Rep. Devon Mathis

This measure would recognize "Women Warriors" by proclaiming the week of March 14, 2016, to March 20, 2016, inclusive, as Women's Military History Week in California and would encourage Californians to recognize, among other things, the contributions of women to our military and our freedom and the historic lifting of the ban on women in combat on January 24, 2013.

This measure would proclaim March 23, 2016, as Pakistani American Day and would urge all Californians to join in celebrating Pakistani American Day.

This measure would designate the week of January 31, 2016, to February 6, 2016, inclusive, as Physician Anesthesiologist Week.

This measure would declare February 19, 2016, as a Day of Remembrance in order to increase public awareness of the events surrounding the internment of Americans of Japanese ancestry during World War II.

Existing law establishes the State Water Resources Control Board (state board) in the California Environmental Protection Agency, consisting of 5 members appointed by the Governor who have specialized experience relating to the regulation of water supply and water quality, as prescribed. Existing law requires that all members of the state board be appointed for terms of 4 years, and that vacancies be immediately filled by the Governor. This bill would require that an additional 4 members be appointed to the state board by the Legislature. The bill would require that one member each be appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, the Assembly Minority Leader, the President pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Senate Minority Leader. The bill would require that vacancies be immediately filled by the appointing power.

Existing law prohibits a person from knowingly, for valuable consideration, purchasing or selling embryonic or cadaveric fetal tissue for research purposes, pursuant to specified provisions of law. Existing law, for the purpose of this provisions, excludes from the definition of "valuable consideration" reasonable payment for the removal, processing, disposal, preservation, quality control, storage, transplantation, or implantation of a part. This bill would, for the purpose of that provision, instead include in the definition of "valuable consideration" all forms of payment, including, but not limited to, payment for the removal, processing, disposal, preservation, quality control, storage, transplantation, or implantation of a part. The bill would also prohibit public funds from being used to support any facility that furnishes cadaveric fetal tissue for research. The California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act, an initiative measure approved by the voters at the November 2, 2004, statewide general election as Proposition 71, provides that the Legislature may amend the nonbond statutory provisions of that act to enhance the ability of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to further the purposes of the grant and loan programs created by that act, with a 70% vote of each house and compliance with specified procedural requirements. Because this bill would amend certain provisions of the act, it would require for passage a 70% vote.

This measure would proclaim the month of March 2016, and each year thereafter, as National Kidney Month, would express the Legislature's support of programs that work to, among other things, increase awareness of kidney disease, and would encourage health care providers to engage in an aggressive program for the treatment of diabetes and high blood pressure.

This measure would proclaim January 13, 2016, as Korean American Day.

This measure would recognize the month of February 2016 as American Heart Month in California and February 5, 2016, as Wear Red Day in California in order to raise awareness of the importance of the ongoing fight against heart disease and stroke.