2015 Legislative Package

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2015

SBX1-10 Regional Transportation Capital Improvement Funds
Senate Bill X1-10 converts the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) into a grant program. This transition gives local agencies the flexibility to use funds like a block grant and prioritize the projects that are important to them and streamline project approval to get high priority projects completed as quickly as possible.

SB 241 Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEV)
Senate Bill 241 is a simple date delay in order to provide for additional home construction, resident move-ins, phase completions, roadway improvements, trail expansion and NEV usage in the community in order to develop enough NEV experience to provide a meaningful impact analysis to the Legislature. The current deadline would result in preparation of a report with insufficient NEV usage and impact data to be of value to the Legislature or transportation planners.

SB 257 Gold Star License Plates
Senate Bill 257 allows for Gold Star Family license plates to be personalized with an optional fee of $49. This is the same fee that exists in order to personalize any other plate in California.

SB 258 Special Meetings
Senate Bill 258 expresses the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would protect the right of the public to participate in open deliberations of the legislative bodies of local agencies by clarifying the appropriate use of special meetings.

SB 259 Property Taxation: Change in Ownership
Senate Bill 259 specifies that if 90% or more of the direct or indirect ownership interests in a legal entity are sold or transferred in a single transaction, the real property owned by that legal entity has changed ownership whether or not any one legal entity or person that is a party to the transaction obtains control. This change will close a loophole that has allowed some commercial property buyers to structure deals to list multiple individuals or entities and avoid having properties reassessed.

SB 305 Concentrated Cannabis: Protection for Children
Senate Bill 305 updates the Health and Safety Code by adding “concentrated cannabis” to enforceable punishments that already exist for manufacturing methamphetamine (meth) and phencyclidine (PCP) in any structure where children under the age of 16 are present. This bill specifically relates to those explosions that involve a flammable solvent.

SB 349 Mobile Optometric Facilities
Senate Bill 349 creates guidelines for mobile optometric facilities, in order to help secure the availability of quality vision care services for patients who receive care in remote or underserved areas.

SB 390 Novice Nurse Training Program 
Senate Bill 390 adds to the Health and Safety Code the ability to increase flexibility for new nurses entering the home health workforce.

SB 423 Medical Waste Disposal
Senate Bill 423 creates a streamlined option for managing over-the-counter pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements that may become waste by allowing such items to be managed like other consumer products as either hazardous or solid wastes, as applicable.

SB 473 Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse
Senate Bill 473 creates the “Elder and Dependent Adult Abuser Registry,” a publicly accessible database, maintained by the Department of Justice, of offenders who have been convicted of a crime involving an elder or dependent adult.

SB 479 Applied Behavior Analysis Licensing
Senate Bill 479 establishes under the Board of Psychology licensing and regulation of behavior analysts, to help ensure that children with autism, and others who benefit from behavior analysis treatment, have access to safe and effective services from qualified professionals.

SB 531 Board of Behavioral Sciences Enforcement
Senate Bill 531 streamlines and clarifies the process by which the Board of Behavioral Sciences (Board) may deny a petition without a hearing and delineates the criteria to do so. Also, this bill clarifies in the Business and Professions Code that the Board has jurisdiction to take disciplinary action even if the status of a license or registration changes or expires.

SB 566 Firearm Safety Certificates: Exemptions
Senate Bill 566 reduces the fee to be charged to obtain a Firearm Safety Certificate from $25 to $15 dollars for those honorably discharged from the United States military.

SB 607 Certified Electricians
Senate Bill 607 clarifies that state-certified general electricians are qualified by their state certification for certain construction jobs that are only available to “skilled journeypersons.”

SB 659 CalWORKs Pilot Project
Senate Bill 659 will help move families out of poverty through a holistic approach that addresses the root problems of families in crisis. These families have many needs beyond just food and shelter. SB 659 provides funding for innovative programs that are designed to guide, counsel and teach families how to transform their lives and offer the tools for real change while helping families realize their full potential.

SB 679 Search and Seizure under Mandatory Supervision 
Senate Bill 679 ensures continuity of the law regarding offenders released onto Mandatory Supervision (MS). This bill is in the process of being amended to allow for more information-sharing between the counties.

SB 722 GPS Monitoring: Removal of Device
Senate Bill 722 authorizes a felony penalty of 16 months, 2, or 3 years for child molesters and rapists who willfully remove or disable a Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking device. This bill is specific to those offenders on parole, probation, or post release community supervision.

SB 787 San Clemente Hospital Emergency Services
Senate Bill 787 allows Saddleback Memorial Medical Center in San Clemente – known as “San Clemente Hospital” – to continue operating the only emergency department located between Mission Viejo and Oceanside.

SR 16 National Surveyors Week 
This Senate Resolution declares the week of March 15 – 21, 2015 as National Surveyors Week.

SCR 46 Arthritis Awareness Month
This Senate Concurrent Resolution designates the month of May 2015 as California Arthritis Awareness Month.

SCR 63 National Stroke Awareness Month
This measure declares the month of May 2015 as National Stroke Awareness Month in California.

SCR 70 Student Safety Month
This bill designates the month of June 2015 as Student Safety Month in California.