Sen. Nancy Skinner

The Community Redevelopment Law authorizes the establishment of redevelopment agencies in communities in order to address the effects of blight, as defined, in those communities and requires those agencies to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and to approve a redevelopment plan for each project area. That law authorizes the agencies, within a project area and for any project undertaken for building rehabilitation or alteration in construction, to take those actions deemed necessary and that are consistent with existing law to provide for seismic retrofits, as specified. This bill would specifically include soft-story buildings, as defined, as a type of building eligible for seismic retrofits provided by an agency.

(1) Existing law provides for the formation of the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan for automobile bodily injury and property damage liability insurance. The Insurance Commissioner, after a public hearing, is required to approve or issue a reasonable plan for the equitable apportionment, among insurers admitted to transact liability insurance, of those applicants for automobile bodily injury and property damage liability insurance who are, in good faith, entitled to but are unable to procure that insurance through ordinary methods. Notice of the public hearing is required to be published at least 60 days prior to the hearing or close of the public comment period on the adoption, amendment, or repeal of a regulation, in 2 newspapers of general circulation, one published in the City and County of San Francisco, and the other published in the City of Los Angeles. This bill would delete the notice requirement, and require that the hearings be conducted in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act. Existing law requires the assigned risk plan to provide for effective dates of coverage, consistent with the required elements, including execution of the application forms and an electronic effective date procedure established by the plan. The insurance application form is also required to include a disclosure regarding the effective date of coverage. This bill would modify the notice and the effective dates of coverage requirements, as provided. (2) Existing law establishes, within the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan, a low-cost automobile insurance program. Existing law establishes the low-cost automobile insurance program in several specified counties and makes the expansion to all other counties in California subject to a determination of need made by the commissioner following a public meeting, as specified. Existing law provides for the issuance of automobile liability policies pursuant to this program under specified terms and conditions, and provides that a policy so issued satisfies specified requirements regarding financial responsibility. Existing law provides that the low-cost automobile insurance program shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2011. This bill would provide that the low-cost automobile insurance program would remain in effect until January 1, 2016. Existing law requires the commissioner, on or before March 1 of each year, to prepare and propose a plan to the Senate Committee on Banking, Finance, and Insurance and the Assembly Committee on Insurance setting forth the methods the commissioner intends to implement to inform households eligible for the program about the availability of low-cost automobile insurance. The plan is required to contain specified information, including the most recent annual report to the Legislature on the status of the low-cost automobile insurance program from the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan. This bill would delete the most recent annual report to the Legislature on the status of the low-cost automobile insurance program from the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan from the information required to be contained in the plan. (3) Existing law, on and after January 1, 2011, makes certain automobile insurance proof of financial responsibility requirements no longer applicable to people in the County of Los Angeles and the City and County of San Francisco. This bill would extend the repeal date to January 1, 2016. (4) This bill would make conforming changes and delete obsolete provisions.

Existing law requires the Judicial Council to adopt guidelines for a comprehensive program concerning the collection of moneys owed for fees, fines, forfeitures, penalties, and assessments imposed by court order. This bill would prohibit a court from garnishing wages or levying a bank account for the enforcement and collection of fees, fines, forfeitures, or penalties imposed by a court against a person under 25 years of age who has an outstanding unpaid citation for truancy, loitering, curfew violations, or illegal lodging if the court obtains information that the person is homeless or has no permanent address. This bill would authorize a court to use these collection procedures when that person is 26 years of age or older. The bill would make related findings and declarations.

Existing law requires the California Health and Human Services Agency and the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, using existing resources, to create a sustainable, comprehensive strategy to accomplish various goals aimed at bringing persons with disabilities into employment. Existing law requires the Governor to establish the California Governor's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, requires the committee to be established in the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, and specifies the membership of the committee. Existing law requires the committee to, among other things, consult with and advise the Labor and Workforce Development Agency and the California Health and Human Services Agency on all issues related to full inclusion in the workforce of persons with disabilities. This bill would provide that the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall be a member of the committee.

Existing law states that it is the policy of the state that the workweek of the state employee shall be 40 hours, and the workday of state employees 8 hours, except that workweeks and workdays of a different number of hours may be established in order to meet the varying needs of the different state agencies. Executive Order Nos. S-16-08 and S-13-09 imposed 3 unpaid furlough days on state employees. This bill would prohibit a state employee from being furloughed when the unemployment rate in California during the previous month reached or exceeded 8.5%, and the employee's position is at least 95% funded by the federal government, performs services that combat the state's recession, and works for the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board or the Employment Development Department. The bill would also make related findings and declarations.

This measure would recognize March 31, 2010, as the anniversary of the birth of César Chávez, and would call upon all Californians to participate in appropriate observances to remember César Chávez as a symbol of hope and justice to all persons.

This measure would recognize the contributions of the automotive aftermarket to the state and consumers and its efforts to educate the motoring public about the benefits of proper vehicle maintenance. The measure also would recognize and support the designation of April as National Car Care Month and encourage all citizens to participate in activities that promote proper vehicle maintenance.

This measure would recognize May 2010 as Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month.

This measure would proclaim the 3rd week of April, each year, as California Native Plant Week and would encourage community groups, schools, and citizens to undertake appropriate activities to promote the conservation, restoration, and appreciation of California's native plants.

This measure would urge the United States Congress to oppose a free trade agreement between the United States and Colombia.