Sen. Anthony Portantino

Maddy summaryThis Senate Concurrent Resolution officially designates May 2024 as National Mental Health Awareness Month within the state of California. The measure does not alter laws or allocate funding but serves to formally recognize the importance of mental well-being and highlight statistics regarding mental illness prevalence and its impact on various communities. By establishing this designation, the resolution aims to encourage public focus on mental health issues during the month of May.

The California Constitution grants the retirement board of a public employee retirement system plenary authority and fiduciary responsibility for investment of moneys and administration of the retirement fund and system. These provisions qualify this grant of powers by reserving to the Legislature the authority to prohibit investments if it is in the public interest and the prohibition satisfies standards of fiduciary care and loyalty required of a retirement board. Existing law prohibits the boards of the Public Employees' Retirement System and the State Teachers' Retirement System from making new investments or renewing existing investments of public employee retirement funds in a thermal coal company, as defined. Existing law requires the boards to liquidate investments in thermal coal companies on or before July 1, 2017, and requires the boards, in making a determination to liquidate investments, to constructively engage with thermal coal companies to establish whether the companies are transitioning their business models to adapt to clean energy generation. Existing law provides that it does not require a board to take any action unless the board determines in good faith that the action is consistent with the board's fiduciary responsibilities established in the California Constitution. This bill would prohibit the boards of the Public Employees' Retirement System and the State Teachers' Retirement System from making new investments or renewing existing investments of public employee retirement funds in a fossil fuel company, as defined. The bill would require the boards to liquidate investments in a fossil fuel company on or before July 1, 2031. The bill would temporarily suspend the above-described liquidation provision upon a good faith determination by the board that certain conditions materially impact normal market mechanisms for pricing assets, as specified, and would make this suspension provision inoperative on January 1, 2035. The bill would provide that it does not require a board to take any action unless the board determines in good faith that the action is consistent with the board's fiduciary responsibilities established in the California Constitution. This bill would require the boards, commencing February 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, to file a report with the Legislature and the Governor, containing specified information, including a list of fossil fuel companies of which the board has liquidated their investments. The bill would provide that board members and other officers and employees shall be held harmless and be eligible for indemnification in connection with actions taken pursuant to the bill's requirements, as specified.

Existing law directs the State Air Resources Board to coordinate efforts to attain and maintain ambient air quality standards. Existing law creates the Air Quality Improvement Program, administered by the state board, to fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, air quality improvement projects relating to fuel and vehicle technologies. This bill would require the state board to establish the Zero-Emission Aftermarket Conversion Project (ZCAP) , upon appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or other statute or, at the discretion of the state board, using moneys available from another clean transportation program, to provide an applicant who is a California resident with a rebate for an eligible vehicle that has been converted into a zero-emission vehicle. The rebate issued pursuant to the ZACP would be limited to one per vehicle and a value of up to $4,000. The bill would require the state board to establish guidelines for the ZACP that, among other things, define qualifying conversion-types for used vehicles and establish minimum eligibility criteria for an applicant to be eligible for the rebate. The bill would also require the state board's guidelines to require that an eligible zero-emission vehicle have a range of at least 100 miles and have completed an inspection of safety systems and components by a licensee of the Bureau of Automotive Repair, as provided.

The California Constitution declares various inalienable rights of the people, including the right to enjoy and defend life and liberty, acquire, possess, and protect property, and pursue and obtain safety, happiness, and privacy. This measure would amend the California Constitution to declare that the people have a right to clean air and water and a healthy environment considering the general well-being and other needs of the people. The measure would specify that the principles inherent in these rights shall serve as a guide to all branches of government in the performance of their official duties and that these rights shall inure to all people in equal measure and shall not be construed or applied in a manner inconsistent with duly enacted laws of the state or other rights set forth in the California Constitution.

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 92 officially designates May 2024 as Lupus and Fibromyalgia Awareness Month in California. This legislative measure aims to increase public understanding of these conditions by highlighting their symptoms, diagnostic challenges, and prevalence among specific demographics. The resolution does not alter laws or funding but serves to encourage education and research into these chronic health issues.

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.

Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, establishes the Medical Board of California and the Osteopathic Medical Board of California to license and regulate the practice of medicine, and establishes examination, training, and other requirements for licensure as a physician and surgeon. A violation of the act is a misdemeanor. This bill, through November 30, 2024, would authorize a physician licensed to practice medicine in Arizona who meets certain requirements to practice medicine in California for the purpose of providing abortions and abortion-related care to patients who are Arizona residents traveling from Arizona, upon application for registration with the Medical Board of California or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, as applicable. The bill would prohibit the physician from providing care or consultation for other purposes or to other patients, except under specified circumstances. The bill would require an Arizona physician, before practicing in California, to submit specified information to the Medical Board of California or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, as applicable, including, among other information, written verification from the Arizona Medical Board or the Arizona Board of Osteopathic Examiners in Medicine and Surgery, or documentation printed from an online licensing system, that the physician's Arizona license to practice medicine is in good standing and confers on the physician the authority to practice abortions and abortion-related care. The bill would require the applicant to provide an affidavit attesting that, among other things, the applicant meets all of the requirements for registration, as specified, and would make it a misdemeanor for a person to provide false information. The bill would limit the information the California boards are required to disclose about a registrant. The bill would deem a physician registered pursuant to the bill's provisions a licensee of the applicable board, would authorize the applicable board to take enforcement against a person registered pursuant to the bill's provisions, and would prohibit the applicable boards from collecting any fees for registration. By creating a new crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would repeal the bill's provisions on January 1, 2025. 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.

Existing law, the Physician Assistant Practice Act, establishes the Physician Assistant Board to license and regulate physician assistants. Existing law requires the board to issue a license to practice as a physician assistant to an applicant who satisfies specified requirements, including successfully completing an approved program and passing a prescribed examination. Existing law also authorizes the board to issue a probationary license to an applicant in accordance with specified terms and conditions. Existing law makes a violation of certain provisions of the act a misdemeanor. This bill would establish the Armenian Medical Graduate Physician Assistant Training Program, to be conducted at an appropriate educational institution or institutions. The bill would require the board to establish a Training Program Advisory Task Force, which the bill would require to develop and recommend curriculum for a training program. The bill would make an Armenian medical graduate who is either a citizen or permanent resident of the United States and who has satisfactorily completed the training program eligible for licensure as a physician assistant if the person has also successfully completed a certain written examination. The bill would require that funding necessary for the implementation of the program to be secured from nonprofit philanthropic entities, as specified. Because the bill would expand the scope of a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for Armenian medical graduates who are either citizens or permanent residents of the United States. 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Existing law, subject to exceptions, makes it a misdemeanor to openly carry an exposed and unloaded handgun in a public place. Existing law generally makes that crime punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for up to 6 months, or by a fine not to exceed $1,000. Existing law, if the exposed and unloaded handgun is being carried in a public place or public street in an incorporated city, makes that crime punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for up to one year or by a fine not to exceed $1,000 if the handgun and unexpended ammunition capable of being discharged from that handgun are in the immediate possession of that person and the person is not in lawful possession of the handgun. This bill would extend that increased punishment to also apply if the person with immediate possession of the handgun and unexpended ammunition capable of being discharged from that handgun is not listed with the Department of Justice as the owner of that firearm, as specified. By increasing the punishment of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.