Caucus News

Senate Bill 648 authored by Senator Tony Mendoza was approved this week by the Senate Health Committee. The bill will protect seniors and their families from elder care referral agencies that engage in unscrupulous business practices by strengthening their licensing and financial disclosure requirements. The bill now goes to the Senate Judiciary Committee for consideration.

The Senate Health Committee yesterday approved SB 792 authored by Senator Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) on a bipartisan 8 to 0 vote. The bill will protect California children in day care from contracting serious diseases by requiring family day care home and day care center workers to be vaccinated against measles, pertussis, and influenza among others. The bill now goes to the Senate Human Services Committee for consideration.

SACRAMENTO, CA —A measure to protect students from being relegated to less challenging mathematics classes – even though they meet the academic requirements for those courses – survived the scrutiny of its first legislative committee and has moved closer to becoming state law.

SACRAMENTO, CA —Calling for students entering elementary school to get comprehensive eye exams by a physician, optometrist or ophthalmologist, Senator Holly J. Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) successfully made the case to the Senate Education Committee that schools and parents should know before reading instruction begins in first grade if a child has visual challenges: her bill to do that, SB 402, has been approved by the panel and continues forward toward enactment as law.

SACRAMENTO – California students are closer to receiving increased education and awareness regarding sexual assault and healthy relationships, after the Senate Education Committee voted unanimously (8-0) to pass Senate Bill 695. Under the legislation, health courses, which are a condition of graduation for a majority of California high school students, will provide instruction on affirmative consent, sexual harassment, assault, violence, and the importance of developing positive, healthy relationships.

Sacramento – A bill to restore public trust and accountability in government by strengthening California’s conflict of interest laws was approved today by the Senate Governance and Finance Committee on a unanimous bipartisan vote of 6 to 0. SB 330 authored by Senator Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) would define what family relationships would constitute a financial conflict interest for a public official in voting on public contracts before any governmental body, board or commission of which that public officer is a member.

SACRAMENTO – The Healthy Relationships and Safe Schools Act, authored by Senator Connie M. Leyva (D-Chino), today passed from the Senate Education Committee with bipartisan support.

Senator Richard D. Roth (D-Riverside) issued the following statement on the US Air Force’s decision to not select March Air Reserve Base as a candidate base for the new KC-46 tanker aircraft:

“I am disappointed that the Air Force has failed to recognize the strategic importance of basing the new KC-46 tanker at March Air Reserve Base. March ARB is not only a critical component of the military’s air refueling mission, but also vitally important to our national security mission. I will continue to advocate for March ARB as the ideal location for the KC-46 tanker.”

SACRAMENTO – California Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles), Chair of the Senate Rules Committee, has announced the following appointments by the Rules Committee:Senator Sharon Runner, a Republican from Lancaster, has been appointed to the State Allocation Board. Her term on the committee is a pleasure term and the compensation is actual and necessary expenses.

SACRAMENTO – On a bipartisan, 7-to-0 vote, a plan by Sen. Bob Hertzberg to require local government agencies to conduct system-wide inventories of collected data today passed its first policy test.