November 6, 2007

Annual legislative update

By Assemblyman Jim Beall
Special to the Times

This year was a challenging and exciting year at the state legislature. Amid all the talk of it being the year of health care reform, a great deal of other legislative business was conducted. In 2007, the combined Houses of the Legislature introduced 2,803 pieces of legislation. Of these only 964 reached the governor’s desk. Gov. Schwarzenegger signed 750 and vetoed 214 of these bills.

My legislative focus this year was on providing help to those in need. From hungry children to hard working Californians that cannot afford health care to helping foster children, I introduced numerous pieces of legislation to address these important issues. Naturally, the state’s fiscal challenges made resolving these issues even more complicated.

The following is a synopsis of some of the legislative proposals I championed in 2007. Please do not let this summation lead you to believe we feel satisfied with all we have accomplished. There is still a great deal of work ahead and my dedicated staff and I look forward to resolving the challenges we face as Californians.

Ensuring quality health care

AB 12 – Adult Health Coverage Expansion-Signed into law
Santa Clara County was the first county to develop a Children’s Health Initiative in 2001 to expand health coverage for poor children. This bill will allow Santa Clara County to expand this program to include hard working adults that lack health insurance and have great difficulty obtaining employer based coverage or purchasing a private plan. This bill would create the Adult Health Coverage Expansion Program in Santa Clara County that would be administered by the county or local initiative. The program would provide health care coverage to adults age 19-64 years employed by small businesses that have a gross annual income less than 350 percent of the federal poverty level and the employer participates in the program.

AB 423 – Mental Health and Substance Abuse Parity-Vetoed
This bill is intended to end discrimination against patients with mental disorders and substance abuse issues. It requires a health care service plan and health insurance policy issued, amended or renewed on or after Jan. 1, 2008, that provides hospital, medical, or surgical coverage, to provide coverage for the diagnosis and medically necessary treatment of a mental illness of a person of any age, including a child and includes substance abuse in the covered benefits under this bill.

Protecting kids

AB 346 – Labeling Requirements for Alcopops-Sending to Governor 2008
Many malt beverages are labeled in such a way that no reasonable person can tell that they contain alcohol. Parents, teachers, law enforcement officers, religious organizations, retailers and many others have requested that labeling on these alcohol products designed to appeal specifically to youth and marketed to youth have labeling clearly showing that these beverages contain alcohol. This bill would require all malt beverages to bear a label or a firmly affixed sticker, stating “Attention: Contains Alcohol” as well as the alcohol content by volume.

AB 126 Pesticide Use Scrutinized-Signed into law
This bill protects Santa Clara County residents from misuse of pesticides used in termite fumigations and assist in identifying violators who operate in multiple counties, including Santa Clara County. The Agricultural Commissioner of Santa Clara County has the resources to inspect 50-60 job sites a year. AB 126 would provide for the inspection of 150-200 job sites a year, ensuring that fumigations are conducted in a safe and legal manner."

Helping needy families

AB 324 - Foster Care Rates-Funded in the Budget
This bill increases grant payments for foster family home (FFH) providers and provides funding for the recruitment and retention of foster parents and adoptive parents. Specifically, the bill increased the foster family home provider grant by 5 percent.

AB 433 – Maximizing Federal Funds for Food Stamps-Sending to Governor 2008
This bill would simplify the process and avoid barriers to participation of low-income families and children in the federal food stamp program. Californians could receive almost $200 million in federal food stamp benefits, over $30 million dollars in additional federal funding for free school lunches and breakfasts, and several million dollars in increased federal child welfare services funds.

In addition, the state could expect to receive additional state revenues due to increased sales tax. By providing these families with food stamps, 45 percent of the money previously used by the family to purchase food would now be used for taxable goods. Based on this information, the state could expect to receive up to $5 million in additional sales tax revenue.

Streamlining government

AB 227 Settles Decades Old Local Dispute between Courts and Counties
This bill would add a new section to the Government Code, which would codify mediated agreements and prevent any future disagreement or misunderstanding about the amounts owed and is the final step in the disposition of fees and fines that have long been disputed between courts and counties.

AB 181 Allows Police to Access Funds for Finger Printing-Signed into law
This bill allows local law enforcement agencies to access much-needed funds. These are penalty and forfeiture funds, worth about $3 million to each county alone. These long-term funds may be used for all costs directly related to the capturing of criminal fingerprints and their processing. It can be used for personnel costs, communications costs, maintenance costs, training/travel, supplies and hardware cost.

Improving public transit

AB 193 - Transportation Revenues
Provided $83 million to pay back the transportation funds the state raided in 2002.

AB 196 - Transportation Bond Funds for Cities and Counties
Made sure that the $950 million appropriated for local streets and roads is allocated $400 million for counties and $550 million for cities.

AB 201 - Implementation of the Transportation Bonds
Provided funds for the replacement and retrofit of heavy-duty trucks, locomotives, commercial harbor craft and ocean-going vessels with cleaner technology alternatives.

AB 1492 - Transit Bus Right of Way
Enhanced transit bus safety by allowing both Santa Cruz and Santa Clara to equip buses with a right-of-way yield sign.

SB 33 - Cell Phones in Vehicles
Enhanced driver safety by prohibiting, starting July 1, 2008, and any person under the age of 18 from driving a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone or other communication device.