(1) Existing law requires the Judicial Council to perform various duties designed to assist the judiciary, including establishing judicial training programs for judges, referees, commissioners, mediators, and others who perform duties in family law matters. Existing law requires this training to include instruction in all aspects of family law, including the effects of gender on family law proceedings. This bill would require that training to also include the effects of gender identity and sexual orientation on family law proceedings. (2) Existing law establishes the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, which is authorized to adjudge certain children to be dependents of the court under certain circumstances, and prescribes various hearings and other procedures for these purposes. Existing law requires a court to appoint counsel for a child who is not represented by counsel in these dependency proceedings, except as specified. Under existing law, appointed counsel is required to have a caseload and training that ensures adequate representation, and Judicial Council is required to promulgate rules of court that establish caseload standards, training requirements, and guidelines for counsel. This bill would require that training to also include instruction on cultural competency and sensitivity relating to, and best practices for, providing adequate care to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. (3) Existing law requires the Judicial Council to establish a planning and advisory group to recommend on the development of program guidelines and funding procedures for court-appointed special advocates (CASAs) and to establish a request-for-proposal process to establish, maintain, or expand local CASA programs, pursuant to which volunteer CASAs provide designated services and support to children under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. The council is required to, among other things, require an initial and ongoing training program for all persons acting as a CASA that covers various topics, including, but not limited to, child development. This bill would require that training to also include cultural competency and sensitivity relating to, and best practices for, providing adequate care to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth. (4) Existing law requires the Judicial Council to develop and implement standards for the education and training of all judges who conduct dependency hearings. This bill would require that training to include instruction on cultural competency and sensitivity relating to, and best practices for, providing adequate care to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth.
Sponsored bills
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 designate the month of October 2013 as California Hindu American Awareness and Appreciation Month to recognize and acknowledge the significant contributions to the state made by Californians of Hindu heritage.
Existing law authorizes the County of Alameda to impose a transactions and use tax for the support of countywide transportation programs at a rate of no more than 0.5% that, in combination with other specified taxes, exceeds the combined rate of all these taxes that may be imposed, if certain requirements are met, including a requirement that the ordinance proposing the transactions and use tax be submitted to, and approved by, the voters on a certain date. Existing law repeals this authority on January 1, 2014, if the ordinance is not approved by the voters on that date. This bill would extend the authority of the County of Alameda, and would authorize the County of Contra Costa, to impose the transactions and use tax for countywide transportation programs until December 31, 2020, conditioned upon prior voter approval. This bill makes legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute.
Existing law defines the term "public works" for purposes of requirements regarding the payment of prevailing wages, the regulation of working hours, and the securing of workers' compensation for public works projects. Existing law further requires that, except as specified, not less than the general prevailing rate of per diem wages, determined by the Director of Industrial Relations as specified, be paid to workers employed on public works projects, and imposes misdemeanor penalties for certain violations of this requirement. Under the law, employer payments are a credit against the obligation to pay the general prevailing rate of per diem wages, except credit is not granted for benefits required under state or federal law. Employer payments include the rate of contribution made by the employer to a trustee or 3rd person pursuant to a plan, fund, or program, the rate of actual costs to the employer anticipated in providing benefits to workers pursuant to a specified enforceable commitment, and payments to the California Apprenticeship Council. This bill would provide that an employer may take credit for those specified employer payments, even if those payments are not made during the same pay period for which credit is taken, if the employer regularly makes those payments on no less than a quarterly basis. This bill would prohibit credit from being granted for employer payments made to monitor and enforce laws related to public works if those payments are not required by a collective bargaining agreement.
Existing law provides that the costs incurred by a qualified health care professional, hospital, or other emergency medical facility for the examination of the victim of a sexual assault for the purposes of gathering evidence for possible prosecution shall be charged to the local law enforcement agency in whose jurisdiction the alleged offense occurred. Existing law authorizes the local law enforcement agency to seek reimbursement from the California Emergency Management Agency or its successor, the Office of Emergency Services, for the costs of those examinations, as specified, in those cases in which the victim does not participate in the criminal justice system and authorizes, until January 1, 2014, the California Emergency Management Agency or the Office of Emergency Services to utilize certain federal grant moneys to provide that reimbursement. This bill would extend indefinitely the authorization to utilize those federal grant moneys to provide that reimbursement.
This measure would proclaim July 25, 2013, as Swimmable California Day to recognize Californians' rights to clean and safe waters for swimming and other appropriate activities, and to encourage Californians to enjoy and use their waters.
This measure would proclaim July 27, 2013, as Korean War Armistice Day. It would urge Californians to observe the anniversary and call upon them to honor and give thanks to Korean War veterans. It would also urge Governor Jerry Brown to proclaim July 27, 2013, as Korean War Armistice Day and instruct all state departments, agencies, interest groups, organizations, and individuals to fly the United States flag at half-mast on July 27, 2013, in memory of veterans from this state who died as a result of their service in Korea.
This measure would urge the President and Congress of the United States to develop a comprehensive federal approach to reducing and preventing gun violence, promptly place assault weapons and high-capacity assault magazines under the scope of the National Firearms Act, and require a universal background check through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) for the transfer of all firearms. This measure would additionally urge the President to take steps to ensure that all states and applicable federal agencies are reporting all necessary records to the NICS.
Existing law requires the Governor, the designated agency of the State Bar responsible for the evaluation of judicial candidates, and the Administrative Office of the Courts to annually collect demographic data relating to judicial applicants, judicial appointees or nominees, judicial candidates, and justices and judges, as specified, relative to ethnicity, race, and gender. These entities are required to release the demographic data on or before March 1 of each year. Existing law encourages members of judicial selection advisory committees to recommend candidates from diverse backgrounds and cultures, as specified. This bill would expand these provisions to include the collection of demographic data relative to disability and veteran status, as defined. The bill would provide that the collection of this demographic data is required only for judicial applicants, candidates, appointees, nominees, justices, and judges who apply, or are reviewed, appointed, nominated, or elected, on or after January 1, 2014, and would require the release of this data to begin in 2015. The bill would encourage the Governor and members of judicial selection advisory committees to give particular consideration to candidates from diverse backgrounds and cultures, as specified.