Rep. Marie Waldron

Maddy summaryThis bill designates August 8, 2024, as Coastal Stewardship Day in California. It directly affects the state by officially recognizing the importance of its coastline to the economy, environment, and community identity. The measure includes a formal proclamation and directs the Chief Clerk of the Assembly to send copies of the resolution to the author for distribution. It does not create new laws or funding but serves as a commemorative acknowledgment of coastal resources and the need for their conservation.

This measure would designate the month of October 2024 as California Hindu American Awareness and Appreciation Month. The measure would also recognize and acknowledge the significant contributions made by Californians of Hindu heritage to the state and seek to increase awareness and understanding of the Hindu American community, and would condemn all hate crimes and bias incidents against Hindu Americans, Hindu temples and centers, and places of significance to the Hindu American community.

This measure would provide for the promotion and encouragement of solutions and resources for keeping the oceans and coastlines healthy and eliminating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Existing law requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to ensure that specified procedures are performed in the investigation and prosecution of sexual abuse incidents, including, among others, that an employee must be terminated if an investigation confirms that the employee sexually abused an inmate. Existing law requires administrators to report criminal sexual abuse by staff to law enforcement authorities. This bill would require the department to monitor for 90 days an incarcerated person who reports sexual abuse, and the incarcerated person reported to have suffered the abuse, by a staff person at a department facility for possible retaliation. Existing law authorizes a defendant to submit to a sentencing court a petition for recall and resentencing when a defendant, who was under 18 years of age at the time of the commission of a specified offense for which the defendant was sentenced to imprisonment for life without the possibility of parole, has been incarcerated for at least 15 years. Existing law authorizes a court to consider specified factors when determining whether to resentence the defendant to a term of imprisonment with the possibility of parole including, among others, that the defendant has had no disciplinary actions for violent activities in the last five years in which the defendant was determined to be the aggressor. This bill would authorize a court to also consider if the defendant has been a victim of sexual abuse or sexual violence at any time during their incarceration when determining whether to resentence the defendant to a term of imprisonment with the possibility of parole. Existing law authorizes, when a defendant has been committed to the state prison or to a county jail for the commission of a felony, the court to recall the sentence and either reduce a defendant's term by modifying the sentence, or vacate the conviction and impose judgment on any necessarily included lesser offense or lesser related offense and, resentence the defendant to a reduced term. Existing law requires the court to consider, in recalling and resentencing pursuant to these provisions, postconviction factors, including, among others, evidence that circumstances have changed since the original sentencing so that continued incarceration is no longer in the interest of justice. Existing law states that a defendant is not entitled to relief from these provisions, and that a court is not required to respond to a defendant's requests for relief pursuant to these provisions. This bill would authorize, beginning on July 1, 2025, a defendant to file a petition for relief pursuant to these provisions, and would make that defendant entitled to a response from the court, if, among other things, the defendant is currently committed to the custody of the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the defendant currently has a minimum sentence of at least 15 years, and the application of the current sentencing rules of the Judicial Council and any changes in sentencing laws enacted since the defendant was last sentenced would make the defendant eligible for a reduced sentence if applied to the defendant. Existing law requires various civil actions to be brought within specified periods of time, but these periods of limitation are tolled for 2 years during the time that the person entitled to bring the action is imprisoned on a criminal charge for a term less than life. However, under existing law these provisions do not apply to an action brought against a public entity or public employee, as specified. This bill would require an action for sexual assault brought against a public entity or public employee by a person who is imprisoned on a criminal charge, or in execution under the sentence of a criminal court, to be tolled during the period of imprisonment and until one year after the release from actual custody.

This measure would request the Congress of the United States to pass, and the President to sign, the Housing Crisis Response Act of 2023 (H.R. 4233) , the Ending Homelessness Act of 2023 (H.R. 4232) , and the Downpayment Toward Equity Act of 2023 (H.R. 4231) .

This measure would urge the Congress of the United States to prioritize fulfilling the federal government's legal and contractual obligation to provide a home for spent nuclear fuel within California and 33 other states across the nation, and would urge Congress and the United States Department of Energy to take action to permit the relocation of the spent nuclear fuel in California and elsewhere to consolidated interim storage and ultimately a permanent repository.

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.