Asm. Das Williams

This measure would designate March 2012 as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

This measure would recognize January 2012 as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, and would encourage prompt access to preventive services and medical care in order to overcome barriers to care and treatment for cervical cancer.

Existing law requires the translation of ballots and ballot materials into languages other than English when specified circumstances exist. This bill would require that, if a jurisdiction provides a translation of the candidates' alphabet-based names into a character-based language, such as Chinese, Japanese, or Korean, phonetic transliterations of the alphabet-based names of candidates be provided. The bill would also require that if a candidate's name is to appear on the ballot in more than one jurisdiction in an election then all of those jurisdictions must use the same phonetic transliteration or character-based translation of the name. This bill would provide an exception for a candidate who has a character-based name by birth or has verifiably been known by a character-based name for at least 2 years to permit him or her to use that name on the ballot instead of a phonetic transliteration. This bill would require that, if a jurisdiction provides separate ballots containing translations of the candidates' names in different languages, both the alphabet-based names and the translations of the candidates' names appear on the translated ballot. This bill would also require a county to purchase voting equipment that permits compliance with this section as a part of any new purchase of voting equipment. Because the bill would impose additional duties on local elections officials, 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.

Existing law requires a person under 18 years of age to wear a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet while operating a bicycle or riding upon a bicycle as a passenger upon the streets or any other public bicycle path. This bill would require a person under 18 years of age to wear a properly fitted and fastened snow sport helmet while operating snow skis or a snowboard, or while riding upon a seat or other device that is attached to the snow skis or a snowboard, while participating in the sport of downhill skiing or snowboarding. The bill would impose a $25 fine for a violation of this requirement. Because this bill would create a new crime, it would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would specify that nothing in those provisions shall be construed to increase or decrease duties imposed under existing law. The bill would also specify that those provisions shall not apply to Nordic skiing. The bill would require a ski resort to post signs at the resort giving reasonable notice of the snow sport helmet requirement and the fine for a violation of that requirement. The bill also would require a ski resort to provide prominent written notice of the snow sport helmet requirement on all trail maps and resort Internet Web sites. 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.

The Meyers-Milias-Brown Act authorizes a local public agency to adopt reasonable rules and regulations after consultation in good faith with representatives of an employee organization or organizations for the administration of employer-employee relations under the act. The act delegates jurisdiction to the Public Employment Relations Board to resolve disputes and enforce the statutory duties and rights of local public agency employers and employees, including processing unfair labor charges. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.

Existing law establishes the system of public postsecondary education in this state, which consists of 3 segments: the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, and the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. This bill would express findings and declarations of the Legislature with respect to the funding of public postsecondary education in this state. The bill would express the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would increase the state's investment in public postsecondary education and to find a dedicated revenue source to fund public postsecondary education in California.

This measure would designate February 27, 2012, as California Day of Remembrance for the Massacres of Armenians in Sumgait, Kirovabad, and Baku, and would call upon the people of California to use vigilance to promote greater tolerance in Azerbaijan and ensure the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict while protecting the security of the Armenians in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

Existing law requires a school district that provides instruction to pupils in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to provide an adopted course of study to those pupils, as specified. Existing law requires the State Board of Education to adopt content standards in certain curriculum areas. This bill would authorize school districts to provide education programs that promote healthy relationships and prevent teen dating violence to pupils in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, through curricular, extracurricular, and school climate improvement activities. The bill would authorize school districts to work in partnership with parents, caregivers, and youth, domestic violence, sexual assault, and other appropriate community-based organizations to provide these education programs. The bill would require school districts that choose to provide education programs that promote healthy relationships and prevent teen dating violence to use research-based materials that are appropriate for pupils of all races, genders, sexual orientations, gender identities, and ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and for pupils with disabilities. The bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to provide information about model education programs that are designed to promote healthy relationships and prevent teen dating violence on the department's Internet Web site, as specified.