Asm. Jim Cooper

Existing law authorizes state and local entities to regulate businesses within their jurisdiction. Existing law provides various definitions for various purposes. This bill would define a California family owned business for purposes of any provision of the Government Code that explicitly references this definition. This bill would provide Legislative findings and declarations regarding California family owned businesses.

The Firefighters Procedural Bill of Rights Act and the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights Act grant certain rights to firefighters and public safety officers, as defined. The acts require that, when a firefighter or public safety officer is under investigation and is interrogated by his or her commanding officer, or another member of the employing agency, on matters than that could lead to punitive action, the interrogation be conducted under certain conditions. Upon the filing of a formal written statement of charges or when an interrogation focuses on matters that, in the case of a firefighter, may result in punitive action or, in the case of a public safety officer, are likely to result in punitive action, the acts grant the firefighter or public safety officer a right to be represented by a person of his or her choice, except as specified, who may be present at all times during the interrogation. The acts prohibit requiring the representative to make certain disclosures or subjecting the representative to punitive action for refusing to make those disclosures. This bill, in an investigation that focuses on matters that may result in punitive action against a firefighter or public safety officer who is not formally under investigation but is interviewed as a witness in an investigation of another firefighter or public safety officer, would grant the firefighter or public safety officer who is a witness the right to have representation in the interview at the time that he or she has reasonable cause to believe that the interrogation may result in punitive action against him or her. If the firefighter or public safety officer requests representation and the request is denied, the bill would prohibit statements taken after the request is made from being used against the firefighter or public safety officer in a disciplinary proceeding or in determining or imposing a punitive action.

Existing law establishes and funds various research centers and programs in conjunction with the University of California. This bill would enact the California Firearm Violence Research Act. The bill would declare the intent of the Legislature that the Regents of the University of California establish the California Firearm Violence Research Center to research firearm-related violence. The bill would declare legislative intent regarding the principles by which the university would administer the center and award research funds, as prescribed. The bill would require the university to report, on or before December 31, 2017, and every 5 years thereafter, specified information regarding the activities of the center and information pertaining to research grants. The bill would require the center and the grant recipients to provide copies of their research publications to the Legislature and specified agencies. The bill would specify that its provisions would apply to the university only to the extent that the regents, by resolution, make any of the provisions of the bill applicable to the university.

This act would declare June 10, 2016, as Portugal Day to celebrate Portuguese national heritage.

This measure would recognize May 24, 2016, as Slavic Heritage Day.

Existing law establishes the Pierce's Disease Control Program in the Department of Food and Agriculture and the Pierce's Disease Management Account in the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund. This bill would appropriate $5,000,000 from the General Fund to the Pierce's Disease Management Account in the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund. The bill would also state various findings and declarations of the Legislature relating to, among other things, Pierce's disease, the California wine industry, and funding the Pierce's Disease Control Program.

This measure would proclaim that Monday, January 18, 2016, be observed as the official memorial of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birth and his work in the Civil Rights Movement.

This measure would recognize May 2016 as Celiac Disease Awareness Month.

This measure would recognize the Lunar New Year Celebration on February 8, 2016.