Senator Ridley-Thomas’ 2005-2006 Legislative Accomplishments

I am proud of the number of bills that reached the Governor’s Desk. The range of issues included the establishment of school health centers, consumer protection, community reinvestment, jobs and workforce development.

Consumer Protection

AB 925 – California Insurance Community Investment Act

This measure was signed by the Governor on Monday, September 25, 2006. The measure requires California insurers to disclose Community Development Investment practices in low and moderate income communities and post them on the Department of Insurance website. The measure is sponsored by the Department of Insurance.

AB 2486 – IHSS Consumer Protection Act

This bill was vetoed by the Governor on September 29, 2006. The Homecare Council sponsored the measure to reduce the potential for fraud and to protect In-Home Supportive Service consumers from abuse and illegal activity by requiring homecare workers to be fingerprinted.

AB 2862 – Animal Protection Act of 2006

This bill was vetoed by the Governor on September 29, 2006. This bill gave the Department of Consumer Affairs responsibility for developing regulations for the pet store industry. Current law only protects cats, dogs and the weaning of small birds. This bill required that the regulations be created to establish uniform standards of care for animals sold in pet stores.

AB 2960 – Energy Price Stabilization Act of 2006

This measure was vetoed by the Governor on September 29, 2006. This bill is intended to mitigate price volatility where electricity is being generated from the burning of natural gas and the electricity supply contract permits any increase in the cost of natural gas be passed through to the electricity consumer.

Education and Workforce Development

AB 1388 – CA Teleconnect Fund Loan Repayment

This bill was vetoed by the Governor on September 29, 2006. The bill finances local matching grants for telecommunications access, including telemedicine programs, in rural and low-income communities upon repayment over a 15 year period of a $150 million loan from the California Teleconnect Fund to the state general.

AB 2494 – IHSS Homecare Workers Professional Development Program

This bill was vetoed by the Governor on September 29, 2006. This measure allows for In-Home Supportive Services providers, some of the lowest paid workers in the state, to receive paid professional development training.

Health Care

AB 2470 – LA County Health Master Plan

This was signed by the Governor on September 27, 2006. This measure recommends that the LA County Board of Supervisors create a master plan for health care in LA County. The Board of Supervisors may assemble a taskforce to develop and report back on long-range planning and policy recommendations for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.

AB 2560 – School Health Centers Act of 2006

This bill was signed by the Governor on September 19, 2006. This measure requires the State Department of Health Services, in cooperation with the State Department of Education, to establish a Public School Health Center Program to establish standardized data collection procedures and maintain a database of health information on public school health centers in California, and track health issues that are unique to school-aged youth, such as childhood obesity, asthma, immunizations against communicable diseases, and child and adolescent mental health disorders.

Environment

AB 2861 – Lead Abatement Act of 2006

This measure was signed by the Governor on Tuesday, September 26, 2006. The measure strengthens the penalty for failing to remove a lead hazard by making a second violation of an order to remove said hazard a misdemeanor offense, rather than an infraction.

Economic Development

AB 2831 – CA Community Development Financial Institutions Tax Credit

This measure was signed by the Governor on Thursday, September 28, 2006. This measure extends the tax credit sunset from January 1, 2007 until January 1, 2011 for financial institutions whom invest in community development. Community development financial institutions are defined as having its primary mission in community development.

Good Government

AB 2554 – EMT Anti-Double Discipline Act of 2006

This bill was vetoed by the Governor’s on September 30, 2006. This bill allows the agency or fire department that supervises Emergency Medical Technicians to discipline their own personnel and establishes due process procedures defined by statute and case law, thereby avoiding the existing system that permits disciplinary action to be taken by multiple agencies.

2008 Legislative Accomplishments
2007 Legislative Accomplishments
2005-06 Legislative Accomplishments
2003-04 Legislative Accomplishments