2011 Legislation
2011 Bills Signed by the Governor
SB 15 – Multiple Year Budgeting sponsored by California Forward
SB 15 gives the Governor new responsibilities to report fiscal information to the Legislature and the public – including multi-year budgets – commencing with the 2012-13 fiscal year.
SB 201 – Corporate Flexibility Act of 2011 sponsored by the California Working Group for New Corporate Forms
SB 201 creates a new type of corporation, the Flexible Purpose Corporation. This will permit directors of a Flexible Purpose Corporation to consider, along with the best interests of the corporation and its shareholders, the interests of the corporation’s employees, suppliers, customers and creditors, community and societal considerations and the environment. Under current law corporate directors have a fiduciary duty to act solely in the interest of maximizing shareholder value.
SB 272 – Bone Marrow and Organ Donation Leave sponsored by the California Chamber of Commerce
SB 272 clarifies for both employees and employers the provisions of California’s organ and bone marrow donation leave that was went into effect on January 1, 2011.
SB 360 – Controlled Substances Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) Program sponsored by Attorney General Kamala Harris
SB 360 strengthens the CURES program administered by the California Department of Justice to provide for the electronic monitoring of the prescribing and dispensing of Schedule II, III and IV controlled substances. SB 360 improves the Attorney General’s ability to enforce laws to identify and deter prescription drug abuse and fraud and the misuse of confidential CURES data.
SB 373 – Contra Costa County Retirement Tier C sponsored by Contra Costa County
SB 373 deletes the sunset date in current law to allow Contra Costa County to continue to offer the Tier C retirement benefit. Tier C is a benefit that was negotiated between the County and the Deputy Sheriffs Association that lowers the County’s long-term structural costs for retirement benefits.
SB 429 – Before and After School Programs sponsored by Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torklaskon
SB 429 will allow after school learning programs the flexibility to offer families longer program hours and additional access to summer learning programs through state and federal after school dollars. Due to recent budget cuts, many school districts have been forced to severely reduce or eliminate summer school programs or close school buildings for the summer in order to save money. This bill will help assure that children do not fall behind academically over the summer.
SB 507 – Property Taxation: Change in Ownership sponsored by the California Assessors’ Association
SB 507 increases the maximum penalty for failure to file a Change of Ownership Statement with a county assessor. It also extends the timeline for submission from 45 to 90 days, and allows for penalties resulting from erroneous information to be automatically abated.
SB 536 – Property Tax Revenue Allocation sponsored by the City of Oakley
SB 536 will provide greater financial benefits to the Oakley Redevelopment Agency to host a power generating facility. Communities that are willing to host these facilities should be provided adequate resources to address any and all impacts that may arise, as well as provide additional benefits to the community.
SB 551 – State Property: Tidelands Transfer sponsored by the City of Pittsburg
SB 551 transfers lands surrounding the Pittsburg marina from the State to each respective city. The bill will allow for increased local control of land use, while maintaining that revenue streams from certain leases will continue to go to the State.
SB 562 – Transportation and Housing Committee Bill
SB 562 is a code clean-up bill to make non-controversial changes to sections of law relating to housing.
SB 563 – Transportation and Housing Committee Bill
SB 563 ensures that common interest developments are governed in an open and transparent fashion by prohibiting the boards from conducting business via e-mail.
SB 565 – General Transportation
SB 565 makes several non-controversial changes to current law. This bill combines several small changes into a single bill which saves time and money by reducing the number of bills that the Legislature must process each year.
SB 567 – Plastic End-of-Life Claims sponsored by Californians Against Waste
SB 567 prohibits manufacturers of plastic products from making false claims about their products being green. Specifically, SB 567 prohibits manufacturers from claiming their products are “biodegradable” and requires that manufacturers of products that claim to be “compostable” meet the scientific technical standard for “compostability.”
SB 608 – Prison Industry Authority: Nonprofit Organizations sponsored by K to College
SB 608 allows nonprofits to purchase goods and services from the Prison Industry Authority. This bill is a result of a project Senator DeSaulnier worked on in 2009 which allowed a local nonprofit, K 2 College, to use Prison Industry Authority labor to assemble free school supply kits for underprivileged students.
SB 734 – Local Workforce Investment Boards sponsored by the State Building and Construction Trades Council, California Labor Federation and California Manufacturers and Technology Association
SB 734 will increase the share of local Workforce Investment Act resources that are committed to providing effective, longer-term training and support for an increased number of workers.
SCR 20 – California Safe Digging Month sponsored by the Underground Service Alert of Northern California and Nevada
SCR 20 proclaims April as California Safe Digging Month. More than 200,000 underground utility lines are struck each year in the United States and approximately 37 percent of all United States digging damages result from not calling 811 before digging. The 811 “Call Before You Dig” program is a vital public education and awareness program dealing with the safety of subsurface excavation, and education is the key to promoting safe digging practices.
SCR 21 – Martinez Police Sergeant Paul Starzyk Memorial Overcrossing sponsored by the Martinez Police Department
SCR 21 will name the Pine Street Overcrossing that crosses State Highway Route 4 in the City of Martinez as the Police Sergeant Paul Starzyk Memorial Overcrossing. Sergeant Paul Starzyk served as a full time police officer for 14 years at the Martinez Police Department and was tragically killed in the line of duty while protecting those he was sworn to serve.
SR 9 – California Teen Safe Driving Week sponsored by the California Association of Highway Patrolmen
SR 9 designates the week of March 6, 2011 as “California Teen Safe Driving Week” and recognizes that more awareness needs to be raised to reach teens, parents, and teachers and to influence change in risky driving behavior in order to reduce the number of teens killed on California’s roadways each year.
2011 Bills Vetoed by the Governor
SB 334 – Initiatives: Statewide Ballot Pamphlet
SB 334 adds a list of the five highest contributors of $50,000 or more in support or opposition of each ballot measure to the ballot pamphlet produced by the Secretary of State.
SB 448 – Paid Signature Gathers
SB 448 requires an individual paid to circulate an initiative, referendum, or recall petition to wear a badge identifying him or her as a “paid signature gatherer.”
Other Bills in 2011
SB 394 – Healthy Schools Act of 2011
SB 394, the Healthy Schools Act of 2011, requires public schools to phase out some of the worst pesticides and encourages schools to move away from pesticide reliance by taking the next step to make healthy pest control training mandatory. This bill will ensure schools in California are healthy and green places to work, learn and play for children and teachers.
SB 906 – Incarceration submitted by an SD7 constituent as part of annual “There Ought to be a Law” contest
SB 906 assures that co-conspirators that are tried and convicted of a violent felony cannot be housed together in county jails or state prisons.