Leading and Legislating on behalf of the 54th District

Sacramento - Two bills introduced by Assemblymember Holly J. Mitchell (D-Culver City) to facilitate testing for HIV, the virus which causes AIDS, have won key committee votes on the path to becoming state law.

AB 446 facilitates HIV testing among hard-to-reach subjects by allowing personnel authorized to administer HIV tests to obtain simple written or verbal patient consents and to arrange for patients to confidentially obtain test results via a secure website. Additionally, AB 446 requires clinical facilities that draw blood from patients to screen it for HIV upon obtaining simple patient consent.

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In the first test of recent efforts to address safety and environmental concerns about fracking, a bill by Assemblymember Holly J. Mitchell (D-Culver City) which would impose a moratorium on the practice in California, has passed out of the Assembly’s Natural Resources Committee.

AB 1323, which would halt hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” -- the infusion under high pressure of chemicals, sand and water underground to release oil or natural gas – until state-sponsored research determines whether it can be done safely and specifies conditions for its regulated use. On a party line vote the committee sent the bill to the Appropriations Committee. Despite growing concerns about fracking’s impacts on people and the environment, earlier legislative efforts to limit or ban the practice failed.

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Sacramento - In the first official ceremony of the legislative year, members of California’s Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), led by their newly elected Chair Assemblymember Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles), rose one-by-one in the Assembly on January 18th to pay tribute to the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Assemblymember Mitchell introduced an Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR 2) to commemorate the civil rights leader and the national holiday named in his honor. “2013 is a landmark year in the history of the Civil Rights movement,” said Assemblymember Mitchell. “In 2013 there could not be a more appropriate way to honor that history than by commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington.” Here’s more in this Assembly Access video.

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On December 14, 2012, Assemblymember Mitchell participated in a Community Forum on Hydraulic Fracturing (“fracking”), held at the Culver City Veterans Memorial Complex, along with member s of the Culver City City Council Committee on Oil Drilling. To watch the forum online, please click here.

To read the just released draft regulations on hydraulic fracturing from the Department of Conservation/Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR), please click here.

Assemblywoman Mitchell bill signed into law by Governor

SACRAMENTO -- AB 1899, introduced by Assemblymember Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) to close a gap in eligibility for higher education benefits for lawful U.S. residents who are victims of human trafficking or other serious crimes, has been signed by the Governor.

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SACRAMENTO – A new law authored by Assemblymember Holly Mitchell establishes a pilot project allowing graduates of approved foreign medical schools to engage in “hands-on” training while being instructed in patient care by licensed California physicians.

AB 1533, which applies to UCLA’s International Medical Graduate (IMG) Program, was sponsored by the University of California and the Medical Board of California, and passed with unanimous, bipartisan support. Now signed by the Governor, AB 1533 allows medical school graduates of foreign schools whose curricula meet the Medical Board of California’s requirements and who legally reside in the U.S. to put down their clipboards and acquire the same supervised, interactive experience with patients as current UCLA medical students.

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At press conferences held July 11 in Los Angeles and San Francisco, the Governor,  Attorney General Kamala Harris and Assemblymember Holly J. Mitchell (D-Culver City) announced that the “Homeowner’s Bill of Rights” will become California state law with the Governor’s signature January 1st.

AB 278 and SB 900, codifying much of the “Homeowner’s Bill of Rights” negotiated earlier this year with major banks by Attorney General Kamala Harris and offering potential relief to many of the nearly 700,000 Californians now in delinquency or foreclosure on home mortgages, includes key provisions from AB 2425, introduced earlier this year by Assemblymember Holly J. Mitchell (D-Culver City).

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AB 389, which sets standards for delivery of blood clotting products and related equipment for home use by people with bleeding disorders, has been signed by the Governor. The bill was adopted by the Legislature on a bipartisan vote in June and becomes effective January 1st.

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AB 278 and SB 900, codifying much of the "Homeowner's Bill of Rights" negotiated earlier this year with major banks by Attorney General Kamala Harris and offering potential relief to many of the nearly 700,000 Californians now in delinquency or foreclosure on home mortgages, has been adopted by the State Legislature with key provisions authored by Assemblymember Holly J. Mitchell (D-Culver City) largely intact. The package of bills now goes to the Governor to be signed into law.

"These bills give homeowners facing foreclosure a clear, fair process for saving their most valuable asset," said the Assemblywoman, a joint author of AB 278 and a co-author of SB 900. "Too many of those losing their homes are subjected to bewildering and arbitrary procedures that block them from re-negotiating mortgages on terms they are able and willing to pay."

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