2021 Legislation for Senator Anthony J. Portantino
SB 14: Pupil Attendance: Excused Absences: Mental or Behavioral Health - Signed by Governor Newsom
- Currently, there is no evidence-based mental health training program available to train teachers and other school personnel who have direct, daily contact with pupils.
- Physical health challenges merit excused absences while mental and behavioral health challenges are not considered sufficient grounds to excuse absences for K-12 pupils.
- SB 14 will require the California Department of Education to identify evidence based mental health training for teachers and school staff and allow excused absences for mental health reasons for pupils.
- Read the fact sheet in the following link: SB 14 Fact Sheet
SB 15: Local Government: Property Rezoning: Workforce Housing - Held
- Approximately 1.8 million new housing units are needed to meet California’s projected population and household growth, or 180,000 new homes annually.
- Housing is intrinsically connected to the welfare of workforce populations and business.
- SB 15 will permit the Department of Housing and Community Development to provide incentives to local governments to rezone idle retail or commercial shopping centers for housing.
- Read the fact sheet in the following link: SB 15 Fact Sheet
SB 45: Wildfire, Drought, and Flood Protection Bond Act of 2022 - Signed by Governor Newsom
- The cost of climate change for California alone could be more than $113 billion annually by 2050.
- These costs will only compound if the state does not take action now to reduce the risk of climate change impacts such as more severe wildfires, prolonged drought, and deadly floods.
- SB 45 would create a bond that would fund projects that aim to reduce the risk and threat of climate change emergencies.
- Read the fact sheet in the following link: SB 45 Fact Sheet
SB 224: Pupil Instruction: Mental Health Education - Signed by Governor Newsom
- Approximately 75% of mental illness manifests between the ages of 10 and 24.
- California is currently ranked 48th out of 50 for providing children with mental health care.
- SB 224 will provide pupils between the grades 1 and 12 with age appropriate mental health education from a qualified instructor at least once in Elementary, Middle and High school.
- Read the fact sheet in the following link: SB 224 Fact Sheet
SB 230: Statewide Constituents of Emerging Concern Drinking Water Program - Held
- Constituents of Emerging Concern (CEC) are a diverse group of chemicals and microorganisms not currently regulated in drinking water.
- SB 230 would require the State Water Board to establish and maintain an ongoing dedicated program to understand CECs and their public health impacts.
- Read the fact sheet in the following link: SB 230 Fact Sheet
SB 237: Dyslexia: Universal Screening - Held
- Dyslexia is one of the most common learning disability with at least 10% of the general population having dyslexia.
- Early identification and intervention can improve literacy outcomes for students with dyslexia and other struggling readers.
- SB 237 would require all students in California be screened for dyslexia in early elementary school.
- Read the fact sheet in the following link: SB 237 Fact Sheet
SB 255: Health Insurance: Employer Associations: Large Group Health Insurance - Held
- In 2018, a new law was enacted that jeopardized the health coverage for certain freelance employees.
- Unfortunately, the broad nature of the bill’s language applied across the state and included even those plans which offered high quality, no cost coverage.
- SB 255 will prevent w-2 commercial freelance employees from losing their existing high quality insurance coverage as certain conditions are met and the insurance offered is comparable or better than platinum insurance found on the Exchange.
- Read the fact sheet in the following link: SB 255 Fact Sheet
SB 269: Credit Unions - Signed by Governor Newsom
- Credit unions can be state-charted or federally chartered.
- The Federal Government often make changes to the federal charter in order to incentivize state-chartered credit unions to switch to them.
- SB 269 will allow the California Credit Union League to “modernize” the state credit union charter to keep it on the level with the federal charter.
- Read the fact sheet in the following link: SB 269 Fact Sheet
SB 328: Local Education Agencies: Educational Programs - Held
- School Districts are limited in their ability to use after school funding for before school programs.
- There is a lack of clarity on what school districts are rural- preventing some school districts from being exempt from the Rural School District exception for later school start times.
- SB 328 allows after school funding flexibility, provides a definition for rural school district, and prohibits a city, county government, and county office of education or school district from imposing any rule, regulation, ordinance or condition that would prohibit a Local Education Agency (LEA) from being in compliance with State Law.
- Read the fact sheet in the following link: SB 328 Fact Sheet
SB 381: Surplus Residential Property - Signed by Governor Newsom
- California Department of Transportation owns approximately 440 properties built along the State Route 710 (SR 710) corridor and were purchased with the intent to be removed to provide space for construction of an extension of SR 710.
- With the extension now scrapped, local cities have asked legislative assistance to help expedite the sales of these properties.
- SB 381 proposes changes in the disposition process to make it economically viable for cities in the SR 710 corridor to purchase, substantially rehabilitate, maintain, and administer an affordable housing program and help address the local housing crisis and blight that has been going on in their communities for decades.
- Read the fact sheet in the following link: SB 381 Fact Sheet
SB 387: Peace Officers: Certification, Education, and Recruitment - Held
- Education requirements and minimum academy training have not matured fast enough to ensure we are adequately preparing peace officers.
- Research has shown that officers with higher levels of education significantly reduces the likelihood that officers will use force as their first option and they tend to demonstrate greater levels of creativity and problem solving skills.
- SB 387 will require the completion of specific college level coursework in order to earn a peace officer’s Basic Certificate; establishes a statewide taskforce to aid in the recruitment of future peace officers to be more divers and reflective of community members; provide financial grants to individuals committed to pursuing a career in law enforcement.
- Read the fact sheet in the following link: SB 387 Fact Sheet
SB 457: CalPERS: Divestment from Turkey - Held
- In 2019, Governor Newsom signed a divestment bill that attempted to end California’s investment in the Government of Turkey.
- Due to federal inaction, retirement investments from California’s cities and school districts are still being invested in portfolios that contain investment vehicles owned or issued by the government of the Republic of Turkey.
- SB 457 would require the boards of administration of the CalPERS and CalSTRS to provide employers that are school districts and cities that participate in the systems, investment options that do not contain investment vehicles that are issued or owned by the government of the Republic of Turkey.
- Read the fact sheet in the following link: SB 457 Fact Sheet
SB 485: Filming Industry Building: Tax Credit - Held
- The construction of soundstages in California has not kept pace with the recent growth in production of film, scripted television and streaming content. This forces more produc-tion outside the state.
- The film tax credit does not currently incentivize studio construction and renovation projects—projects that will create good jobs and keep productions in-state for decades to come.
- SB 485 will provide tax credits on newly constructed or renovated soundstages for the film industry.
- Read the fact sheet in the following link: SB 485 Fact Sheet
SB 562: Health Care Coverage: Pervasive Developmental Disorders or Autism - Held
- Californians with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are being denied coverage for physician and psychologist prescribed evidence-based behavioral health treatment (BHT).
- Insurance companies will cover only one form of therapy and deny children the specific treatment prescribed by the health care professional.
- SB 562 will eliminate the existing statutory obstacles and require health insurance coverage for all forms of behavioral health treatment for Californians with Autism Spectrum Disorder without diminishing consumer protections.
- Read the fact sheet in the following link: SB 562 Fact Sheet
SB 612: Electrical Corporations: Allocation of Legacy Resources - Held
- Over the last decade, more than 11 million investor-owned utility (IOU) customers have transitioned from IOU electric service to Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs)
- CCA customers must pay their fair share of the contracts, they do not have access to any of the benefits or resources these contracts provide as those benefits are retained by the IOU for their customers.
- SB 612 ensures fair and equal access to the benefits of legacy contracts resources for all customers and ensures that IOU portfolios are managed to maximize value and reduce unnecessary costs for all customers.
- Read the fact sheet in the following link: SB 612 Fact Sheet
SB 673: Adult Education Block Grant: Reporting Requirements - Held
- As of 2016, 2 million Californians have an education of 7th grade or less, 4 million speak limited English and 5 million do not have a high school diploma.
- The Adult Education Block Grant (AEBG) provided $500 million in ongoing Proposition 98 funding for the grant.
- SB 673 will create a task force to ensure proper funding of adult education programs through reviewing the reporting requirements under the Adult Education block grant program.
- Read the fact sheet in the following link: SB 673 Fact Sheet
SB 715: Criminal Law - Signed by Governor Newsom
- When transferring or purchasing a firearm with a hunting license there is no verification during the 10 day background check to ensure the validity of the license.
- Under existing law, anyone under the age of 21 years would not be able to purchase a long gun in California which mimics the law for handguns on a federal level with the exemptions of Military, Law Enforcements, and hunting license (for long guns).
- SB 715 would define a valid and unexpired hunting license and would require the department of Justice, for sales of firearms to persons under 21 years of age who are eligible to purchase a firearm based upon their possession of a hunting license, to confirm the validity of the hunting license as part of the background check.
- Read the fact sheet in the following link: SB 715 Fact Sheet
SB 748: Trespassing on Private University Property - Signed by Governor Newsom
- Current law only includes public colleges, public universities, and public or private k-12 schools under Penal Code 626, regarding trespassing on private property.
- Some district attorney offices have expressed reservations about issuing trespass on the strength of these letters and the applicability of Penal Code Section 626 to private, non-profit colleges and universities.
- SB 748 expands the type of educational institutions covered by Penal Code 626 to include California’s private nonprofit colleges and universities.
- Read the fact sheet in the following link: SB 748 Fact Sheet
