Pérez continues to advance district priorities; nine bills signed this year
(SACRAMENTO) – This week, six bills authored by Assemblyman V. Manuel Pérez (D-Coachella) earned signatures from the Governor. Short summaries of the newly enacted laws are provided below, and Pérez shared the following statement:
“This is what I came here to do – to ensure that the needs and concerns of the 80th district are represented in Sacramento. These are very serious times, and I’ve tried to focus my efforts on legislation that speaks to our local situation, whether it has to do with economic recovery, small business needs, community health, or rebuilding after the devastating earthquake along the border. The success of these six bills, as well as the other three signed earlier this year, demonstrates that it is possible to transcend Sacramento gridlock to move good policy forward. With regard to the vetoes, naturally they are disappointing, but they do not sway me from my focus on economic recovery, equity, and opportunity for our region.”
Signed into law:
Imperial County Disaster Relief (Chapter 461, Statutes of 2010): AB 2136 (VM Pérez/Ducheny) provides disaster-related fiscal assistance and tax relief to persons and jurisdictions impacted by the Sierra El Mayor earthquake. The bill also authorizes the acceleration of loan forgiveness terms for any loans issued under the CalHome program for the rehabilitation, reconstruction, or replacement of lower income, owner-occupied manufactured homes damaged by the 7.2 earthquake. The measure includes an urgency clause, meaning that once enacted, the benefits of the bill take effect immediately.
Access to Safe Drinking Water (Chapter 601, Statutes of 2010): AB 2515 protects the public health of communities that lack access to clean drinking water by requiring the Department of Public Health (DPH) to develop emergency, interim regulations to expedite the permitted use of filters for contaminated water systems. The bill additionally authorizes the DPH to award grants from the Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to eligible communities for the purchase of such filters. This state program, which relies primarily on federal funds, awards grants on a competitive basis to help communities to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act. The measure includes an urgency clause, meaning that once enacted, the benefits of the bill take effect immediately.
Renewable Energy Transmission Financing (Chapter 460, Statutes of 2010): AB 1954 (Skinner/VM Pérez) helps California achieve its long-term renewable energy goals and supports jobs and infrastructure investment. It resolves technical issues that had presented impediments to renewable energy transmission financing and which could have limited the efficient production of renewable energy. Specifically, it authorizes the California Public Utilities Commission to provide administrative pre-approval of utility costs for transmission lines that facilitate achieving the Renewables Portfolio Standard.
Border Air Quality (Chapter 422, Statutes of 2010): AB 2037 focuses on air quality in border communities by authorizing the approval of energy contracts with out-of-state energy producers sited along the border only if these facilities meet California emissions standards. The new law is directly relevant to communities in the Imperial Valley, situated in an air basin that extends south-of-the-border. The region has one of the worst particulate matter pollution problems in California, as well as historically high rates of asthma hospitalizations among children.
Public Contracting Accountability: Small Business and Disabled Veterans Enterprises (Chapter 342, Statutes of 2010): AB 177 (Ruskin/VM Pérez) ensures that business opportunities specifically designed to support small and disabled-veteran owned businesses truly serve those constituencies. The new law cracks down on fraudulent behavior by increasing and conforming penalties for those who falsely engage in activities under the Small Business Procurement and Contract Act (which covers small businesses, micro-businesses, and disabled veteran-owned business enterprises).
Emerging Domestic Markets (Chapter 613, Statutes of 2010): AB 2798 helps to facilitate investment in the area of emerging domestic markets by adding several new terms and definitions to the government code. The need for these changes was identified through advisory group discussions with economic and investment professionals.
Already signed earlier this year were AB 1846, SB 401, and SB 408. In addition, two resolutions were chaptered, ACR 160 and ACR 163.
The following bills were vetoed by the Governor:
California Manufacturing Competitiveness Act: AB 2437 would have established a loan and loan guarantee program to enable the state to draw down federal dollars to support the retooling and expansion of manufacturing in California.
Childhood Immunizations: AB 2093 sought to ensure widespread access to childhood vaccines by clarifying rules related to physician reimbursement, a legislative fix important for safeguarding public health and improving vaccination rates.
Safe Routes to School Grant Program Eligibility: AB 2147 would have added ranking criteria to the state’s Safe Routes to School program to help disadvantaged communities, which typically have higher rates of obesity and lower levels of infrastructure, to more equitably compete for the program funding.
New River Bond Funding Accountability: AB 2202 would have assured, contingent on the passage of the state water bond, the appropriate oversight and accountability of future bond funding for New River clean up, clarifying that the Secretary of CalEPA, as chair of the California Mexico Border Relations Council, is responsible for the oversight of bond appropriations for New River improvement.
Community Benefits Fund: Should the state receive revenues pursuant to AB 32 implementation, AB 1405 (De León/Pérez) would have established a Community Benefits Fund that would have directed a portion of these revenues to impacted communities to be used for green jobs, greenhouse gas emission reductions projects, and to mitigate direct health impacts of climate change.
International Trade Accountability and Transparency: Seeking to leverage existing state resources to encourage economic development, AB 2443 would have added provisions to increase accountability and transparency to the state’s international trade program.
CONTACT: Amy L. Wilson @ (916) 319-2080
