Sen. Sabrina Cervantes

Existing law requires that each death be registered with the applicable local registrar of births and deaths and requires a person completing the certificate of death to record specified information, including whether the decedent was ever in the Armed Forces of the United States. Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to implement an electronic death registration system and to access data within the system to compile a report on veteran suicide in California that includes information on the veterans' ages, sexes, races or ethnicities, and methods of suicide. Existing law requires the department to provide that report annually to the Legislature and the Department of Veterans Affairs. This bill would additionally require the report described above to include information on the veterans' locations of residency and death, length and locations of service, branches of service, and occupations and industries or businesses. Existing law establishes the Department of Veterans Affairs, headed by a Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to generally administer programs and benefits for veterans and their families, including, among others, educational assistance, home purchase assistance, and the oversight of veterans' homes. Existing law also establishes the California Veterans Board, comprised of veterans, to review policy changes that would modify veterans' programs, as specified. This bill would establish, within the department, the Commission on Veteran Suicide Prevention, comprised of 5 commissioners, including the secretary who would act as the chair. The bill would require the commission to review each annual report on veteran suicide in California, described above, and make recommendations for preventing veteran suicide from the data collected in each report.

The State Contract Act governs state contracts for public works projects and, among other things, generally requires public notice of a project, the submission of bids, and the award of a contract to the lowest responsible bidder, as provided. Existing law also establishes procedures for state agencies to enter into contracts for goods and services, including generally requiring that certain contracts by a state agency be approved by the Department of General Services. Existing law authorizes the department to consolidate the needs of multiple state agencies for goods, information technology, and services and establish agreements that leverage the state's buying power, as specified, for certain acquisitions. Existing law authorizes state and local agencies to contract with suppliers awarded those contracts without further competitive bidding. This bill, notwithstanding any other law requiring bidding on public works contracts, would authorize a state or local agency to use the above-described procedures for the purchase, or purchase and installation, of carpet, resilient flooring, or synthetic turf if the installation work is not performed in connection with new construction and the contractor complies with specified requirements relating to wages and labor. The bill would require a state or local agency that enters into a contract for installation, or purchase and installation, under these provisions to provide the Department of Industrial Relations with a specified notice of the contract. The bill would repeal these provisions as of January 1, 2026.

Existing law establishes the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, which is administered by a director appointed by the Governor. The office serves the Governor as the lead entity for economic strategy and the marketing of California on issues relating to business development, private sector investment, and economic growth. This bill would establish, within the office, the California Aerospace and Aviation Commission consisting of 15 members, as specified, to serve as a central point of contact for businesses engaged in the aerospace and aviation industries and to support the health and competitiveness of these industries in California. The bill would require the commission to make recommendations on legislative and administrative action that may be necessary or helpful to maintain or improve the state's aerospace and aviation industries and would authorize the commission to engage in various other activities in undertaking its mission and responsibilities, as specified. This bill would require the commission to have offices contained within existing operations of the office, as specified. The bill would also require that funds received by the commission be deposited in the Aerospace and Aviation Account, which the bill would create in the California Economic Development Fund, to be used by the commission upon appropriation by the Legislature. The bill would preclude any actions by the office relating to the commission until a determination is made and reported regarding the sufficiency of the funds received. The bill would require state funds, averaged over 3 years, that are allocated to the commission to be matched by nonstate funds. The bill would repeal its provisions on January 1, 2025.

This measure would proclaim the week of June 1 through June 9, 2019, as California Fishing and Boating Week.

This measure would proclaim the week of May 20, 2019, to May 26, 2019, inclusive, to be Emergency Medical Services Week in California.

This measure would designate the month of May 2019 as California Fairgrounds Appreciation Month and would extend the Legislature's warmest regards and appreciation to the thousands of volunteers, fair directors, staff, business supporters, and sponsors who keep the network of California state fairgrounds strong, vibrant, relevant, and successful.

This measure would acknowledge the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and express the Legislature's respect to Muslims across California and throughout the world on this occasion.

This measure would proclaim the month of May 2019 as Lyme Disease Awareness Month.

This measure would recognize that hunger is an issue affecting too many Californians and would commend the California citrus industry for its effort to raise awareness about food insecurity by observing May 15, 2019, as Citrus Stride Day at the State Capitol.