Asm. Josh Lowenthal

Maddy summaryAssembly Concurrent Resolution 217 designates June 29, 2024, as Play Day to encourage all Californians to participate in physical activities. The resolution highlights the importance of play for youth development and addresses disparities in access to sports based on income and race. It serves as a commemorative measure rather than a law that creates new regulations or funding.

Maddy summaryThis bill officially designates October 2024 as California Firefighter Appreciation Month and October 12, 2024, as California Firefighters Memorial Day. The legislation aims to honor the over 1,500 firefighters whose names are engraved on the California Firefighters Memorial at the State Capitol and to recognize the roughly three million emergency incidents firefighters handle annually. It encourages all Californians to express gratitude to active firefighters and to remember those who have died in the line of duty or from work-related illnesses. The resolution also notes that a formal ceremony will be held on October 12 in Sacramento to commemorate these sacrifices.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates September 2024 as Blood Cancer Awareness Month in California to highlight the symptoms, causes, and treatment advances for blood and lymphatic cancers. It aims to educate the public about conditions such as leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma by encouraging recognition of warning signs like fatigue and swollen lymph nodes. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but serves to promote community dialogue and support for patients and their families.

Maddy summaryThis California House Resolution commemorates the history and contributions of Pakistani Americans in the state. It recognizes Pakistan's independence, the nation's role in promoting global liberty, and the achievements of Pakistani immigrants in fields such as technology, medicine, and public service. The resolution urges all Californians to celebrate the friendly relations between the United States and Pakistan while honoring the cultural heritage of the Pakistani-American community.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates October as California Promotoras Month to honor the work of community health workers who bridge gaps between underserved populations and the healthcare system. Promotoras, who are often women-led and serve as trusted cultural brokers, provide education and support in areas like maternal health and chronic disease management within their communities. The resolution formally acknowledges their essential role in addressing health inequities and recognizes the leadership of the organizations that employ or support them. By declaring this specific month, the Assembly aims to raise public awareness about the contributions of these workers without changing any laws or funding.

Maddy summaryThis bill officially designates September 2024 as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in California to raise public awareness about the disease. It acknowledges the significant impact of childhood cancer on patients and their families while highlighting the state's commitment to supporting research and prevention efforts. The resolution also recognizes the vital work of organizations like the American Cancer Fund for Children and Lions Clubs International in providing support services. By declaring this month, the Assembly aims to encourage governmental officials and the public to learn more about the challenges and needs associated with childhood cancer.

Maddy summaryThis House Resolution expresses the California Assembly's support for federal immigration reform known as the Registry bills. The document states that these proposed laws would allow undocumented individuals who have lived in the United States for at least seven years to apply for legal permanent residency. It highlights that California has a large immigrant population and argues that updating federal immigration laws would benefit the state's economy and workforce. The resolution serves as a formal endorsement of the concept rather than creating new laws itself.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates the week of October 6 through October 12, 2024, as National 4-H Week throughout California. It directly affects the nearly 6 million young people participating in the 4-H youth development program and the volunteers who support them. The resolution formally recognizes the organization's role in fostering leadership skills and encourages the celebration of 4-H's contributions to health, science, and civic engagement during that specific week.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates September 2024 as Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month in California to highlight the disease's impact, particularly on African American communities. It encourages the state to allocate funds for outreach, education, research, and treatment while also calling for the development of chronic kidney disease screening programs with genetic testing referrals. The resolution aims to raise public knowledge about the condition and support better care outcomes for those affected.

Existing law requires a refinery-related community air monitoring system to be installed near each petroleum refinery that meets certain requirements. Existing law requires the owner or operator of a petroleum refinery to develop, install, operate, and maintain a fence-line monitoring system in accordance with guidance developed by the appropriate air quality management district or air pollution control district. Existing law requires the air districts and the owners or operators of refineries to collect real-time data from those monitoring systems, maintain records of that data, and, to the extent feasible, provide to the public the data in a publicly accessible format. This bill would expand the application of these provisions to any "covered facility," defined to include refineries that produce gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation fuel, biofuel, lubricating oil, asphalt, petrochemical feedstock, or other similar products, and to include facilities with operations related to a refinery that are located on contiguous or adjacent properties. The bill would require the refinery-related community air monitoring system and the fence-line monitoring system to be updated or installed on or before January 1, 2028, after a 30-day public comment period, as specified. The bill would require the appropriate air district to establish pollutants for the monitoring systems to monitor and would include certain pollutants identified by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. The bill would authorize the air district to exclude a pollutant for monitoring at those monitoring systems, as provided. The bill would require air districts, on a 5-year basis, to review the list of pollutants being measured and would authorize the air districts to revise the list, as provided. The bill would require the air districts and the owners and operators of covered facilities to maintain records of the data collected from those systems for at least 5 years and would require the owners and operators to post online, and to notify the public of the availability of, quarterly reports containing certain information. The bill would require owners and operators of covered facilities to notify the air district and the public, as provided, as quickly as possible of any exceedances of specified pollutant thresholds. The bill would require the owners or operators of covered facilities, within 24 hours of a fence-line monitoring system detecting an exceedance of those thresholds, to initiate a root cause analysis and to determine appropriate corrective action, as provided. The bill would require the owners or operators of covered facilities to conduct third-party audits of its fence-line monitoring system, as provided, to ensure the accuracy of the system. Because the bill would impose additional duties on air districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Under existing law, a violation of requirements for stationary sources or any rule, regulation, permit, or order of the state board or of an air district is a crime. Because this bill would impose the monitoring systems requirement on owners or operators of covered facilities engaging in other types of refining processes and would impose additional requirements on owners and operators of covered facilities, a violation of which would be a crime, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for specified reasons.