Asm. Richard Bloom

This measure would support the April 22, 2017, March for Science and affirm the importance of basic and applied scientific research, the scientific education of all schoolchildren, and the foundational role of independent, rigorous scientific discovery and inquiry in the policymaking process at all levels. The measure would urge the President and Congress of the United States to work together to support, encourage, and heed the truths established by scientists and scientific research in policymaking to keep the United States of America the world's global leader in scientific research and business innovation.

The Unfair Competition Law (UCL) establishes a statutory cause of action for unfair competition, including any unlawful, unfair, or fraudulent business act or practice and unfair, deceptive, untrue, or misleading advertising. Under this law, actions for relief are required to be prosecuted exclusively by the Attorney General, a district attorney, a county counsel authorized by agreement with the district attorney in actions involving violation of a county ordinance, a city attorney of a city having a population in excess of 750,000, or a city attorney in a city and county, or, with the consent of the district attorney, by a city prosecutor in a city having a full-time city prosecutor in the name of the people of the State of California, as specified, or by a person who has suffered injury in fact and has lost money or property as a result of the unfair competition. Existing law authorizes a district attorney, upon reasonable belief there has been a violation of the UCL or various other laws related to unfair business practices, to exercise all the powers granted to the Attorney General as a head of department to investigate the potential violation, including the authority to issue subpoenas. This bill would specify that this investigatory power granted to the Attorney General as a head of a department applies to a city attorney of a city having a population in excess of 750,000 or to a city attorney of a city and county when those city attorneys reasonably believe that there may have been a violation of the UCL.

This measure would proclaim support for the mission of the California World War One Centennial Task Force, by designating the time period between August 5, 2017, and November 11, 2018, inclusive, to be observed as the commemoration period of the 100th anniversary of the United States' involvement in World War I.

This measure would urge the United States Congress to require the United States Postal Service to restore past service standards in effect as of July 1, 2012, oppose certain postal reform legislation, require the United States Postal Service to continue the mandate for 6-day delivery service, require the continued operation of all mail sorting centers in California, and support specific federal legislation. The measure would also urge the Secretary of State to continue working with the United States Postal Service to implement additional programs that would increase absentee ballot voting participation.

This measure would recognize the month of June 2017 as Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month, would recognize Wednesday, June 21, 2017, as The Longest Day in California, and would urge all Californians to wear purple on this day to help spread global awareness of the Alzheimer's Association's vision of a world without Alzheimer's disease.