Asm. Marc Levine

This measure would designate the week of April 20 to 26, 2014, inclusive, as National Multicultural Cancer Awareness Week, encourage continued research into policies and programs that seek to reduce cancer disparities and, as a result, improve cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and followup care for all Californians, and urge the President and the Congress of the United States to recognize National Multicultural Cancer Awareness Week.

Under existing law, the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources in the Department of Conservation regulates the drilling, operation, maintenance, stimulation, and abandonment of oil and gas wells in the state. The State Oil and Gas Supervisor, or supervisor, supervises the drilling, operation, maintenance, stimulation, and abandonment of wells and the operation, maintenance, and removal or abandonment of tanks and facilities related to oil and gas production within an oil and gas field regarding safety and environmental damage. Existing law requires an operator, prior to performing a well stimulating treatment, as defined, on a well, to obtain approval from the supervisor or district deputy. Under existing law, a person who violates any prohibition specific to the regulation of oil or gas operations is guilty of a misdemeanor. Existing law requires the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, on or before January 1, 2015, to cause to be conducted, and completed, an independent scientific study on well stimulation treatments, including acid well stimulation and hydraulic fracturing treatments. Existing law requires the division to finalize and implement regulations regulating well stimulation treatments by January 1, 2015. This bill would revise the definition of "well stimulation treatment." The bill would require the scientific study to be conducted and completed no later than June 30, 2016, and to consider additional elements, including, among other things, evaluating various potential direct, indirect, and cumulative health and environmental effects of onshore and offshore well stimulation and well stimulation treatment-related activities, as specified. The bill would also prohibit all well stimulation treatments until (1) the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency convenes a committee to review the scientific study, as specified, (2) the Governor issues a determination that specific measures are in place to ensure that well stimulation treatments do not create adverse impacts to public and environmental health or, if the well stimulation treatments result in adverse impacts to public and environmental health, the impacts are identified and sufficiently mitigated to avoid significant adverse impacts to public and environmental health at the local, regional, or statewide level, and (3) the division prepares an environmental impact report, as provided. Because a violation of the bill's requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would require the division to finalize the regulations regulating well stimulation treatments by June 30, 2015. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Existing law, the Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law, makes it unlawful to manufacture, sell, deliver, hold, or offer for sale, any food that is misbranded. Food is misbranded if its labeling does not conform to specified state and federal labeling requirements regarding nutrition, nutrient content or health claims, and food allergens. Violation of this law is a misdemeanor. This bill, beginning January 1, 2016, would require that any food, except as provided, offered for retail sale in the state be considered misbranded if it is entirely or partially genetically engineered, as defined, and that fact is not disclosed in a specified manner. The bill would prescribe labeling requirements for a raw agricultural commodity that is genetically engineered and packaged foods, as defined, containing some products of genetic engineering. The bill would impose these labeling requirements on manufacturers and retailers, as defined, of the commodities and foods. Because this bill would create new crimes by expanding the number of foods that could potentially be misbranded, it would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

(1) Existing law prohibits a person from using or operating, or assisting in using or operating, a boat, aircraft, net, trap, line, or other appliance to take fish or amphibia for commercial purposes unless the person holds a commercial fishing license issued by the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Existing law prohibits the taking of shark and swordfish for commercial purposes with drift gill nets except under a valid drift gill net shark and swordfish permit issued to that person that has not been suspended or revoked and is issued to at least one person aboard the boat, except as provided. Existing law prohibits a person from taking shark and swordfish under a drift gill net permit during certain times of the year and in certain locations. Under existing law, a violation of these provisions is a crime. This bill would enact the Swordfish Fishery Sustainability and Marine Wildlife Conservation Act and would prohibit a person from using a drift gill net to take shark and swordfish for commercial purposes, except as provided. Because a violation of this provision would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would recast the drift gill net shark and swordfish permit as the shark and swordfish permit and would authorize a person to take shark and swordfish under this permit using only specified methods of take, including hand-held hook and line and handthrusted harpoon. The bill would eliminate time and area restrictions for taking shark and swordfish. The bill would require the department to issue a shark and swordfish permit to a person who holds a valid drift gill net shark and swordfish permit as of January 31, 2015. The bill would make additional conforming changes. The bill would make these provisions operative on February 1, 2015. This bill would require the State of California, in all relevant state and federal proceedings, to support a prohibition of drift gill nets targeting shark and swordfish and to oppose the transfer of state permitting authority over the shark and swordfish fishery to the federal government. This bill would provide that the provisions of this act are severable. (2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

This measure would call upon all Californians to observe César Chávez's birthday, March 31, as a day of public service, to recognize the hard work and self-sacrifice that farmworkers go through to feed all the families in our state, and to learn from César Chávez's life and his mission of nonviolence, social justice, and selfless service to others.

This measure would proclaim April 27 through May 4, 2014, as California Holocaust Memorial Week and would urge Californians to observe these days of remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust in an appropriate manner.

This measure would recognize that active shooter incidents are increasing and would encourage local fire, law enforcement, and emergency medical services agencies in coordination with the Office of Emergency Services to develop standard operating procedures and coordinated training programs in an effort to more efficiently respond to active shooter incidents in California.

This measure would designate the month of March 2014 as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

This measure would proclaim the month of March 2014 as Drug Abuse Awareness Month in California, and encourage all citizens to participate in prevention programs and activities, and to pledge to "Spread the Word ... One Pill Can Kill."

This measure would designate April 7, 2014, as DMV/Donate Life California Day in the State of California and the month of April 2014, as DMV/Donate Life California Month in the State of California, and would encourage all Californians to sign up with the Donate Life California Organ and Tissue Donor Registry.