quinta)

Internet hunting: Bans the killing of animals via the Internet from California. (SB 1028 by Sen. Debra Bowen, D-Marina del Rey)

Jet fuel: Closes a loophole that had allowed Oakland, through an agreement with United Airlines, to receive millions of dollars in jet fuel sales tax revenue that will now be distributed among several cities, including Los Angeles, starting in 2008. (AB 451 by Assemblyman Leland Yee, D-San Francisco)

Junk faxes: Bans the sending of unsolicited advertising faxes from California and allows people who receive “junk” faxes to sue for at least $500 per violation. (SB 833 by Sen. Debra Bowen, D-Marina del Rey)

Medical records: Requires hospitals and clinics to note a patient’s primary spoken language on medical records. (AB 800 by Assemblyman Leland Yee, D-San Francisco)

Methamphetamine: Sets cleanup standards for houses, apartments and other places used as illegal methamphetamine manufacturing labs. Washington state’s detection-based standard will be used from January 2006 (AB 1078 by Assemblyman Rick Keene, R-Chico) until California toxicologists write health-based standards in October 2007. (SB 536 by Sen. Debra Bowen, D-Marina del Rey)

Mexican repatriation: Apologizes to the estimated 400,000 U.S. citizens and legal residents of Mexican ancestry who were illegally deported to Mexico between 1929 and 1944. (SB 670 by Sen. Joe Dunn, D-Santa Ana)

Movie meal breaks: Allows the motion picture and broadcast industries to substitute the meal break rules in their union contracts for state law. (AB 1734 by Assemblyman Paul Koretz, D-West Hollywood)

National Guard: Guarantees that disability benefits for California National Guard members injured on active duty will be equal to those for federal soldiers. (AB 980 by Assemblyman Tom Umberg, D-Anaheim) Allows Guard members called to active duty to cancel cellphone contracts without penalty, get credit for college tuition, waive state bar fees and get an extension on utility bills. (AB 1666 by Assemblyman Dario Frommer, D-Glendale)

Paparazzi: Makes anyone who commits assault in an attempt to get a photograph or recording liable to pay triple damages and give up profits from the photograph or recording. (AB 381 by Assemblywoman Cindy Montanez, D-San Fernando)

Pesticides: Prohibits on school grounds the use of pesticides with conditional, experimental, interim, canceled or suspended state registration. Also prohibits vendors from giving away or selling experimental pesticides to school districts. (AB 405 by Assemblywoman Cindy Montanez, D-San Fernando)

“Phishing”: Imposes penalties of up to $2,500 per violation for using e-mail to deceive consumers into releasing private information, such as credit card numbers, that can be used to defraud the consumer. (SB 355 by Sen. Kevin Murray, D-Culver City)

Pocket bikes: Bans the use of so-called pocket bikes -- small motorcycles with two-stroke engines that can go up to 50 mph -- on highways, sidewalks, bike paths, hiking trails and public lands open to off-highway vehicles. (AB 1051 by Assemblyman John Benoit, R-Palm Desert)

Police pursuits: Increases penalties for people who flee a police officer to include up to one year in jail for evasion and up to 10 years in prison for a chase that causes death. (SB 719 by Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles)

Politicians’ pay: Restricts members of a city council from paying themselves more than $150 per month to sit on any board, commission, authority or other body created by that council. (AB 11 by Assemblyman Hector De La Torre, D-South Gate)

Pregnant inmates: Ensures that pregnant prisoners are not shackled while in labor, delivery or recovery and get access to vitamins and nutrition advice. (AB 478 by Assemblywoman Sally Lieber, D-Mountain View)

Prescriptions: Requires pharmacists to fill prescriptions, such as for morning-after contraceptive pills, even if they have moral objections. Objecting pharmacists may abstain if the pharmacy arranges for someone else to fill the prescription. (SB 644 by Sen. Deborah Ortiz, D-Sacramento)

Prison rape: Requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to intervene when a prisoner appears to be the subject of sexual intimidation, to create an ombudsman’s position to resolve sexual abuse complaints and to offer mental health counseling to rape victims. (AB 550 by Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg, D-Los Angeles)

Puppies: Bans the sale of puppies younger than 8 weeks unless the seller is an animal shelter or a veterinarian approves the sale. Violations punishable by a $250 fine. (SB 914 by Sen. Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego)

Radiation: Requires the state to write regulations that minimize radiation exposure from routine medical and dental X-rays. (AB 929 by Assemblywoman Jenny Oropeza, D-Long Beach)

School junk food: Bans the sale of sodas in high schools and sets fat, sugar and calorie standards for all food, outside of cafeteria lunches, sold in public schools. (SB 965 and SB 12 by Sen. Martha Escutia, D-Whittier)

Solar panels: Allows private companies to lease space for solar photovoltaic panels along State Water Project canals and facilities, which extend 660 miles from Plumas County to Riverside County. (AB 515 by Assemblyman Keith Richman, R-Northridge)

Statute of limitations: Extends the usual 10-year statute of limitations for prosecution of sex crimes to allow people who were victimized as children to seek prosecution until their 28th birthday. (SB 111 by Sen. Elaine Alquist, D-Santa Clara)

Tracking devices: Allows the state and counties to track criminals on parole and probation with Global Positioning System devices. (SB 619 by Sen. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough)

Transgender individuals: Bans insurers and healthcare providers from denying coverage solely because a person has changed gender. (AB 1586 by Assemblyman Paul Koretz, D-West Hollywood)

Transplants: Prohibits health insurers from refusing to pay for an organ or tissue transplant solely because a patient is infected with HIV. (AB 228 by Assemblyman Paul Koretz, D-West Hollywood)

Used tires: Requires the Department of Transportation to use asphalt containing crumb rubber from waste tires on highway construction. (AB 338 by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys)

Vicious dogs: Allows cities and counties to pass ordinances about the breeding, spaying and neutering of specific breeds of dogs such as pit bulls. (SB 861 by Sen. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough)

Video games: Bans the sale of violent video games to children under 18 and imposes a $1,000 fine on retailers who violate the ban. Requires video makers to label the most violent games with a black-and-white “18” sticker. (AB 1179 by Assemblyman Leland Yee, D-San Francisco)

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Bills Vetoed

Alcohol: Would have locked in a lower tax rate on sweetened alcoholic drinks such as Smirnoff Ice and Mike’s Hard Lemonade, which are now taxed as beer rather than at the higher rate of distilled spirits. (AB 417 by Assemblyman Greg Aghazarian, R-Stockton)

Driver’s licenses: Would have allowed for the creation of a distinct driver’s license for people who cannot prove they are lawfully in the U.S.. The license would have been used only for driving, not as identification for any other official purpose. (SB 60 by Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles)

Health insurance: At a cost of as much as $300 million a year, would have extended coverage to 800,000 uninsured children by allowing those who earn up to 300% of the federal poverty level to qualify for the state’s Healthy Families program. The current threshold is 250% of the federal poverty level (AB 772 by Assemblywoman Wilma Chan, D-Alameda). Would have barred health insurance companies from dropping dependent children from coverage before they turn 26. (AB 1698 by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles)

High school exit exams: Would have exempted students with disabilities from the high school exit exam that California seniors, beginning next year, must pass to get a diploma (SB 586 by Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles). Would have allowed school districts to create an alternative way of testing whether students qualify to graduate. (AB 1531 by Assemblywoman Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles)

Initiatives: Would have required paid signature gatherers for initiative campaigns to disclose the campaign’s top five largest donors, updated weekly. (SB 469 by Sen. Debra Bowen, D-Marina del Rey)

Journalists: Would have required the state to allow journalists to interview prison inmates under certain conditions. (AB 698 by Assemblyman Ray Haynes, R-Murrieta, and SB 239 by Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles)

Jury duty: Would have banned the state from contracting with companies that don’t provide full-time employees with at least five days’ pay for jury service. ( SB 874 by Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles)

Labor laws: Would have made it easier for class-action lawsuits to be filed against employers who fail to pay the minimum wage or obey overtime laws. (SB 174 by Sen. Joe Dunn, D-Santa Ana)

Lift teams: Would have required hospitals to provide equipment or teams of workers to lift patients to avoid back injuries among workers. (AB 363, by Sen. Don Perata, D-Oakland)

Mascot name: Would have banned public schools from naming their mascots or sports teams “Redskins.” (AB 13 by Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg, D-Los Angeles)

Minimum wage: Would have increased California’s $6.75-an-hour minimum wage by 50 cents in July 2006 and another 50 cents the following July, with further increases tied to inflation. (AB 48 by Assemblywoman Sally Lieber, D-Mountain View)

National Guard: Would have prevented the state from considering active-duty National Guard pay when determining whether a family qualified for welfare. (SB 188 by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto)

Nurse overtime: Would have outlawed mandatory overtime for nurses working in state facilities. (AB 1184 by Assemblyman Paul Koretz, D-West Hollywood)

Outsourcing: Would have forced companies that work for the state to disclose how much work would be done by subcontractors or employees outside the country. (AB 524 by Assemblywoman Wilma Chan, D-Alameda)

Pharmacy benefits managers: Would have required more disclosure about the cost of drugs and potential conflicts of interest from drug-buying companies that manage prescription drug benefits for large employers. (AB 78 by Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills)

Prescription drugs: Would have required the state to set up a website linking California consumers to pharmacies in Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom that sell some prescription drugs at cheaper prices. (AB 73 by Assemblyman Dario Frommer, D-Glendale)

Public hospitals: Would have authorized the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to create an inspector general position to audit the county’s healthcare system. The governor said the county already has such authority. (AB 1230 by Assemblyman Mark Ridley-Thomas, D-Los Angeles)

Same-sex marriage: Would have legalized same-sex marriage in California. (AB 849 by Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco)

Stem cells: Would have provided more oversight of the institute created when voters passed Proposition 71 to invest $3 billion in stem cell research. (SB 18 by Sen. Deborah Ortiz, D-Sacramento)

Toxins: Would have required the state to set up a “biomonitoring” program to test hair, tissue, blood, breast milk and other human substances for toxic chemicals. (SB 600 by Sen. Deborah Ortiz, D-Sacramento)

Work breaks: Would have required employers in the agricultural and garment industries to pay piece-rate workers during their breaks based on their average piece-rate wage during each pay period. (AB 755 by Assemblyman Hector De La Torre, D-South Gate)

Workers’ compensation: Would have increased penalties against employers who delayed or refused to pay workers’ compensation claims. (SB 1023 by Sen. Joe Dunn, D-Santa Ana)

Workers on strike: Would have provided unemployment benefits to workers locked out of a work site by employers during a labor dispute. (AB 391 by Assemblyman Paul Koretz, D-West Hollywood)

Source: Research by Times staff writer Nancy Vogel