Asm. Paul J Cook

This measure would proclaim February 28, 2011, as Rare Disease Day.

This measure would honor and recognize the service and sacrifice made by members of the Armed Forces and their families on the occasion of Armed Forces Day on May 21, 2011.

This measure would express the Legislature's apology, on behalf of the people of the state, for violations of the civil liberties and constitutional rights of Filipino Americans caused by antimiscegenation laws that precluded marriage between Filipinos and Caucasians, and its regret, on behalf of the people of the state, for the suffering and hardship endured by Filipino Americans as a result of governmental actions taken because of various policies and laws it enacted.

This resolution would recognize the contributions of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities to California, and would also recognize the importance of preserving Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities and their traditions.

This measure would recognize the 61st anniversary of National Flag Day, honor the 51st anniversary of the flying of the current American flag, and would encourage all Californians to celebrate the occasion with appropriate activities.

This measure would recognize September 2011 as Sickle Cell Awareness Month in California and would urge the President and the Congress of the United States to restore funding for sickle cell anemia centers and research and to make sickle cell anemia and other genetic hemoglobinopathies a public health priority.

This measure would congratulate the California State University system on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, commend the invaluable contributions it has made to the intellectual and social growth of its students, and extend best wishes for its continued success in the future.

This measure would recognize the month of November 2011 as Native American Heritage Month, would encourage Californians to participate in appropriate observances that celebrate and commemorate Native Americans, and would applaud and encourage the observance of California Indian nations for their outstanding contributions to this state.

Existing law lists the person or persons who, in an order of succession, have the right to control, and duty of disposition of, the remains of a deceased person if other directions have not been given by the decedent. The first among the list of persons so authorized pursuant to this list is an agent under a power of attorney for health care who has the right and duty of disposition. A person upon whom the duty of interment is imposed by law who omits to perform that duty within a reasonable period of time is guilty of a misdemeanor. This bill would specify that the designation of a person authorized to direct disposition (PADD) on a United States Department of Defense Record of Emergency Data, DD Form 93, as that form exists on December 31, 2011, or its successor form if approved by the State Registrar, shall take first priority and be used to establish an agent who has the right and duty of disposition for a decedent who died while on duty in any branch or component of the Armed Forces of the United States, as defined. This bill would provide that this provision will become operative only if the form and a specified federal statute are amended to allow a service member to designate any person, regardless of the relationship of the designee to the decedent, as the agent who has the right of disposition of a service member's remains. This bill would incorporate additional changes in Section 7100 of the Health and Safety Code, proposed by SB 647, to be operative only if SB 647 and this bill are both chaptered and become effective on or before January 1, 2012, and this bill is chaptered last.

This measure would designate the month of September of every year as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month throughout the State of California, and would encourage and promote efforts to educate the people and the health care practitioners of the state regarding ovarian cancer and its early detection and prevention, the risk factors involved in its development, and the early warning symptoms and signs.