HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2000 LEGISLATIVE YEAR

This publication contains digests of bills for the legislative period from January 3, 2000 through September 1, 2000. This summary includes all bills of consequence, which have been chaptered or vetoed, as well as those bills which were considered to be two-year bills. An asterisk (*) following the bill number indicates that the bill is an urgency measure or a tax levy.

State Budget

The Governor signed a $99.4 billion State Budget after item vetoing $1.1 billion.

For education, it provided a $4.2 billion increase over the 1999 Budget, making the per pupil funding amount $6,694. The Budget included a $1.8 billion increase in general purpose funding, a block grant for teacher recruitment and retention, augmentations for education technology and beginning teacher salaries. It provided substantial funding increases in higher education as well as expanded financial aid.

It provided tax reductions of $1.5 billion (excluding the $1.165 billion appropriation for 2001-02 vehicle license rebates). It provided an acceleration of the vehicle license fee rate reduction to 67.5 percent from January 2003 to January 2001. It also included a teacher’s tax credit, a child care tax credit, a caregiver tax credit, graduate student expenses tax credit, a land conservation tax credit, and a rural investment tax credit. It increased the research and development tax credit and net operating loss carryover tax provisions. It also provided increased senior citizens’ property tax assistance.

The Budget included a General Fund commitment of $2 billion for transportation, financed by a one-time direct General Fund appropriation of $1.5 billion and a diversion of $500 million of sales taxes to support traffic congestion relief efforts. In the five subsequent years, all General Fund sales taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel (about $1 billion per year) will be diverted for this purpose.

It also provided $570 million for various housing-related purposes, with an emphasis on multifamily housing. It provided provider rate increases for physicians, hospitals, and other health care provider and funding increases for a variety of mental health services.

It set aside $200 million in one-time funds for local government financial relief.

The following is the list of Budget-related legislation signed by the Governor:

 

AB 465 (Nakano)

Research and development tax credit

AB 480 (Ducheny)

Child care tax credit

AB 511 (Alquist)

Rural investment credit, net operating loss carryover, long-term care credit, graduate student expenses, vehicle license fee, research and development credit

AB 858 (Kuehl)

Vehicle license fee reduction

AB 1509 (Machado)

New tax-deferred retirement benefit for State Teachers’ Retirement System members

AB 1740 (Ducheny)

State Budget document

AB 1774 (Lempert)

Net operating loss deduction increase

AB 1913 (Cardenas)

Juvenile justice/COPS funding

AB 2864 (Torlakson)

Jobs-Housing Balance and Interregional Partnership Program

AB 2865 (Alquist)

California Housing Finance Agency Downpayment Assistance Program

AB 2866 (Migden)

General government omnibus bill

AB 2867 (Lowenthal)

Building Code enforcement

AB 2870 (Cedillo)

Downtown Rebound Program

AB 2871 (Correa)

Caregiver tax credit

AB 2872 (Shelley)

Environmental protection omnibus bill

AB 2875 (Cedillo)

Community health clinics

AB 2876 (Aroner)

Social Services omnibus bill

AB 2877 (Thomson)

Health omnibus bill

AB 2878 (Wayne)

Breast cancer treatment

AB 2879 (Jackson)

Credentialed teacher tax credit

AB 2880 (Calderon)

School finance: deficit reduction

AB 2881 (Wright)

Teacher Professional Development Institutes

AB 2882 (Reyes)

Educational technology

AB 2883 (Villaraigosa)

University of California Institutes

AB 2884 (Kuehl)

Judges’ salaries

AB 2885 (Cardenas)

Juvenile justice/COPS funding

AB 2928 (Torlakson)

Transportation omnibus bill

SB 406 (Ortiz)

Transportation – follow-up to AB 2928

SB 1643 (O’Connell/McPherson)

Beginning teacher salaries

SB 1644 (Ortiz/Poochigian)

Cal Grants

SB 1647 (O’Connell)

Land conservation tax credit

SB 1656 (Alarcon)

CalHome and Housing Trust Fund

SB 1664 (Karnette/Leslie)

Senior citizens’ property tax assistance

SB 1666 (Alarcon/Johannessen)

Teacher recruitment and retention incentives

SB 1667 (Alpert)

Education omnibus bill

SB 1679 (Sher)

Resources omnibus bill

SB 1683 (Escutia)

Supplemental remedial instruction

SB 1688 (Polanco/Rainey)

Merit scholarships and algebra academies

SB 1689 (Escutia/Monteith)

Advanced placement courses

Education

Most education issues became a major cornerstone of the 2000 State Budget.

The teaching profession was given enhanced recruiting and retention benefits in the 2000 Session with the enactment of the following legislation: SB 1435 (Johnston), SB 1505 (Burton), SB 1643 (O’Connell), SB 1666 (Alarcon), AB 429 (Correa), AB 816 (Assembly Public Employees, Retirement and Social Security Committee), AB 877 (Scott), AB 1080 (Villaraigosa), AB 1087 (Calderon), AB 1509 (Machado), AB 1933 (Strom-Martin), AB 2060 (Steinberg), AB 2456 (Wright), AB 2472 (Romero), AB 2879 (Jackson), and AB 2881 (Wright).

Other education legislation of importance which was enacted included:

 

AB 25 (Mazzoni)

Kindergarten Readiness Pilot Program

AB 212 (Aroner)

Allocation of Child Care Development Program funding

AB 1857 (Romero)

Open meetings of California State University student body organizations

AB 1873 (Wiggins)

Interagency Partnership for School-to-Career Program

AB 1918 (Aroner)

Access to Transfer Information for Community College Students Act

AB 2159 (Robert Pacheco)

Expands eligibility for students to participate in Graduation Assumption Program of Loans for Education Program

AB 2260 (Shelley)

Healthy School Act

AB 2558 (Hertzberg)

Senior Volunteer Pilot Program

AB 2827 (Cardoza)

Jobs for California Graduates Program

SB 1354 (Poochigian)

Algebra instruction requirements

SB 1380 (Escutia)

Study on the reorganization of Los Angeles Unified School District

SB 1644 (Ortiz)

Cal-Grant expansion

SB 1632 (Poochigian)

Student template for school accountability report card

SB 1683 (Escutia)

Supplemental remedial instruction

SB 1688 (Polanco)

Intensive Algebra Instructional Academies Program and Governors Scholarship Program

SB 1689 (Escutia)

Advanced placement courses

SB 1703 (Escutia)

$42 million for child care programs

SB 1721 (Hayden)

Center for Portuguese Studies, African American and Central American Studies Institutes

SB 1737 (Hayden)

U.C. study concerning slavery era

Insurance

In July of 2000, State Insurance Commissioner Charles Quackenbush resigned his office due to allegations that he misused his office for political gain. Both the Senate and Assembly Insurance Committees and the Senate Health and Human Services Committee held public hearings which brought out information concerning the commissioner’s mishandling of the State Department of Insurance. The Assembly Insurance Committee concluded that the commissioner abused his post by allowing earthquake insurance companies accused of short-changing victims of the 1984 Northridge earthquake to avoid massive fines and penalties by paying such small amounts to non-profit foundations.

Governor Gray Davis appointed, and the Legislature confirmed, retired State Appellate Court Judge Harry Low as the new State Insurance Commissioner to serve out the rest of Quackenbush’s term of office.

Legislation was enacted in response to issues brought forth out of this scandal: SB 1524 (Figueroa) prescribes limits on the uses by the commissioner of funds derived from fines and penalties and prohibits the use of the commissioner’s name, likeness, or voice in public outreach efforts funded by proceeds derived from enforcement actions; SB 1805 (Escutia) ensures that the State Department of Insurance makes market conduct examinations and related settlement documents public; SB 1899 (Burton) provides victims of the 1994 Northridge earthquake an additional year to file claims for their quake-related damages; and SB 2107 (Speier) specifies the extent of the authority of the commissioner in the settlement with an insurer of an administrative action.

Other legislation of importance included SB 1915 (Poochigian) provides for victims of the Armenian Genocide to file suit against insurers for recovery of a claim; SB 1988 (Speier) establishes the Anti-Auto Theft and Insurance Fraud Act of 2000; SB 2199 (Hayden) requires the State Insurance Commissioner to request and obtain information from insurers licensed in California to disclose any records of slaveholder policies issued by the insurer of any predecessor corporation during the slavery era; and AB 393 (Scott) requires insurers to comply with regard to employees or contractors who solicit, negotiate, or effect insurance; prohibits a person soliciting, negotiating or effecting contracts of insurance without a valid license; and, creates a personal lines broker-agent license and a credit insurance agent license.

Energy

The 2000 summer electricity bills for customers of San Diego Gas and Electric increased dramatically with average bills for residential customers being doubled. The major cause was the cost of purchasing the electricity. Prices for generation were no longer protected by the rate freeze of AB 1890 of 1996 for San Diego Gas and Electric customers. Prices are no longer regulated by the Public Utilities Commission. Instead, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission controls the wholesale price of electricity and consistent with the effort to deregulate, allows prices for wholesale energy to be set by market forces.

In response to this, legislation was enacted to provide rate relief: AB 265 (Ducheny). Related legislation was AB 970 (Ducheny) establishes an expedited process for the California Energy Commission siting of both temporary "peaking" and permanent thermal powerplants, and expanded energy conservation and demand-side management programs.

Other energy legislation included: SB 1299 (Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee) extends the sunset date on two energy efficiency loan programs; SB 1345 (Peace) establishes a grant program to offset a portion of the costs in solar and low-pollution distributed generation systems; SB 1388 (Peace) enacts California Energy Commission recommended changes to current electrical power plant siting processes and makes changes in electrical restructuring; AB 1874 (Wesson) requires a study on the feasibility of operating a fuel reserve; and AB 2098 (Migden) requires a study concerning a new pipeline or using an existing one to transport motor vehicle fuel and its components.

Utility legislation of note included: SB 1194 (Sher) and AB 995 (Wright) extends the current surcharge on electricity to fund specified public purpose programs until January 1, 2012; SB 1712 (Polanco) examination of current and existing definitions of universal telephone service; SB 1741 (Bowen) provides a process for area code relief; AB 994 (Wright) requires a study relative to establishing telephone cooperatives; AB 1002 (Wright) imposes a surcharge on all natural gas consumed in California to fund energy programs; AB 1263 (Thomson) allows cellular "911" calls to be routed to a local public safety agency; AB 1398 (Papan) extends current judicial review of Public Utilities Commission decisions affecting water corporations indefinitely.

Privacy

A major issue was protecting the privacy of individuals’ personal information. In response, legislation was enacted, SB 129 (Peace) which creates an Office of Privacy Protection with the State Department of Consumer Affairs the purpose of which is to protect the privacy of individual’s personal information by identifying consumer problems and facilitating development of fair information practices. Other privacy-related legislation included: SB 1724 (Dunn) tax return information; SB 1903 (Speier) medical information; SB 2072 (Speier) protection of stalking victim records; AB 1862 (Torlakson) and AB 1897 (Davis) identity theft victim records; AB 2246 (Wayne) destruction of customer records; and AB 2559 (Cardoza) peace officer personnel records.

Transportation Issues

One of the major issues over the past year has been improving the transportation infrastructure of the state. Legislation was enacted, AB 2928 (Torlakson) which implemented and modified the Governor's transportation plan and provided additional funding for STIP, local streets and roads, and the Public Transportation Account. This is a $6.8 billion program. Modifications and cleanup legislation to AB 2928 were SB 406 (Ortiz) and SB 1662 (Burton).

In October 1999, the Court of Appeals ruled that the smog impact fee (a $300 per vehicle fee on vehicles brought into California from other states) was unconstitutional. Since November 1990, nearly 1,700,000 vehicle owners have paid the fee resulting in a total of about $500 million. The Governor in November of 1999 decided not to appeal the ruling and ordered the State Department of Motor Vehicles to stop collecting the smog impact fee and to refund the fees already paid by motorists. Legislation was enacted providing for the rebate of the fee: SB 215 (Karnette) and AB 809 (Lowenthal).

Several new special license plates were enacted: SB 193 (Polanco) breast cancer; AB 700 (Thomson) girl scouts; and AB 1129 (Ackerman) Rotary International. SB 1329 (Karnette) made various revisions to the special license plate program.

Other major legislation includes SB 335 (Hayden) which enacted the Brandi Mitock Safe Drivers Act to require the State Department of Motor Vehicles to test drivers reported to it by a physician, a traffic officer, or a relative, under specified circumstances; SB 567 (Speier) increases the fines for violation of the child passenger restraint law and requires that children less than six years of age or weighing less than 60 pounds be restrained in a child passenger restraint; and AB 2061 (Lowenthal) providing incentives for zero emission vehicles.

Taxation Relief and Assistance

The following was the legislation enacted giving individuals and business tax relief and assistance:

 

AB 465 (Nakano)

Research and development tax increase

AB 480 (Ducheny)

Household and dependent care services tax credit

AB 511 (Alquist)

Rural investment sales tax exemption; research and development tax credit increase; employee graduate course exclusion; caregiver tax credit; net operating loss deduction increase; and vehicle license fee reduction

AB 1080 (Villaraigosa)

Teacher tax credit calculation clarification

AB 1774 (Lempert)

Net operating loss deduction increase

AB 1784 (Lempert)

Extend law prohibiting inspection of an Internet tax relief until January 1, 2005

AB 1790 (Wiggins)

Property tax relief for vineyards lost to Pierce disease

AB 2416 (Machado)

Senior homeowners and renters tax assistance

AB 2871 (Correa)

Caregiver tax credit

AB 2879 (Jackson)

Teacher tax credit

SB 1239 (Burton)

Partnership investment income conformity

SB 1647 (O'Connell)

Natural Heritage Preservation tax credit

SB 1664 (Karnette)

Senior homeowners and renters tax assistance

Other tax legislation of interest was SB 1932 (Solis) tax checkoff for lung disease and asthma research; SB 2175 (Burton) extends sunset on firefighters and peace officers memorial foundation tax checkoffs; AB 1728 (Villaraigosa) excludes from income tax any reparations received for forced labor performed during World War II; and AB 2212 (Frusetta) tax checkoff for National World War II Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Election Legislation

In the field of election and political reform the following legislation was enacted: SB 28 (Peace) implements a modified closed primary election system to replace the blanket primary system which was declared unconstitutional; SB 1223 (Burton) placed a campaign finance reform measure on the November 7, 2000 ballot imposing limits on campaign contributions; AB 1094 (Hertzberg) reduces the voter registration deadline from 29 days to 14 days before an election; AB 2078 (Granlund) prohibits local agencies from using funds for supporting or opposing ballot measures or qualified candidates; and AB 2720 (Olberg) creates a Bipartisan California Commission on Internet Political Practices.

Agricultural Issues

Legislation was enacted providing enhanced farm labor protections: SB 1545 (Costa) employee housing assistance; AB 602 (Florez) farm labor vehicle protections; AB 1338 (Reyes) farm labor contractor licensure; AB 1811 (Reyes) farmworker housing assistance; SB 2086 (Reyes) operation of farm labor vehicles; AB 2306 (Florez) creates Joe Serna Farmworker Family Wellness Act; and AB 2707 (Florez) complaints against farm labor contractors. Also SB 984 (Polanco) makes March 31 a state holiday in honor of farm worker leader Cesar Chavez.

There was a major infestation by the glasswinged sharpshooter, which has the effect of destroying the grape and wine industry in California. Legislation was enacted to combat this pest: SB 671 (Chesbro) providing funding for research and pest eradication; and AB 1790 (Wiggins) provided property tax relief to vineyards which have suffered damage from the pest's effects.

Other important agriculture legislation included the following: SB 1740 (Leslie) provides funding for eradicating noxious weeds; SB 2065 creates a biotechnology task force; SB 2104 (Morrow) emergency response planning for agricultural disasters; AB 1782 (Florez) provides for control of cattle disease; AB 2510 (Thomson) provides for civil liability for crop damage and destruction; AB 2514 (Thomson) and AB 2825 (Battin) provides for expanding biomass farming; AB 2663 (Thomson) provides for sustainable agricultural practices; AB 2705 (Assembly Agriculture Committee) provides for an agricultural industry energy program; and AB 2622 (Ackerman) enacts the California Rice Certification Act of 2000.

Environment

The following was the major environment legislation enacted this session: SB 57 (Hayden) Santa Monica Bay Restoration Project; SB 89 (Escutia) environmental justice strategy; SB 667 (Sher) establishes a program to expedite reuse of underutilized urban properties by assisting in financing hazardous waste cleanup; SB 311 (Chesbro) finances for protecting and recovery of salmon and steelhead trout; SB 1647 (O'Connell) and AB 522 (Wayne) provides for a Natural Heritage Preservation tax credit; SB 1679 (Sher) enacts the environmental protection Budget Trailer Bill; SB 1771 (Sher) establishes a California Climate Action Registry; SB 1794 (Ortiz) enhances the Rice Straw Burning Demonstration Project; SB 1832 (Chesbro) provides for a California Forestry Legacy Program; SB 1906 (Sher) enhances the bottle bill program; SB 2165 (Sher) enhances the penalties provisions of the Porter-Cologne Water Control Act; AB 642 (Lempert) establishes a data base of old existing and operating wetlands mitigation banks that sell credits to the public; AB 1948 (Dickerson) provides for the compilation of a funding source report for watershed projects; AB 2061 (Lowenthal) provides a grant program for zero-emission vehicles; AB 2117 (Wayne) enhances of watershed protections; AB 2286 (Davis) updates of the state's existing wetland inventory resources; AB 2317 (Ducheny) creates the California Border Environmental and Public Health Protection Fund; AB 2387 (Keeley) enacts the California Ocean Resource Stewardship Program; AB 2478 (Strom-Martin) adds a financial assistance and education component to the forestry assistance program; AB 2479 (Kuehl) establishes regulations for the operation of live animal markets; and AB 2800 (Shelley) enacts the Marine Managed Area Improvement Act.

Housing

Legislation was enacted providing for enhanced housing programs in making homeownership possible and giving relief to those who are homeless, own, or rent as follows: SB 1545 (Costa) imposes specific planning and zoning requirements on local jurisdiction regarding rehabilitation of employee housing for agricultural employees; SB 1593 (Burton) enacts recommendations of the Senate Task Force on Homeless; SB 1656 (Alarcon) establishes the CalHome Program; SB 1664 (Karnette) increases the amount of property tax assistance under the Senior Citizens and Disabled Property Tax Program and the Renter's Tax Assistance Program by 150 percent for 2000 year only; SB 2011 (Escutia) enhances protections of the senior housing programs; AB 860 (Thomson) allows mobilehome park residents and homeowners in common interest developments to keep pets; AB 1626 (Torlakson) increases permanently the amount the state low-person housing tax credit from $35 million to $60 million; AB 1811 (Reyes) modifies rules relative to the allocation of farmworker housing tax credits; AB 1846 (Lowenthal) establishes a Senior Housing and Information and Support Center; AB 2870 (Cedillo) provides for the Downtown Rebound Program; AB 2864 (Torlakson) provides for the Inter-Regional Partnership State Pilot Project to improve the balance of jobs and housing; AB 2865 (Alquist) establishes the California Homebuyer's Downpayment Assistance Program to be limited to first-time homebuyers; and AB 2867 (Lowenthal) increases staffing for local building code enforcement.

Local Government

Major legislation which was enacted affecting local government included: SB 165 (Alarcon) Local Agency Special Tax and Bond Accountability Act; SB 225 (Rainey) and AB 2219 (Battin) which clarifies the reimbursement of booking fees; SB 402 (Burton) provides final binding arbitration of disputes regarding economic issues between local agency employers and firefighters or law enforcement employees; SB 739 (Solis) transfers the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act jurisdiction for resolution of unfair labor practices to the Public Employment Relations Board; SB 1477 (Lewis) treats assessment ballots as public records but requires tabulation and confidentiality safeguards; AB 83 (Cardenas) prohibits a city or county from requiring business licenses or permits on imposing taxes on specified income earned from work done in the home; AB 1036 (Wesson) extends sunset of the State-County Property Tax Administration Loan Program; AB 1396 (Villaraigosa) provides a one-time $212 million local government relief package; and AB 2838 (Hertzberg) renames the Cortese-Knox Local Governmental Reorganization Act the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Governmental Reorganization Act and makes substantial changes to the LAFCO law.

Sex Offenders

A number of bills were enacted designed to protect the public against sex offenders including: SB 446 (Dunn) expands registration of sex offenders law; SB 451 (Schiff) custody retention of sex offenders procedures; SB 2018 (Schiff) updated evaluations of sex offenders; AB 1300 (Rod Pacheco) enhances scrutiny and supervision of high-risk sex offenders; AB 1340 (Honda) strengthening of Megan Law; AB 1742 (Correa) extends statute of limitations for prosecution of sex offenses; AB 1988 (Strickland) places residence restrictions on parolees; and AB 2049 (Havice) enumerates what constitutes a conviction of the sexually violent predator law.

Elder Abuse

Legislation was enacted strengthening protection against elder abuse as follows: SB 1742 (Hughes), AB 559 (Nakano), AB 1819 (Shelley), AB 1891 (Lowenthal), AB 2063 (Zettel), and AB 2107 (Scott).

Criminal Justice and Judiciary

The following are the major Senate bills enacted concerning the criminal justice and judiciary system: SB 577 (Peace) increases the length of time for basic training of correctional officer cadets; SB 580 (Lewis) enhances notification to victims of stalkers relative to their change in parole status; SB 865 (Hughes) extends the repeal date of the Community Law Enforcement and Recovery Demonstration Project relative to gangs; SB 1102 (Murray) prohibits law enforcement officers from engaging in racial profiling; SB 1310 (Vasconcellos) places all outstanding arrest warrants into the State Department of Justice's Wanted Persons System; SB 1318 (Alpert) changes the address confidentiality of Victims of Domestic Violence Program to include victims of stalking; SB 1342 (Burton) creates a procedure for post conviction testing of DNA; SB 1332 (Monteith) enacts Dustin’s Law to provide notification to immediate families of a person to be paroled following incarceration for child abuse or molestation; SB 1357 (Johnston) makes permanent the High Technology Crime Advisory Committee; SB 1367 (Schiff) allows the State Bar to collect a total of $394 in membership dues for the year 2000; SB 1368 (Brulte) provides immunity from criminal prosecution to a parent or person with custody of a child 72 hours old or younger who delivers the child to specified locations; SB 1420 (Burton) revises codes relating to the State Bar Court to reflect the Supreme Court’s adoption of a court rule providing for a de novo review by State Bar Review Court; SB 1539 (Lewis) provides peace officer training relative to stalking; SB 1542 (Schiff) establishes a boot camp academy for first-time juvenile offenders 15 years or older, and use a firearm at a school or during a school activity; SB 1565 (Schiff) expands California "Son of Sam" Law to ensure criminals do not profit from their crimes; SB 1611 (Bowen) provides that a juvenile justice commission may review a child’s court case records and may review the financial records of group homes; SB 1782 (Morrow) requests the Supreme Court to appoint a task force to study and make recommendations on admission of out of state attorneys; SB 1784 (Figueroa) enhances penalties for child molestation; SB 1802 (Chesbro) enacts specific Public Records Act exemption for victims of crimes records; SB 1818 (Speier) creates a data bank of DNA of unidentified human remains for relatives of missing persons in order to identify the human remains; SB 1857 (Burton) increases the number of superior court judges and appellate court judges; SB 1942 (Karnette) enhances penalties for unlawful use and manufacture of law enforcement badges; SB 1944 (Solis) expands the use of expert testimony in domestic violence cases; SB 1988 (Speier) enacts the Anti-Auto Theft and Insurance Fraud Act of 2000; SB 2015 (Sher) grants the Attorney General additional enforcement tools and resources to enforce charitable fundraisers; SB 2175 (Burton) extends the sunset date on the tax checkoff on the California Peace Officers Memorial Foundation; and SB 2138 (Soto) expands existing Office of Criminal Justice Planning funded child trauma intervention program for youth exposed to community violence.

Assembly legislation included: AB 2015 (Leach) protects victim of domestic violence records from a batterer; AB 850 (Torlakson) provides early intervention to help stop patterns of drinking and driving by younger drivers early it their lives; AB 1241 (Rod Pacheco) enhances law relative to mandatory child abuse reporting laws; AB 1422 (Torlakson) enacts the Sherrie Iverson Child Victim Protection Act; AB 1449 (Florez) enhances the law relating to the felony crime of battery gassing; AB 1717 (Hertzberg) provides evaluation of ballistic identification systems by the State Department of Justice; AB 1718 (Hertzberg) provides continuing education for law enforcement interaction with developmentally disabled and mentally ill; AB 1727 (Reyes) extends the operation of the Rural Crime Prevention Program until January 1, 2002; AB 1761 (Brewer) establishes qualifications for being a paralegal; AB 1767 (Zettel) expands computer and high-tech equipment forfeiture statutes; AB 1785 (Villaraigosa) requires the State Department of Education to include reporting of hate crimes and violence on their standard crime reporting form; AB 1789 (Zettel) enhances the punishment of great bodily injury if the victim is a child under the age of five years; AB 1799 (Baugh) increases the compensation for those wrongfully incarcerated; AB 1808 (Wayne) allows a court to impose any specific enhancement on any nonviolent and certain sexual subordinate sentence terms; AB 1814 (Lempert) provides for adoption of rules relative to postponement of jury service of breastfeeding mothers; AB 1840 (Bates) mandates an existing $10 fine used to implement local crime prevention programs if the defendant has the ability to pay, rather than at the court’s discretion; AB 1862 (Torlakson) establishes a database of victims of identity theft; AB 1886 (Lowenthal) requires facilitators of batterers’ intervention program to meet specified requirements; AB 1890 (Rod Pacheco) requires prisoners working outside prison grounds or road cleanup to wear distinctive clothing; AB 1891 (Lowenthal) expands the grounds for conditional examination of witnesses to include persons over the age of 65 and dependent adults; AB 1897 (Davis) creates a judicial process whereby victims of identity theft can clear their names; AB 1913 (Cardenas) appropriated $121.3 million for funding of the Citizens Option for Public Safety Program and $121.3 million for a juvenile justice initiative; AB 1931 (Scott) requires the State Department of Education to provide regional training for school personnel in the identification and determination of hate violence; AB 1988 (Dickerson) adds two misdemeanors to those already specified regarding restrictions o the ownership and possession of firearms; and AB 1993 (Romero) enacts a crime and penalty applicable to peace officers and others who plant or move physical evidence.

Additional Assembly legislation enacted into law included: AB 2003 (Shelley) adds dating relationships to the list of specified personal relationships which allows a peace officer to make an arrest without a warrant, as specified; AB 2125 (Rod Pacheco) gives capital cases priority for trial over other criminal and civil cases unless the court makes a specified finding; AB 2232 (Oller) increases the penalties and fines for introducing a virus into a computer network or system; AB 2316 (Mazzoni) provides for a study of the children of parents who are incarcerated in state prison; AB 2418 (Migden) ensures that individuals are not excluded from jury service based on their sexual orientation; AB 2425 (Corbett) increases the prison term for repeat stalking by one year and provides for intensive parole for convicted stalkers; AB 2484 (Romero) allows the State Attorney General to bring a civil action against a law enforcement agency for civil rights violations by the agency or its personnel; AB 2491 (Jackson) renames the State Board of Control of the California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board; AB 2523 (Thomson) increases the misdemeanor penalty for brandishing a handgun in a public place from six months to a year in jail; AB 2536 (Scott) provides television spots relative to newly enacted gun laws in both English and Spanish; AB 2559 (Cardoza) prohibits disclosure of peace officer personnel records of citizen complaints except by discover procedures; AB 2567 (Jackson) requires an attorney to inform a juror of the juror’s absolute right not to discuss the deliberation or verdict; AB 2580 (Cox) extends the crime of vandalism of places of worship to vandalism of cemeteries; AB 2594 (Cox) increases the potential fine for related criminal offense of insurance fraud and illegal refund payments to obtain the referral of patients; AB 2665 (Ackerman) enhances criminal record reporting relative to criminal background information; AB 2685 (Bock) increases notification to victims of crimes of their eligibility for restitution; AB 2727 (Wesson) imposes a civil remedy for a loss incurred due to specified criminal acts; AB 2814 (Machado) allows DNA samples legally obtained from suspects to be compared to evidence from other crime scenes; AB 2866 (Migden) increases juror compensation from $5 to $15 a day; and AB 2884 (Kuehl) increases the salaries of judges and justices.

Health and Human Services

Major Senate health legislation which was enacted included: SB 87 (Escutia) provides uninterrupted health coverage through Medi-Cal when CalWORKs benefits have ended; SB 265 (Speier) conforms to federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996; SB 269 (Ortiz) enacts the Public Health Improvement Act of 1999 to fund local public health administration; SB 648 (Ortiz) expands on the definition of venereal disease to include chlamydia; SB 1258 (Polanco) provides for public outreach and education programs to raise the awareness of Hepatitis C aimed at high risk groups; SB 1339 (Figueroa) requires pharmacies to establish quality assurance programs; SB 1551 (Dunn) strengthens the rights of the family council in skilled nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities; SB 1807 (Vasconcellos) requires the State Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs to establish an office-based opiate treatment program; SB 1814 (Speier) enhances the restricting disclosure of medical information; SB 1932 (Solis) establishes the California Lung and Asthma Research income tax checkoff; and SB 1946 (McPherson) expands the Kinship Support Services Program.

Assembly legislation included: AB 48 (Cedillo) renames the California Cancer Registry the Ken Maddy Cancer Registry and makes modifications to the registry law; AB 525 (Kuehl) requires notification by health care plans to inform recipients about reproductive health care issues; AB 1015 (Gallegos) expands health coverage eligibility to uninsured parents of children eligible for the Healthy Families Program; AB 1036 (Thomson) allows California Indian tribes to participate in the Access for Infants and Mothers Program and the Major Risk Medical Insurance Program by paying required fees, as specified; AB 1455 (Scott) prohibits a health care service plan from engaging in an unfair payment pattern in its reimbursement of a provider; AB 1730 (Cardenas) provides funding of lead poisoning screening of children; AB 1731 (Shelley) makes major reforms in the law relative to skilled nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities; AB 1748 (Zettel) provides for sharing of child immunization records between the State Department of Health Services, local health agencies and other entities; AB 1753 (Romero) enacts the Alzheimer’s Training Act of 2000; AB 1820 (Wright) enacts the Geriatrics Medical Training Education Act of 2000; AB 2037 (Corbett) increases the time period of eligibility to 60 months for specialized services to foster children who are drug or alcohol exposed, or HIV positive; AB 2038 (Alquist) enacts Inclusion of Women and Minorities in Clinical Research Act; AB 2103 (Strom-Martin) establishes minimum eligibility criteria for clinics funded under the State Department of Health Services grant programs for services to rural and migrant farm workers; AB 2167 (Gallegos) grants oversight and regulation of the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act to the State Department of Health Services; and AB 2257 (Aroner) expands facilities eligible for financial assistance under the California Health Facilities Financing Authority.

Other Assembly legislation included: AB 2318 (Lowenthal) prohibits the sale of any product containing Lindane; AB 2327 (Gallegos) extends specified protections and immunities in existing law to Health Rights Hotlines; AB 2394 (Firebaugh) creates a Task Force on Culturally and Linguistically Competent Physicians and Dentists; AB 2414 (Firebaugh) allows disclosure of medical information to disease management companies; AB 2599 (Cardenas) provides for a cervical cancer community awareness campaign; AB 2611 (Gallegos) requires a study of hospital emergency room department on-call coverage issues; AB 2875 (Cedillo) enacts the Cedillo-Alarcon Community Care Investment Act of 2000 for providing grants to clinics for financing capital outlay projects; AB 2876 (Aroner) enacts the Human Services Budget Trailer bill; AB 2877 (Thomson) enacts the Health Services Budget Trailer bill; AB 2878 (Wayne) establishes the Breast Cancer Treatment program; AB 2900 (Gallegos) extends continuous eligibility for Medi-Cal to children 19 years of age and younger; and AB 2919 (Assembly Human Services Committee) streamlines the fair hearing process for developmentally disabled.

Water

One major issue was resolved concerning water this year: The Water Replenishment District of Southern California. The district has been the focus of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, and a report from the State Auditor called into question several of the district’s practices which led to excessive water rates and questionable expenses. SB 1979 (Escutia) and AB 1834 (Havice) enact fiscal controls upon the district.

Legislation was enacted, SB 1341 (Burton), which requires the State Department of Water Resources to update the California Water Plan.

One unresolved issue of the session was the CALFED Bay-Delta Program.

Veterans

Major veteran legislation included: SB 101 (Johannessen), which replaces the Secretary of Veteran Affairs as a member of the Veterans’ Board with an additional member appointed to the Board by the Governor; SB 1362 (Poochigian) raises the income limit for disabled veterans to claim higher property tax exemptions and allows for retroactive exemption claims; SB 1635 (Schiff) provides for a veterans memorial registry; SB 1717 (Chesbro) requires that one of the members of the California Veterans’ Board be a resident of the Veterans Home; SB 2195 (McPherson) requires a master plan for the Central Coast Veterans Cemetery on the grounds of former Fort Ord; SB 2195 (Soto) deletes the January 2001 sunset date for the higher veterans’ property tax exemption for totally disabled veterans; AB 1167 (Frusetta) extends the state funding capabilities for county veteran service officers; AB 1651 (Assembly Veteran Affairs Committee) expands the disabled veterans pass program to include persons with a 50 percent or greater service related disability; AB 1739 (Bock) requires a study on the needs of veterans in higher education; AB 2092 (Reyes) allows disabled veterans to retroactively file for disabled veterans’ benefits; AB 2212 (Frusetta) provides for an income tax checkoff for a National World War II Veterans Memorial; AB 2305 (Dutra) provides for a $500 million Cal-Vet Bond Program; and AB 2933 (Assembly Veteran Affairs Committee) streamlines the processing of Cal-Vet loans.

Business and Labor Issues

Major legislation enacted in this area included: SB 32 (Peace) creates a disputable presumption for specified public safety personnel who are stricken with hepatitis for purposes of workers’ compensation; SB 43 (Johnston) streamlines the Employment Training Panel Law; SB 511 (Alarcon) allows additional criteria upon which enterprise zones may be based; SB 1820 (Burton) expands cancer presumption under workers’ compensation to specified peace officers; AB 77 (Cardenas) establishes four new Small Business Financial Development and Corporations; AB 1599 (Torlakson) establishes a statewide young worker health and safety services network; AB 1856 (Kuehl) enhances sexual harassment liability in the workplace; AB 1870 (Davis) modifies qualifications for Business Incubation Program; AB 2043 (Maddox) creates a disputable presumption for specified public safety personnel who are stricken with meningitis; AB 2222 (Kuehl) enacts the Prudence Kay Poppink Act which strengthens civil rights for disabled at the workplace; AB 2357 (Honda) provides more options for victims of domestic violence to take unpaid leave from work to obtain specified services; AB 2509 (Steinberg) enhances remedies for employment law violations.