Asm. Evan Low

The Housing Accountability Act, among other things, prohibits a local agency from disapproving a housing development project for very low, low-, or moderate-income households or an emergency shelter or conditioning approval in a manner that renders the project infeasible unless the local agency makes specified written findings. The act authorizes an applicant or person who would be eligible to apply for residency in the development or emergency shelter to bring an action to enforce the act. This bill would, in addition, authorize a housing organization, as defined, to bring an action challenging the disapproval of a housing development pursuant to these provisions.

(1) Existing law authorizes a prehospital emergency medical care person, first responder, or lay rescuer to use an epinephrine auto-injector to render emergency care to another person, as specified. Existing law requires the Emergency Medical Services Authority to approve authorized training providers and the minimum standards for training and the use and administration of epinephrine auto-injectors. The existing Pharmacy Law also authorizes a pharmacy to dispense epinephrine auto-injectors to a prehospital emergency medical care person, first responder, or lay rescuer for the purpose of rendering emergency care in accordance with these provisions. A violation of the Pharmacy Law is a crime. Existing law requires school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to provide emergency epinephrine auto-injectors, as defined, to school nurses and trained personnel who have volunteered to use epinephrine auto-injectors under emergency circumstances, as specified, and authorizes school nurses and trained personnel to use epinephrine auto-injectors to provide emergency medical aid to persons suffering, or reasonably believed to be suffering, from an anaphylactic reaction. This bill would permit an "authorized entity," as defined, to use an epinephrine auto-injector to render emergency care to another person in accordance with these provisions. The bill would also authorize a pharmacy to furnish epinephrine auto-injectors to an authorized entity, as provided. Because a violation of these provisions would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require an authorized entity to create and maintain a specified operations plan relating to its use of epinephrine auto-injectors, and would require those entities to submit a report to the Emergency Medical Services Authority of each incident that involves the administration of an epinephrine auto-injector, not more than 30 days after each use. The bill would also require the authority to publish an annual report summarizing the reports submitted to the authority pursuant to the bill's provisions. The bill would define the term "epinephrine auto-injector" for purposes of these provisions and other related provisions that authorize the use of epinephrine auto-injectors, as specified. (2) Under existing law, everyone is generally responsible, not only for the result of his or her willful acts, but also for an injury occasioned to another by his or her want of ordinary care or skill in the management of his or her property or person, except so far as the latter has, willfully or by want of ordinary care, brought the injury upon himself or herself. Existing law also provides that a prehospital emergency care person, first responder, or lay rescuer who administers an epinephrine auto-injector to another person who appears to be experiencing anaphylaxis at the scene of an emergency situation, in good faith and not for compensation, is not liable for any civil damages resulting from his or her acts or omissions in administering the epinephrine auto-injector, if that person has complied with specified certification and training requirements and standards. This bill would provide that an authorized entity is not liable for any civil damages resulting from any act or omission connected to the administration of an epinephrine auto-injector, as specified. The bill would also exempt an authorizing physician and surgeon from certain sanctions for the issuance of an epinephrine auto-injector under those provisions, except as specified. (3) 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 creates the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority with various powers and duties relative to transportation projects and services and the operation of public transit in the County of Santa Clara. Existing law authorizes the authority, among other things, with the approval of the Department of Transportation, to provide funding for the repair and maintenance of state highways within the boundaries of the authority. This bill would revise numerous statutes related to the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority to change references from "authority" to the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority and various other references of "authority" or "district" to the VTA. The bill would make other nonsubstantive changes in these statutes and repeal obsolete provisions. The bill would also authorize the board of directors of the VTA to include mayors of cities within the county, as specified.   Existing law requires contracts of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority for the purchase of supplies, equipment, and materials to be let to the lowest responsible bidder or to the bidder who submits a proposal that provides best value, as defined, if the amount of the contract exceeds $100,000 and requires the authority to obtain a minimum of 3 quotations for those contracts between $2,500 and $100,000. This bill would instead impose those bidding requirements with respect to the authority's contracts for the purchase of supplies, equipment, and materials if the amount of the contract exceeds $150,000 and would require a minimum of 3 quotations for those contracts between $3,500 and $150,000.

Existing law authorizes a county to establish a repository and distribution program under which a pharmacy, including a pharmacy that is owned by, or contracts with, the county, may distribute surplus unused medications, as defined, to persons in need of financial assistance to ensure access to necessary pharmaceutical therapies. Under existing law, only medication that is donated in unopened, tamper-evident packaging or modified unit dose containers that meet the United States Pharmacopoeia standards, and that includes lot numbers and expiration dates, is eligible for donation to the program. Existing law prohibits medication that does not meet the requirements for donation and distribution from being sold, dispensed, or otherwise transferred to any other entity. Existing law requires medication donated to the repository and distribution program to be maintained in the donated packaging units. This bill would authorize a pharmacy that exists solely to operate the repository and distribution program to repackage a reasonable quantity of donated medicine in anticipation of dispensing the medicine to its patient population. The bill would require a pharmacy that repackages medication to have repackaging policies and procedures in place for identifying and recalling medications, and to label the repackaged medicine with the earliest expiration date.

This measure would call upon the President of the United States to encourage the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services to adopt policies to repeal the current discriminatory donor suitability policies of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding blood donations by men who have had sex with another man and, instead, direct the FDA to develop science-based policies such as criteria based on risky behavior in lieu of sexual orientation.

Existing law regulates sellers of travel, as defined, and requires their registration with the Attorney General. Under existing law, a seller of travel is deemed to do business in this state if the seller of travel solicits business from locations in this state or solicits prospective purchasers who are located in this state. This bill would clarify that a seller of travel is deemed to do business in this state if the seller of travel solicits business from locations in this state regardless of the geographic location of the prospective purchaser including persons located outside of this state or the country. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 17550.20 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by AB 2106 that would become operative if this bill and AB 2106 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

This measure would designate the interchange at Interstate 10 and Interstate 710 in the County of Los Angeles as the Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff Thomas H. Pohlman Memorial Interchange. The measure would request that the Department of Transportation determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering that cost, erect those signs.

This measure would recognize the week of October 16, 2016, to October 22, 2016, inclusive, as Digital Citizenship Week.

This measure would proclaim September 28, 2016, as Parent Advocacy Day.

This measure would proclaim October 23 to October 29, 2016, inclusive, as Red Ribbon Week, and would encourage all Californians to help build drug-free communities and participate in drug prevention activities.