Sen. Catherine Blakespear

Maddy summarySCR 68 declares the week of May 5, 2025, as Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week. This symbolic resolution aims to raise public recognition of tardive dyskinesia, a movement disorder often linked to long-term use of certain psychiatric medications. It does not create new laws, funding, or obligations for individuals or entities. The measure is purely commemorative, encouraging awareness efforts during that specific week.

This measure would applaud the California Girl Scout Councils for 113 years of building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place, and recognize March 12, 2025, as Girl Scout Day in California.

Maddy summarySCR 70 designates the week of May 4-10, 2025, as Compost Awareness Week. This resolution has no regulatory or funding provisions; it solely serves to recognize and promote public education about composting during that specific week. It directly affects no individuals or entities, as it is a symbolic designation without legal force. The bill’s sole mechanism is the formal naming of the week for awareness purposes.

This measure would declare Monday, April 14, 2025, to Friday, April 25, 2025, inclusive, as High School Voter Education Weeks and would strongly encourage local educational agencies to dedicate at least one of those 2 weeks to educating pupils in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, on the electoral process, as provided. The measure would encourage local educational agencies to provide digital and physical resources necessary to provide this instruction and would encourage the governing boards or bodies of local educational agencies to contract with third-party nonprofit organizations, as provided, to accomplish this instruction.

Existing law prohibits discrimination on the basis of various specified personal characteristics, including disability. Existing law imposes minimum statutory damages for construction-related accessibility claims if the violation of a construction-related accessibility standard denied the plaintiff full and equal access to the place of public accommodation on a particular occasion, as specified. Existing law imposes various limits on a defendant's liability for statutory damages under specified sets of conditions, including if the defendant, among other things, corrects the construction-related violations within a specified time. This bill would prohibit a construction-related accessibility claim for statutory damages from being initiated in a legal proceeding against a defendant who employs 50 or fewer individuals, as specified, unless the defendant has been served with a letter specifying each alleged violation, and the alleged violations have not been corrected within 120 days of service of the letter. The bill would provide that a defendant is not liable for statutory damages, plaintiff's attorney's fees, or costs for an alleged violation that is corrected within 120 days of service of a letter alleging the violation. The bill would also prohibit a plaintiff from avoiding the notice and opportunity to correct provisions and the liability limitations by claiming they are seeking general discrimination damages based on a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 if the underlying claim is based on a defendant's failure to comply with physical accessibility standards under California law.

Maddy summarySCR 45 designates the month of April 2025 as "American Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month" through a ceremonial resolution. This measure does not create new laws or affect any specific group, program, or funding. It is purely symbolic, aiming to recognize the contributions and presence of American Muslims during that month. The resolution serves only as an official acknowledgment by the legislature, with no direct policy impact or obligations.

Maddy summaryThis symbolic resolution proclaims May 2025 as Affordable Housing Month in California. It does not create new policies or allocate funding but formally recognizes the importance of affordable housing through a Senate proclamation. The resolution highlights existing challenges like rising costs and homelessness, while affirming the state's commitment to addressing them. It was unanimously adopted by the Senate on May 29, 2025, with no concrete policy changes or direct effects on specific groups.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a commemorative resolution that acknowledges April 2025 as Child Abuse Prevention Month. It aims to raise awareness about child abuse prevention.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution designates May 2025 as Foster Youth Awareness Month in California. It does not create new policies or directly affect specific groups, but formally recognizes the challenges faced by California's foster youth through symbolic acknowledgment. The resolution highlights systemic issues like racial disparities in foster care (Black and Native youth are over four times more represented than their population share) and high rates of trauma, homelessness, and educational barriers among foster youth. As a procedural resolution, it serves to raise public awareness and honor efforts supporting foster youth, without implementing concrete legislative changes.

This measure would declare that the Legislature honors the life and legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and proclaims March 15, 2025, as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Day, a day of remembrance and education to ensure that all Californians always honor and remember a vibrant guardian of equality for all.