Asm. Marie Waldron

This measure would designate November 2013 as California Sikh American Awareness and Appreciation Month. It would recognize and acknowledge the significant contributions made by Californians of Sikh heritage to the state and afford all Californians the opportunity to understand, recognize, and appreciate the rich history and shared principles of Sikh Americans.

This measure would declare August 2013 as Valley Fever Awareness Month.

This measure would designate Monday, May 6, 2013, as California Peace Officers' Memorial Day, urge all Californians to use that day to honor California peace officers, and recognize specified California peace officers who were killed in defense of their communities.

This measure would proclaim September 23, 2013, as Restless Legs Syndrome/Willis-Ekbom Disease Awareness Day in California.

This measure would designate October 20, 2013, and each 20th day of October thereafter, as Leyte Landing Commemoration Day in recognition of the significance of the Leyte landing in liberating the Philippines from Japanese occupation, helping to establish the independence of the Philippines, and fostering closer ties between the Philippines and the United States.

Existing law establishes the state flag and the state's emblems, including, among other things, the poppy as the official state flower and the California redwood as the official state tree. This bill would establish the California Vietnam Veterans Memorial as the official state Vietnam veterans war memorial.

Existing law authorizes specified entities to receive state summary criminal history information from the Department of Justice. Existing law also requires mandated reporters, as defined, to report child abuse and neglect to local law enforcement. This bill would authorize a community youth athletic program, as defined, to request state and federal level criminal offender record information and subsequent arrest notification. The bill would state that performing the background check does not remove or limit the liability of a mandated reporter.

Existing law generally prohibits the production, distribution, and production of any representation of information, data, or image, as specified, of any obscene matter that depicts a person under 18 years of age personally engaging in or personally simulating sexual conduct, as defined. Violations of these provisions are crimes. This bill would provide that every person who is convicted of a violation of specified offenses relating to obscene matter involving minors, as specified, in which the violation is committed on, or via, a government-owned computer or via a government-owned computer network, or in which the production, transportation, or distribution of which involves the use, possession, or control of government-owned property shall, in addition to any imprisonment of fine imposed for the commission of the underlying offense, be punished by a fine not exceeding $2,000, unless the court determines that the defendant does not have the ability to pay. The bill would provide that revenue from any fines collected would be transferred for deposit into a county fund established for that purpose and allocated for sexual assault investigator training, public agencies and nonprofit corporations that provide shelter, counseling, or other direct services for victims of human trafficking, and multidisciplinary teams involved in the prosecution of child abuse cases, as specified. Existing law allows for the release from all penalties and disabilities resulting from an offense for which the person was convicted if specified criteria are met. Existing law excludes certain sex offenses from these provisions. This bill would additionally exclude specified offenses relating to obscene matter involving minors from these provisions.

This measure would declare the week of August 4, 2013, to August 10, 2013, inclusive, to be Dropout Recovery Week, and would state the Legislature's intent to encourage the support of dropout recovery high schools with creative teaching strategies, alternative assessments, and adequate resources.