Wrapping up the legislative session

The California Legislature recessed for the year just before midnight Thursday, after lawmakers had handled more than 3,000 bills. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has until Oct. 9 to sign or veto most of the measures that passed both the Senate and Assembly. If he takes no action on a bill by the deadline, it automatically becomes law.

For more information, see www.leginfo.ca.gov.

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Some bills awaiting action by the governor:

Alcohol -- Would change the state’s definition of beer to include flavored malt beverages. Such products are taxed at a lower rate than distilled spirits. (AB 417 by Assemblyman Greg Aghazarian, R-Stockton)

Batteries -- Would require certain retailers who sell rechargeable batteries, including those in computer laptops and power tools, to accept those used batteries for recycling. (AB 1125 by Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills)

Cosmetics -- Would require cosmetics makers to inform the state of any ingredients in their products that are linked to cancer or birth defects. (SB 484 by Sen. Carole Migden, D-San Francisco)

Dependents -- Would require private health insurance companies to allow parents to extend benefits to their children up to age 26. (AB 1698 by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles)

Doctorate -- Would allow the California State University system for the first time to issue doctoral degrees, specifically the doctorate in education. (SB 724 by Sen. Jack Scott, D-Altadena)

Dogs -- Would allow cities and counties to pass ordinances to regulate the spaying, neutering and breeding of specific breeds, such as pit bulls, so long as no breed is declared vicious or a nuisance. (SB 861 by Sen. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough)

Driving -- Would ban people who are at least 16, but younger than 18, from driving between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. for the first year they hold provisional driver’s licenses. (AB 1474 by Assemblyman Bill Maze, R-Visalia)

Exit exam -- Would allow school districts to create an alternative to the state high school exit examination to test proficiency in English and mathematics. (AB 1531 by Assemblywoman Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles)

Exotic animals -- Would impose reporting requirements on people who own exotic animals, including lions and tigers, and require the Department of Fish and Game to write a policy for capturing such animals if they get loose. (AB 820 by Assemblywoman Audra Strickland, R-Thousand Oaks)

Fingerprints -- Would repeal the requirement that adults applying for food stamps be fingerprinted. (AB 696 by Assemblywoman Judy Chu, D-Monterey Park)

Greenhouse gases -- Starting in 2009, would require auto manufacturers to display information about air pollution and emission of gases linked to global warming on all new cars and sport utility vehicles for sale in California. (AB 1229 by Assemblyman Joe Nation, D-San Rafael)

Health food -- Would impose calorie, fat and sugar standards on foods sold in elementary and high schools. (SB 12 by Sen. Martha Escutia, D-Whittier)

Health insurance -- Would require health insurers to explain in writing why they have denied an individual coverage or granted coverage at a rate higher than standard. (AB 356 by Assemblywoman Wilma Chan, D-Alameda)

Health insurance -- Would extend coverage to some of California’s estimated 800,000 uninsured children by raising the income at which families qualify for state-provided healthcare. (AB 772 by Assemblywoman Wilma Chan, D-Alameda)

Human trafficking -- Would make trafficking of people for forced labor or services a felony punishable by up to eight years in prison. Would also allow victims of human trafficking to sue for damages. (AB 22 by Assemblywoman Sally Lieber, D-Mountain View)

Incest -- Would eliminate the discretion of judges to order therapy or probation instead of prison for people who sexually abuse their children or stepchildren. (SB 33 by Sen. Jim Battin, R-La Quinta)

Initiatives -- Would require people circulating initiative petitions to list the five biggest contributors to the ballot measure, update the list weekly and indicate whether signature gatherers are volunteers or paid workers. (SB 469 by Sen. Debra Bowen, D-Marina del Rey)

Injuries -- Would require people found liable for injury to others -- including drunk drivers -- to pay the full medical expenses of victims covered by Medi-Cal. The taxpayer-funded Medi-Cal program reimburses doctors and hospitals at lower rates than other types of insurance. (SB 399 by Sen. Martha Escutia, D-Whittier).

Internet hunting -- Would outlaw the killing of animals over the Internet, as well as businesses that offer the shooting of live animals via computer. (SB 1028 by Sen. Debra Bowen, D-Marina del Rey)

Jello shots -- Would restrict the sale of alcoholic products made with gelatin, known as “Jello shots,” to bars. Current law allows the products to be sold in grocery stores. (SB 1002 by Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter)

Journalists -- Would require the Department of Corrections to allow journalists to interview prison inmates. (SB 239 by Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles)

Organ transplants -- Would prohibit insurers from denying coverage for organ transplants based solely on a patient’s HIV status. (AB 228 by Assemblyman Paul Koretz, D-West Hollywood)

Organic fish -- Would ban the labeling of fish or seafood as “organic” until the federal or state government creates formal standards. (SB 730 by Sen. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough)

Paparazzi -- Would make photographers who threaten bodily injury in order to capture a photograph liable for physical invasion of privacy. Violators would lose any profits from the photos and be subject to triple damages. (AB 381 by Assemblywoman Cindy Montanez, D-San Fernando)

Pedicures -- Would set minimum cleanliness standards for pedicure equipment in nail salons and require salons to notify customers if the businesses failed inspections. (AB 1263 by Assemblyman Leland Yee, D-San Francisco)

Pesticides -- Would ban the use of experimental pesticides on school grounds. (AB 405 by Assemblywoman Cindy Montanez, D-San Francisco)

Pocket bikes -- Would ban pocket bikes -- mini-motorcycles that stand about 2 feet high, go 50 mph and do not meet state safety requirements -- from public highways. (AB 1051 by Assemblyman John Benoit, R-Palm Desert)

Prescription drugs -- Would require the state to establish a website to link California consumers with pharmacies in Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland. (AB 73 by Assemblyman Dario Frommer, D-Glendale)

Sex offenders -- Would create a board of experts to make recommendations on treatment and monitoring of the estimated 100,000 adult convicted sex offenders who are out of prison in California. (AB 632 by Assemblywoman Judy Chu, D-Monterey Park)

Smoking -- Would require health insurers to cover the cost of smokers’ efforts to kick the habit, including counseling and nicotine gum and patches. (SB 576 by Sen. Deborah Ortiz, D-Sacramento)

Supplements -- Would prohibit high school athletes from using dietary supplements banned by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Would also require high school coaches to be taught about the harmful effects of steroids and performance-enhancing dietary supplements. (SB 37 by Sen. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough)

Tracking parolees -- Would allow the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and county probation departments to track parolees and people on probation with global positioning devices. (SB 619 by Sen. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough)

Viagra -- Would prohibit Medi-Cal, the state-subsidized health program, from providing or paying for erectile dysfunction drugs for registered sex offenders. (AB 522 by Assemblyman George Plescia, R-San Diego)

Violent video games -- Would make it a crime punishable by a $1,000 fine to sell or rent video games to children under 18 that depict “heinous, cruel or depraved” violence to human beings. (AB 1179 by Assemblyman Leland Yee, D-San Francisco)

X-rays -- Would require the Department of Health Services to set regulations for X-ray machines in California to ensure that the lowest possible dose of radiation is used for routine medical and dental care. (AB 929 by Assemblywoman Jenny Oropeza, D-Long Beach)

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Some bills signed by the governor:

Car buyers -- Allows car buyers to pay no more than $250 on cars priced at less than $40,000 for the option to return it in two days for any reason. Also caps the profit dealers can pay themselves for arranging loans and requires dealers to give buyers clear, concise disclosure on service contracts and maintenance plans. (AB 68 by Assemblywoman Cindy Montanez, D-San Fernando)

Elder abuse -- Requires bank and credit union employees to report suspected financial abuse of elders, with a maximum civil fine of $1,000 -- paid by the bank, not by the employee -- for failure to report. (SB 1018 by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto)

Garbage trucks -- Requires that all garbage trucks purchased after 2010 be outfitted with cameras and video displays that allow drivers to see better when backing up. (AB 1637 by Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy, R-Monrovia)

Military families -- Allows school districts to give preference to the children of military families in inter-district transfers. (AB 208 by the late Assemblyman Mike Gordon, D-El Segundo, and Assemblywoman Nicole Parra, D-Hanford)

Police testimony -- Allows retired police officers to testify in court about what crime witnesses and victims said during investigations they handled before retirement. (AB 557 by Assemblywoman Betty Karnette, D-Long Beach)

Politician pay -- Restricts city council members from paying themselves more than $300 a month in the smallest cities or $1,000 a month in the largest. Also bans city council members from paying themselves more than $150 a month to sit on any city commission, committee, board or authority. (AB 11 by Assemblyman Hector De La Torre, D-South Gate)

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Some bills that stalled or failed in the Legislature and could be revived next year:

Assisted suicide -- Would have allowed doctors to prescribe a lethal drug to terminally ill patients given less than six months to live. (AB 654 by Assemblywoman Patty Berg, D-Eureka)

Bullets -- Would have required that

all handgun ammunition sold in

California starting in 2009 be stamped or otherwise marked with an identifier so police could link a fired bullet to its purchaser. (SB 357 by Sen. Joe Dunn, D-Santa Ana)

Child interpreters -- Would have prohibited hospitals, clinics and doctors’ offices from using children under 15 as interpreters. Violators would have faced loss of state funding and contracts. (AB 775 by Assemblyman Leland Yee, D-San Francisco)

Flood management -- Would have required the state Department of Water Resources to report on the status of Northern California levees for which it is responsible. Would have required counties to notify floodplain property owners each year in their

tax bills that they could be flooded in the event of a levee break. (AB 1665 by Assemblyman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz)

Identity tags -- Would have required

local and state governments to include certain security protections, such as encryption, in identity badges that they create, mandate or issue if they could be read at a distance by electronic scanners. (SB 682 by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto)

Los Angeles schools -- Would have allowed the mayor of Los Angeles to appoint the Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent and make appointments to the L.A. Board of Education. (SB 767 by Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles)

Mega Millions -- Would have given the California Lottery explicit authority to join a multi-state lottery. The lottery joined Mega Millions this summer, but critics questioned its legal authority to do so.

(SB 1011 by Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter)

Parental consent -- Would have required an elementary school principal to obtain the consent of a student’s parent or guardian before allowing a police officer to interview that student. (SB 660 by Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica)

Security breaches -- Would have required businesses that collect information to notify customers of security breaches regardless of whether records were stored on computers, paper or backup tapes. (SB 852 by Sen. Debra Bowen, D-Marina del Rey)

Yard sales -- Would have required people who earn $1,200 or more a year selling personal property and also have at least three sales a year of personal property to pay sales tax. (SB 607 by Sen. Debra Bowen, D-Marina del Rey)

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Some bills that Schwarzenegger has said he would veto:

Driver’s licenses -- Would allow illegal immigrants to get distinct driver’s licenses that cannot be used for any official purpose except driving. (SB 60 by Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles)

Minimum wage -- Would raise the minimum wage by 50 cents this year and 50 cents more next year, with increases after 2008 tied to the inflation rate. (AB 48 by Assemblywoman Sally Lieber, D-Mountain View)

Same-sex marriage -- Would change state law to define marriage as a civil contract between two people, rather than between a man and a woman. (AB 849 by Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco)