2016 - 2017 Legislation

Public Safety

  • SB 620: Firearms: crimes: enhancements

(Signed by the Governor)

SB 620 allows a court, in the interest of justice and at the time of sentencing, to strike a sentence enhancement for using or discharging a firearm during the commission of a felony.

  • SB 345: Law enforcement agencies: public records

(Approved by the Legislature)

SB 345 requires specified law enforcement agencies to post publicly available policies and procedures on their websites.

  • SB 513: Assault and battery of a public utility worker

(Vetoed by the Governor)

SB 513 would make assaulting or injuring a utility worker a crime punishable by a fine, imprisonment, or both.

Business, Professions, and Economic Development

  • SB 182: Transportation network company driver (TNC): single business license

(Approved by the Legislature)

SB 182 prohibits a local jurisdiction from requiring a TNC driver to obtain more than one business license, regardless of the number of jurisdiction in which they operate.

Labor

  • SB 189: Workers’ compensation: definition of employee

(Approved by the Legislature)

SB 189 decreases the ownership threshold for corporate officers and owners from 15% to 10%, reducing the number of small business that would be required to purchase workers compensation insurance when the owners are employees of the business.

  • SB 489: Workers’ compensation: change of physician

(Signed by the Governor)

SB 489 makes necessary technical changes to allow for timely payments for emergency treatment for injured workers.

  • SB 490: Wages: Barbering and Cosmetology Act

(Approved by the Legislature)

SB 490 allows beauty salon employees to be paid a percentage or flat sum commission under specified conditions, including that employees are appropriately licensed, as defined, and that they also receive a base hourly pay rate of at least twice the state minimum wage.

  • SB 491: Civil rights: discrimination: enforcement 

(Approved by the Legislature)

SB 491 instructs the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) to establish an advisory group to study the feasibility of authorizing local governments to enforce the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), and to report back to the Legislature with an implementation plan and draft legislation.

  • SB 617: Workers’ compensation: discrimination

(Will continue to work on as a two-year bill)

SB 617 would require that heredity and genetics be excluded as bases of causation for purposes of determining the apportionment of permanent disability.

Energy and Environment

  • SB 549: Public utilities: reports: moneys for maintenance and safety

(Signed by the Governor)

SB 549 requires an electrical or gas corporation subject to the jurisdiction of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to report back when money authorized by the CPUC for maintenance or safety are redirected for other purposes.

  • SB 618: Load-serving entities: integrated resource plans

(Signed by the Governor)

SB 618 makes clear that the integrated resource plans (IRPs) of all investor-owned utilities, electric service providers, and community choice aggregators must contribute to a diverse resource portfolio in order to meet environmental and reliability goals.

Education

  • SB 344: School attendance: interdistrict attendance

(Signed by the Governor)

SB 344 extends the requirement of county boards of education that they determine within certain deadlines whether a pupil can attend a school within the district that the pupil and parents desire.

  • SB 621: Overtime compensation: private school teachers

(Signed by the Governor) 

SB 621 clarifies that the minimum salary standard for classifying part-time private school teachers as exempt employees is in proportion to the full-time instructional schedule for which the employee is employed.

Governmental Organization

  • SB 582: Alcoholic Beverages Tied-House Advertising Exemption: LA Sports Venues

(Signed by the Governor)

SB 582 extends an existing exception in the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Act pertaining to the general prohibition against advertising arrangements between retail, wholesale, and manufacturer licensees to include the Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Health

  • SB 636: Addiction treatment: advertising: payment

(Held in the Senate; will continue to work on as a two-year bill)

SB 636 prohibits certain persons, programs, or entities — including an alcoholism or drug abuse recovery and treatment program — from giving or receiving payment of any kind for the referral of a person seeking treatment for alcoholism or drug abuse.

Revenue and Taxation

  •  SB 343: Income tax exclusion: Kast Property Tank Farm facility cleanup

(Held in the Assembly; will continue to work on next year)

SB 343 provides an income tax exclusion for any qualified amount received by taxpayers for costs associated with temporary relocation pursuant to Regional Water Quality Control Board Order R4-2011-046 as well as on the proceeds from any settlement arising therefrom.

Transportation and Housing

  • SB 277: Land use: zoning regulations

(Held in the Assembly; will continue to work on next year)

SB 277 authorizes the legislative body of a city or county to establish inclusionary housing requirements as a condition of the development of residential rental units.

Insurance and Human Services

  • SB 380: CalWORKs: child support  

(Approved by the Legislature)

SB 380 excludes from the CalWORKs assistance unit calculations a child for whom an adult in the assistance unit receives child support payments.

  • SB 488: Insurer Diversity: women, minority, disabled veteran, veteran, and LGBT

(Held in Assembly Appropriations Committee; will continue to work on next year)

SB 488 extends and expands the insurer supplier diversity survey and establishes a new insurer governing board diversity survey.

Natural Resources

  • SB 789: California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA): Inglewood Revitalization Project

(Held in Assembly Natural Resources Committee; will continue to work on next year)

SB 789 streamlines the CEQA process for the City of Inglewood revitalization project, which includes the Los Angeles Forum, the Los Angeles Rams Coliseum, the Los Angeles Clippers arena, and related public transit infrastructure, while protecting existing residential housing in the area.

Resolutions

  • SR 43: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science

SR 43 urges recognition of Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science as a Historically Black College and University by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

SR 47 recognizes June 19, 2017, as Juneteenth Day or “Emancipation Day” and the oldest African American holiday.

  • SR 49: Desegregation of the Armed Forces

SR 49 recognizes July 26, 2017, as the 69th anniversary of the desegregation of the United States Armed Forces

  • SR 66: Recovery Happens Month

SR 66 declares September 2017, as Recovery Happens Month in California, recognizing support and commitment to substance abuse prevention, treatment and recovery.