Asm. Reggie Jones-Sawyer

This measure would recognize May 2018 as National Mental Health Awareness Month in California to enhance public awareness of mental illness.

Existing law requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Department of Motor Vehicles to ensure that all eligible inmates released from state prisons have valid identification cards issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles. Existing law defines "eligible inmate" for those purposes. This bill would require the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Department of Motor Vehicles to ensure that all eligible inmates, as defined, have the privilege to operate a motor vehicle upon release from state prison. The bill would require the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to provide an eligible inmate with a specified form to renew his or her driver's license by mail, upon request. The bill would provide that if a person has a suspended driver's license as a result of delinquent court-ordered debt that would otherwise be required to be paid before issuance of a driver's license, the Department of Motor Vehicles is required to issue a restricted driver's license only allowing, among other things, necessary travel to and from work, to attend school, or to comply with conditions of release. The bill would require the person to make payments to eliminate or reduce any delinquent court-ordered debt during the time that his or her driver's license is restricted and would provide that the restriction would be lifted once the person has paid the amount due for delinquent court-ordered debt. The bill would prohibit a penalty fee from being assessed to obtain a restricted driver's license pursuant to these provisions.

The Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA) , an initiative measure approved as Proposition 64 at the November 8, 2016, statewide general election, and additionally amended by statute, imposes an excise tax commencing January 1, 2018, on the purchase of cannabis and cannabis products, as defined, at the rate of 15% of the average market price of any retail sale by a cannabis retailer. Commencing January 1, 2018, AUMA also imposes a cultivation tax upon all cultivators on all harvested cannabis that enters the commercial market, at specified rates per dry-weight ounce of cannabis flowers and leaves. Existing law requires the revenues from those taxes to be deposited into the California Cannabis Tax Fund and to be continuously appropriated for specified purposes pursuant to a specified schedule. AUMA authorizes the Legislature to amend its provisions with a 23 vote of both houses to further its purposes and intent. This bill would reduce that excise tax rate to 11% on and after the operative date of this bill until June 1, 2021, at which time the excise tax rate would revert back to 15%. This bill would suspend the imposition of the cultivation tax on and after the operative date of this bill until June 1, 2021. This bill would make specified findings and declare that its provisions further the purposes and intent of the AUMA. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy, but its operative date would depend on its effective date.

Existing law requires the governing board of any school district to give diligent care to the health and physical development of pupils and authorizes the governing board of a school district to employ properly certified persons for the work. This bill would require each school district, county office of education, and charter school to provide in-service training to certificated employees and classified staff on the early identification of pupil mental health issues, as provided. By imposing additional duties on school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools, the bill 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 the statutory provisions noted above.

(1) Existing law requires a person who is convicted in this state, or in another state under certain circumstances, of specified offenses involving controlled substances to register with the chief of police of the city in which he or she resides, or the sheriff of the county if he or she resides in an unincorporated area, as specified. The registration consists of a statement in writing signed by the person, giving information required by the Department of Justice, and the fingerprints and photograph of the person. Existing law requires, within 3 days after registering, the law enforcement agency to forward the statement, fingerprints, and photograph to the Department of Justice. A person who knowingly violates the registration requirement and related requirements is guilty of a misdemeanor. This bill would delete that registration requirement and make conforming changes. The bill would require that the statements, photographs, and fingerprints obtained pursuant to these provisions as they read on January 1, 2018, be destroyed not later than January 1, 2021. By imposing new duties on local law enforcement agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law requires every sheriff, chief of police, or the Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol, upon the arrest for any of specified controlled substance offenses of any public school employee, to immediately notify by telephone the superintendent of schools of the school district employing the employee, and, if the person arrested is a teacher, to immediately give written notice of the arrest to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing and to the superintendent of schools in the county where the person is employed. Existing law imposes similar notification requirements on those law enforcement personnel if the person arrested is a teacher employed by a private school, or a teacher or instructor employed by a community college. This bill would make those provisions applicable upon the conviction, rather than the arrest, of the employee. By imposing new duties on local law enforcement agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (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, 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 the statutory provisions noted above.

This measure would declare the support of the Legislature for the expansion of sensory-friendly movie screenings and similar programs for people with autism, and would encourage families to attend a sensory-friendly movie screening during April 2018, which is National Autism Awareness Month.

This measure would, among other things, designate the year 2018 as "State of California Year of Commemoration of the Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide of 1915–1923," would designate April 24, 2018, as "State of California Day of Commemoration of the 103rd Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide of 1915–1923," and would call upon the President of the United States and the United States Congress to formally and consistently reaffirm the historical truth that the atrocities committed against the Armenian people constituted genocide.

This measure would proclaim April 16, 2018, as California Holocaust Memorial Day and would urge all Californians to observe this day of remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust in an appropriate manner.