Caucus News

Governor signs bill to outlaw analog substances of synthetic cannabinoids

SACRAMENTO – Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Senate Bill 1036, authored by Senator Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina), which bans synthetic cannabinoids in California. Starting January 1, 2017, it will be a crime to possess, sell, transport, or manufacture an analog of a synthetic cannabinoid compound.

SACRAMENTO – Senate Bill 977 authored by Dr. Richard Pan, and sponsored by the 8th grade class at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Elementary School in Elk Grove was signed by the Governor today.  SB 977 would prohibit the use of tobacco products within 250 feet from a youth sporting event. 

Women in California will have more reliable and effective access to birth control under a bill authored by Senator Fran Pavley and signed by Governor Jerry Brown on Friday.

SB 999 requires public and private health plans to cover the dispensation of hormonal birth control for a period of up to 12 months – a change that would eliminate the need to obtain refills every 30 or 90 days.

The 12-month option is recommended by the National Centers for Disease Control, and research has shown that it reduces unintended pregnancies by 30 percent.

SACRAMENTO, CA – Legislation authored by Senator Ben Allen (D – Santa Monica) to

strengthen the mitigation of methane gas leaks from underground storage facilities was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown today.  The bill, SB 888, requires fines and penalties assessed for a gas leak to be at least equal the amount needed to fully mitigate the climate impacts of the leak.  The legislation also improves the state’s response to future gas leaks by designating the Office of Emergency Services as the lead point of contact for the government.

Sacramento, CA… State Senator Ben Hueso (D-San Diego), today announced that Governor Brown signed into law Senate Bill 948 which would eliminate the sunset date of January 1st, 2018 for the pilot program Increased Access to Responsible Small Dollar Loans and make it permanent for Californians.  This new law which goes into effect on January 1, 2017 will continue to increase the availability of responsible small dollar installment loans of at least $300 but less than $2,500.
 

SACRAMENTO – California Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de León released the following statement regarding the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s proposal to hike vehicle registration fees to pay for pollution reduction:

Legislation strengthens oversight, streamlines distribution of funds to benefit veterans home residents
(SACRAMENTO, CA)– Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today signed into law legislation by Senator Lois Wolk (D-Davis) to provide stronger oversight and fairer distribution of funds to provide for the welfare of veterans living in California’s eight veterans’ homes.

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization, will honor Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan with its highest honor, the Trumpeter Award, on Wednesday, September 21 in Washington, DC.

SACRAMENTO – Governor Brown signed SB 1095 today, bill authored by Dr. Richard Pan to require the Department of Public Health to expand the existing newborn screening program, ensuring that California babies get the earliest diagnosis and treatment possible for these life-threatening diseases.

SACRAMENTO –A new law signed by Governor Jerry Brown will provide a quicker resolution process for victims of identity theft and fraud. The bill, also known as the Identity Theft Resolution Act, was authored by Assemblymember Bill Dodd (D-Napa) after becoming a victim of identity theft himself last year. This new law will dramatically reduce the time it takes for victims of identity theft to clear their name, end harassing phone calls, and remove negative credit reporting.