Several state bills from local legislators signed into law
More than 50 bills from state legislators representing local communities were signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown during the past few weeks, regarding issues including suicide prevention, dealing with traffic-related fatalities and doing away with cash bail.
The following are highlights of some of the locally-generated measures that were signed into law recently:
Assemblywoman Laura Friedman (D-Glendale)
AB 1668 provides the state Water Resources Control Board with one-time authority to establish long-term standards for 2026 urban water-management plans. It also revises the requirements of urban and agricultural water management plans and directs the Department of Water Resources to develop requirements for rural water management plans consistent with goals in an executive order and a report outlined by Gov. Jerry Brown and his administration in 2016.
AB 2227 will protect consumers and add more clarification to motorcycle purchases by mandating that dealerships post the manufacturer’s suggested retail price as well as any supplemental charges or mark-ups added by the dealer.
AB 2263 eliminates parking requirements for historic structures eligible for designation under the National Register of Historic Places, the California Register of Historical Resources or a city or county register of historic resources, and eliminates additional parking requirements for historic structures that are converted for residential or mixed-use purposes.
AB 2363 establishes a Vision Zero Task Force that will include traffic safety experts, advocates and academics to develop recommendations to help bring California’s traffic deaths down to zero.
AB 2548 authorizes the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, in partnership with the County of Los Angeles, to establish a county-wide commuter benefits program which mandates that employers of a certain size offer benefits that encourage employees to ride-share in order to increase transit ridership.
Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge)
SB 25 requires Los Angeles County to conduct a two-election cycle pilot project using an alternate ballot order that lists local elections first.
SB 419 extends whistle-blower protection to everyone who does business in the state capitol. The law further requires the Senate and Assembly keep a record of each discriminatory harassment complaint for at least 12 years after the complaint is made.
SB 502 provides authorization for Metrolink to pursue a construction management/ general contractor approach to facilitate completion of the Southern California Optimized Rail expansion program by 2028.
SB 972 requires that public and private schools that serve students in seventh through 12th grades as well as schools of higher education to print on all identification cards the National Suicide Prevention Hotline’s telephone number and authorizes schools to print the Crisis Text Line and a local suicide prevention telephone number.
SB 1100 prohibits the sale or transfer of any firearm by a licensed dealer, except as exempted, to any person younger than 21 years old.
Sen. Robert Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys)
SB 10 eliminates the cash-bail system and replaces it with a system based on public safety risk analysis and discretion by a judge to determine pretrial custody status.
SB 473 modernizes the California Endangered Species Act of 1973 by expanding landowner protections, improving transparency and requiring decisions be based on the best available science.
SB 606 creates statewide water-use efficiency standards — such as fuel efficiency standards in cars — for urban and agriculture water districts, requires greater reporting of water usage by urban and agricultural water districts and mandates greater drought-resilience planning by water districts.
SB 1001 makes it illegal for automated accounts on online platforms, such as Twitter, to knowingly deceive or mislead someone in order to influence a commercial transaction or vote in an election.
SB 237 allows non-residential customers to select their own energy provider separate from their utility (investor-owned utilities only).
Twitter: @LAMarkKellam
