Asm. Ken Cooley

This measure would recognize June 2015 as Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month, and June 21, 2015, as The Longest Day in California, and would urge all residents to wear purple on this day to help spread global awareness of the Alzheimer's Association's vision of imagining a world without Alzheimer's disease.

This measure would request the Congress of the United States of America to further amend the GI Bill of Rights to make benefits available to veterans for use as startup capital in the establishment of first businesses.

This measure would proclaim June 2015 as California-Grown Flower Month to recognize and honor the men and women of the California-grown flower industry for their dedication and productivity.

Existing law, as amended by the DNA Act, requires a person who has been convicted of a felony offense to provide buccal swab samples, right thumbprints, and a full palm print impression of each hand, and any blood specimens or other biological samples required for law enforcement identification analysis. Existing law makes these provisions retroactive, regardless of when the crime charged or committed became a qualifying offense. This bill would expand these provisions to require persons convicted of specified misdemeanors to provide buccal swab samples, right thumbprints, and a full palm print impression of each hand, and any blood specimens or other biological samples required for law enforcement identification analysis. By imposing additional duties on local law enforcement agencies to collect and forward these samples, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law prohibits a judge from relieving a person of the separate administrative duty to provide specimens, samples, or print impressions required by the DNA Act if the person has been found guilty of an offense for which DNA collection is required. Existing law, added by Proposition 47, allows a person to petition the court for resentencing if he or she was convicted of a felony that was reduced to a misdemeanor by Proposition 47. Existing law requires the court to resentence the petitioner, unless the court determines that the person would pose an unreasonable risk to public safety. This bill would clarify that the prohibition on judges relieving a person of the duty to provide specimens, samples, or print impressions is not affected by resentencing under Proposition 47. 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 these statutory provisions.

Existing law creates the California Insurance Guarantee Association (CIGA) and requires all insurers admitted to transact insurance in this state to become members. Existing law requires CIGA to collect premium payments from members and to discharge covered claims, as defined, of an insolvent insurer. CIGA is required to allocate its claim payments and costs based on categories of insurance, including, but not limited to, workers' compensation claims and homeowners' claims. This bill would provide that the laws described above governing CIGA do not require a final determination of a claim in an insolvent insurer's liquidation proceeding before a covered claim may be submitted to CIGA. The bill would provide that these laws also do not require a claim to first be determined and approved by the liquidator before CIGA pays and discharges a covered claim. The bill would also provide that if the association provides written denial of a nonworkers' compensation claim, the person asserting the claim against the association has one year to bring an action challenging the denial, including an action for declaratory relief. This bill would also require, if the written denial is based on a failure to exhaust other insurance available to pay the claim, a claim to be reasserted against the association within 6 months after all other insurance has been exhausted.

Existing property tax law establishes a veterans' organization exemption under which property is exempt from taxation if, among other things, that property is used exclusively for charitable purposes and is owned by a veterans' organization. This bill would provide that the veterans' organization exemption shall not be denied to a property on the basis that the property is used for fraternal, lodge, or social club purposes, and would make specific findings and declarations in that regard. The bill would also provide that the exemption shall not apply to any portion of a property that consists of a bar where alcoholic beverages are served. Section 2229 of the Revenue and Taxation Code requires the Legislature to reimburse local agencies annually for certain property tax revenues lost as a result of any exemption or classification of property for purposes of ad valorem property taxation. This bill would provide that, notwithstanding Section 2229 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, no appropriation is made and the state shall not reimburse local agencies for property tax revenues lost by them pursuant to the bill. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

This measure would proclaim and acknowledge the month of June 2015 and June of every year thereafter as Elder and Vulnerable Adult Abuse Awareness Month.

This measure would urge Congress and the President of the United States to expand the Humanitarian Resettlement Program to allow disabled veteran officers of the South Vietnamese Army currently living in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to enter the United States.