Senator Henry Stern Enters Summer Recess with Significant Progress: 13 Bills in Movement, 1 Signed by Governor

SACRAMENTO, CA (07/03/24)- Senator Henry Stern (SD-27) enters summer recess with a bill already signed into law by Governor Newsom and 13 bills successfully navigated through various committees, marking a productive session for the Senator and his team.

"I am proud of the progress we’ve made this session," said Senator Stern. "Each bill represents a step forward in our efforts to protect our community and the environment.  I look forward to continuing this work after the summer recess and pushing these initiatives to completion."

Key Highlights:

SB 1169 LA County Flood Control Bond: will modernize the outdated debt language by removing the arbitrary, non-adjusting limit, raising the interest rate maximum in line with modern program levels, eliminating vague language regarding taxation, and aligning repayment terms with that of the federal programs. This bill was signed into law by the Governor and had bipartisan support in the legislature. 

9 Bills Advanced to Assembly Appropriations Committee:

SB 1400: Improve upon Stern’s prior SB 317, removing the option for automatic dismissal in Medically Incompetent to Stand Trial (M.I.S.T.) cases and instead, mandating a hearing to determine diversion eligibility. 

SB 1509: This legislation, aimed at addressing negligent driving behaviors on California's roads, seeks to enhance road safety and prevent future tragedies in the community. Among the proposed amendments to existing law, SB 1509 would classify second convictions for driving over 26 miles per hour over the speed limit as a two-point violation against a driver's license on roadways with speed limits 55 mph and under. This measure comes in response to concerning statistics, with 34% of the state's yearly traffic fatalities being speed-related according to data from the CalTrans.

SB 1277: Establishes the Teachers Collaborative for Holocaust and Genocide Education as a statewide teacher professional development program. Led by the California Department of Education, the Collaborative will focus on educating teachers about the Holocaust and genocides of various peoples, including Armenian, Bosnian, Indigenous American, Cambodian, and Uyghur communities. It will also address contemporary issues such as hate and antisemitism.

SB 1508: Updates the state’s ongoing energy storage target setting process to reflect current clean energy and climate change goals and incorporate a broader array of energy storage technologies that will likely be needed to achieve state energy goals effectively.

SB 1283: Makes clear that school districts across California have the authority to restrict the use of social media on school campuses. While some schools and teachers have taken leadership by developing their own approaches, districts still have no rules of the road, and social media abuse and addiction continues to skyrocket.

SB 1301: This addition to the Public Utilities Code, Section 959.5, mandates that natural gas utilities must provide necessary data to the commission for creating models and analyses aimed at ensuring safety, reliability, and cost-effective reduction of natural gas demand. It emphasizes long-term planning and investments. 

SB 1504: Would require social media platforms to respond to reports of cyberbullying in a timely manner and give victims and their parents and guardians more power to report and seek legal recourse if their pleas for help are ignored.

SB 1251: Mandates investor-owned electric utilities to collaborate with mosquito abatement agencies or health departments to mitigate mosquito breeding in utility vaults.

SB 1252: Requires the California Mosquito Surveillance and Research Program to consult all University of California and California State University campuses about the most up to date research pertaining to mosquito abatement.

The below 4 bills made it out of the Assembly committees and to the floor, will be heard in the beginning of August. 

SB 1471: Gives a certified employee at a public school the option to conduct a brief period of quiet Reflection, with the participation of students in attendance.

SB 1399: Ensures the ability for continued implementation and recordation of private transfer fee (PTF) covenants required by agreements which meet specific and narrow exception criteria.

SB 1136: Clarifies the California Air Resources Board role before the JLCCCP by focusing the reporting requirements on implementation of the state’s Scoping Plan, the document that outlines how the state will achieve its carbon neutrality mandates.

SCR 151: Designates the Southbound portion of I5 between Magic Mountain Parkway and Valencia Boulevard in the City of Santa Clarita in the County of LA as the Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer Memorial Highway.