Asm. Alberto Torrico

This measure would proclaim February 28, 2010, as Rare Disease Day.

This measure would establish, until January 1, 2014, the California Task Force on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education for the purpose of promoting the improvement of mathematics, science, engineering, and technology education across the state. The task force would consist of Members of the Legislature and experts appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly and the Senate Committee on Rules. The task force would conduct its business on a volunteer basis, be able to accept private funds, and would submit an annual report on its work to the Legislature.

This measure would request that the Congress and the President of the United States enact the Medicare Secondary Payer Enhancement Act of 2010.

This measure would state the intent of the Legislature to increase the funding of child development centers and preschools in future years, as resources become available, in order to provide staff with adequate salaries and benefits, provide adequate resources to support program quality for children, and keep programs open to serve parents and children.

This measure would proclaim May 12, 2010, as California Lab Day.

This measure would designate the 2nd week of October 2010, and annually thereafter, as Disability History Week, and would encourage public and private institutions of higher education, state and local agencies, nonprofit and community-based organizations, and private businesses and corporations to observe Disability History Week by dedicating appropriate classroom instructional time or by coordinating all-inclusive activities to be conducted during that week to afford opportunities for students and the general public to learn more about the disability community and to celebrate and honor its role in contemporary American society.

This measure would proclaim December 3, 2010, to be the Day of the Special Educator, and would urge Californians to recognize the dedication and hard work of special educators in teaching pupils with unique needs.

This measure would declare the Legislature's support for the observance of "Spirit of '45 Day" on the second Sunday in August to commemorate the anniversary of the end of World War II on August 14, 1945.

This measure would recognize each 2nd week of February hereafter as African American Mental Health Awareness Week.

Existing law provides for the award of attorney's fees and costs, and damages to a plaintiff when it is proven by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant is liable for financial abuse of an elder or dependent adult. Existing law authorizes the remedy of attachment against a defendant's property to secure the amount of the claimed indebtedness to the plaintiff in connection with cases involving financial abuse of an elder or dependent adult. This bill would require the court to issue an earnings withholding order for elder or dependent adult financial abuse, as defined, for a defendant who has been found liable for financial abuse of an elder or dependent adult, as specified. Existing law provides that, except for earnings assignment orders for support, the provisions governing earnings withholding orders provide the exclusive procedure by which a judgment creditor can execute against the wages of a judgment debtor. Existing law provides that if an employer is served with 2 or more earnings withholding orders, the employer is required to comply with the order issued pursuant to the judgment first entered. This bill would require that earnings withholding orders for elder or dependent adult financial abuse be given priority over any other earnings withholding orders, as provided. The bill would also require, however, that earnings withholding orders for support or for taxes be given priority over earnings withholding orders for elder or dependent adult financial abuse. The bill would require that the application for issuance of an earnings withholding order and the earnings withholding order include how much of the judgment arises from that claim.