Sen. John Laird

Maddy summaryThis bill designates May 2024 as Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month in California to highlight information about the disease and its impact on patients and families. The measure does not change laws or allocate funding but instead encourages public education regarding early diagnosis, access to quality care, and support for research aimed at finding a cure. By proclaiming this month, the legislature aims to increase community understanding of cystic fibrosis and the diverse groups it affects.

This measure would designate the portion of State Route 9 between Lower Glen Arbor Road, at postmile SCR 8.110, to Western Avenue, at postmile SCR 11.131, in the County of Santa Cruz as the Sergeant Damon Christopher Gutzwiller Memorial Highway. The measure would also request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources sufficient to cover the cost, erect those signs.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution officially designates June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride Month in California. The measure serves to honor the history of the civil rights movement, which began with the Stonewall Uprising in 1969, and recognizes the significant contributions of LGBTQ+ individuals to the state and nation. It also highlights recent legal victories, such as marriage equality, and acknowledges the growing representation of LGBTQ+ people in public office. The resolution is a commemorative action that does not create new laws or alter existing policies.

This measure would acknowledge April 2024 as Child Abuse Prevention Month and encourage Californians to work together to support youth-serving child abuse prevention activities in their communities and schools.

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 94 officially designates June 1, 2024, as California Adopt-a-Pet Day to encourage pet adoptions across the state. This proclamation aims to help shelters find homes for 2,024 animals during a special event organized by animal welfare groups. The resolution does not change any laws or policies but serves as a formal declaration to support a one-day campaign. It is intended to raise awareness and facilitate adoptions without altering existing regulations or funding.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution establishes May 22 as Harvey Milk Day to honor the legacy of Harvey Milk, who was the first openly gay man elected to public office in a major U.S. city. The measure recognizes Milk's contributions to LGBTQ+ civil rights, including his work passing anti-discrimination laws and defeating Proposition 6, while also acknowledging his assassination in 1978. By adopting this resolution, the California Legislature formally commemorates Milk's life and impact on the state's history of equality and representation.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes April 27 as Harvey Milk Day to honor the first openly gay man elected to public office in a major U.S. city. The resolution recognizes Milk's legacy as a civil rights leader who fought against discrimination and advocated for LGBTQ+ visibility and unity among minority communities. It recounts key events in his life, including his assassination in 1978 and the subsequent legal proceedings against his killer. The measure serves as a commemorative acknowledgment of Milk's impact on California and national history rather than creating new laws or policies.

The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, administered by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, regulates the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages and the granting of licenses for the manufacture, distribution, and sale of alcoholic beverages within the state. The act imposes a limitation on the amount of on-sale general licenses that may be issued by the department based on the population of the county in which the licensed premises are located, as provided. This bill would authorize the department to issue up to 10 additional new original on-sale general licenses for bona fide public eating places in the first calendar year following any year in which the county reaches the limit on on-sale general licenses, subject to specified provisions. The bill would authorize the county board of supervisors, by resolution submitted to the department on or before July 1, to limit the maximum number of additional licenses issued in the county pursuant to the bill's provisions in that year, as specified. The bill would authorize the department to designate licenses issued pursuant to the bill's provisions as on-sale general for special use.

Existing law requires that each application for an original or a renewal of a driver's license contain certain information, including the applicant's true full name, age, and gender. Existing law also requires the application for a driver's license or identification card to contain certain specified elements, including, among other things, whether the applicant has served in the Armed Forces of the United States and a space for an applicant to enroll in the Donate Life California Organ and Tissue Donor Registry. This bill would require the application forms for a driver's license or identification card to contain a space for a person to voluntarily disclose that the applicant has a disability, as defined by the federal American with Disabilities Act (ADA) , and that the disability interferes with the person's ability to effectively communicate with a peace officer. The bill would require the disclosed disability to be certified by a licensed health professional, as specified, on appropriate forms to be developed by the Department of Motor Vehicles. The bill would require the department to develop an appropriate disability identifier symbol to be placed on a driver's license or identification card that is discreet and represents all types of disabilities, as specified. The bill would provide that a person may choose to no longer have a disability identifier symbol placed on the person's driver's license or identification card and would prohibit the department from retaining any information related to the person's disability. The bill would require the department to issue a new driver's license or identification card without a disability identifier symbol upon request. The bill would require the department to work with the Department of the California Highway Patrol and other relevant stakeholders to develop peace officer training on the meaning of the voluntary disability identifier symbol. The bill would require the department, on or before January 1, 2028, to provide a report to the Legislature and relevant policy committees detailing the disability identifier symbol program and the percentage of persons issued a driver's license or identification card who requested a disability identifier symbol. This bill would make the above provisions operative on January 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution formally recognizes May as Maternal and Mental Health Awareness Month in California to highlight critical issues facing women and birthing people. The document draws attention to disparities in reproductive care, noting that many women lack access to hospitals with obstetrics services and that costs for fertility treatments remain a significant barrier. It also emphasizes the high prevalence of untreated mental health conditions among new mothers, particularly within communities of color and those with lower incomes. While the resolution does not create new laws, it serves to raise public awareness about the need for equitable access to both physical and mental health services during the reproductive years.