September 19, 2024
Golden State Republican Women
Janet Price, President
Submitted by the GSRW Legislative Analyst Committee
Valerie Evans, Lou Ann Flaherty and Elaine Freeman,
The California Legislature closed the 2023/2024 session on August 31st sending hundreds of bills to the Governor’s desk. He has the option of signing, vetoing the bill or letting it become law without his signature. He has until the end of September to act.
To see a full list of signed and vetoed bills on 09/14/2024 visit:
https://www.gov.ca.gov/2024/09/14/governor-newsom-issues-legislative-update-9-14-24/
Some bills of interest
SB 1005 ((Ashby) – Juveniles –
Existing law authorizes a probation officer who, after investigation of an application for a petition or any other investigation the probation officer is authorized to make, concludes that a minor is within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, or will probably soon be within that jurisdiction, to, in lieu of filing a petition to declare a minor a dependent child of the court or a ward of the court, or requesting that a petition be filed by the prosecuting attorney to declare a minor a ward of the court with consent of the minor and the minor’s parent or guardian, delineate specific programs of supervision for the minor, not to exceed 6 months and attempt to adjust the situation that brings the minor within the jurisdiction of the court or creates the probability that the minor will soon be within that jurisdiction. In lieu of filing a petition, existing law also authorizes the probation officer, with the consent of the minor and the minor’s parent or guardian, to provide a contract for services including sheltered care facilities, crisis resolution home, or counseling and educational centers.
This bill also authorizes for certain offenses, a probation officer, with the consent of the minor and the minor’s parent or guardian, to refer an offense to a youth court. The establishment of the youth court is part of the legislation so the youth is judged by their peers.
Signed by the Governor on 08/19/2024.
AB 1840 (Arambula) Purchase Assistance Program Eligibility –
This bill was to allow qualified undocumented individuals to apply for down payment assistance up to $ 150,000 through the Department of Housing and Community Development as part of the lottery system.
Governor Newsom vetoed this bill on 09/06/2024 blaming lack of adequate funding.
Thank you to everyone who took an active role in defeating this bill.
AB 1775 (Haney) – Cannabis: retail preparation, sale, and consumption of noncannibals food and beverage products
(AUMA) – The Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act, an initiative measure approved as Proposition 64 at the November 8, 2016, statewide general election, authorizes a person who obtains a state license under AUMA to engage in commercial adult-use cannabis activity pursuant to that license and applicable local ordinances. Existing law, the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulations and Safety Act, among other things, consolidates the licensure and regulation of commercial medicinal an adult-use cannabis activities, establishes the Department of Cannabis Control within the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency to Administer the act, and requires the department to be under the supervision and control of a director. Existing law provides that a local jurisdiction may allow for the smoking, vaporizing, and ingesting of cannabis or cannabis products on the premises of a retailer or microbusiness licensed under this division if certain conditions are met.
This bill would authorize a local jurisdiction, if specified conditions are met, to allow for the preparation or sale of noncannibals food or beverage products, as specified by a licensed retailer or microbusiness in the area where the consumption of cannabis is allowed and to allow, and to sell tickets for the musical or other performances on the premises of a licensed retailer or microbusiness in the area where the consumption of cannabis is allowed, prepare or sell industrial hemp or products containing industrial hemp, as provided.
In other words, weed stores can have entertainment and allow for the use of the product on the premises along with other products.
Presented to the Governor on 09/10/2024
SB 976 (Skinner) Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act
Existing law, the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act, requires, beginning 7/1/24, a business that provides an online service, product, or feature likely to be accessed by children to comply with certain requirements. The act requires the business to complete a data protection impact assessment addressing, among other things whether the design could harm children and whether and how the online product, service or feature uses system design features to increase, sustain, or extend use of the online product, service, or feature by children, including the automatic playing of medica, rewards for time spent, and notifications. Existing law prohibits the business from using the personal information of any child in a way that the business knows, or has reason to know, is materially detrimental to the physical health, mental health, or well-being of a child. This bill does several things:
- Would define addictive feed as an internal website, online service, online application, or mobile application, in which multiple pieces of media generated or shared users are recommended, selected, or prioritized for display to a user based on information provided by the user or otherwise associated with the user or user’s device.
- The bill makes it unlawful for the operator of an addictive internal-based service or application between the hours of 12 am and 6 am, in the user’s local time zone, and between the hours of 8 am and 3 pm Monday through Friday from September through May in the user’s local time zone, to send notifications to a user if the operator has actual knowledge that the user is a minor or commencing January 1, 2027, has or reasonably determined that the user is not a minor, unless the operator has obtained verifiable parental consent to send more notifications.
- The bill requires an operator to annually disclose the number of minor users of its addictive internet-based service or application, and of that total the number for whom the operator has received verifiable parental consent to provide an addictive feed, and the number of minor users as to whom the access controls are or are not enacted
- Under this bill, these provisions would only be enforced in a civil action brought by the name of the people of the State of California by the Attorney General. This bill requires the Attorney General to adopt regulations regarding age assurance a parental consent by 1/1/27. The bill provides for the Attorney General to adopt regulations that provide for exceptions to these provisions, but only if those exceptions further the purpose of protecting minors. The bill further requires the Attorney General, in promulgating regulations, to solicit public comment regarding the impact that any regulation might have based on certain nondiscrimination characteristics set forth in existing law.
Presented to the Governor on 09/11/2024
AB 2690, Joe Patterson. Pupil safety: parental notification: synthetic drugs.
Existing law requires a school district, county office of education, and charter school to annually inform parents or guardians, at the beginning of the first semester or quarter of the regular school term, of the dangers associated with using synthetic drugs and the possibility that dangerous synthetic drugs can be found in counterfeit pills, as provided. If a local educational agency maintains an internet website, existing law requires the local educational agency to post this information on their internet website, and to ensure that each individual school within the local educational agency that maintains an individual internet website also posts the information on that school’s internet website, as provided.
This bill would require a local educational agency to, as part of the above-described annual notification to parents or guardians, also include the risk of social media platforms being used as a way to market and sell synthetic drugs, such as fentanyl.
Signed by the Governor on 09/14/2024
Legislative Portal links – Express your support or opposition to a bill or directly to the Legislative committee currently reviewing it (as an individual, not as a member of RW or GSRW) – click here, or the bill’s author – click here, enter your bill # and look for tab at top of the bill page labeled “Comments to Author”.
