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CIPC Summer Legislative Update
Today, both houses of the California Legislature will reconvene from Summer Recess to take action on hundreds of bills by the end of the legislative session on August 31. The California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC) and our allies are actively engaged in working with lawmakers to advance policies that benefit immigrant families across the state of California and encourage positive, effective immigrant integration policies at the state level. This year, CIPC is sponsoring and tracking a robust package of bills in the areas of health care, language access, civil rights, workers' rights, education, and other policies that may affect immigrants and their families.
The hearing dates listed below are subject to change. For additional information on the bills listed, please click here or call Ronald Coleman, CIPC’s Government Affairs Manager at 916-448-6762.
CIPC SPONSORED BILLS
AB 1081 (AMMIANO) - The TRUST ACT – CO-SPONSOR WITH THE ASIAN LAW CAUCUS AND THE NATIONAL DAY LABOR ORGANIZING NETWORK: This bill will be the first state-level proposal in the nation to set reasonable limits for local responses to the burdensome immigration hold requests that detain community members for deportation.
Status: This bill passed the Senate Floor prior to the Summer Recess. Please stay tuned for next steps.
AB 1899 (MITCHELL) – ACCESS TO EDUCTION FOR CRIME SURVIVORS – CO-SPONSOR WITH NILC (National Immigration Law Center) AND MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund): This bill would provide continued access to in-state tuition rates, fee waivers, scholarships and state financial aid to otherwise eligible crime survivors who have been granted a “T” or “U” non-immigrant status.
Status: This bill is currently on “suspense” in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
SB 1313 (LIEU) – DECEPTIVE MARKETING – CO-SPONSOR WITH CPEHN (California Pan-Ethnic Health Network) AND CONSUMERS UNION: This bill would strengthen consumer protections for new health care enrollees and protect them against potential fraudulent or deceptive marketing practices.
Status: This bill was held in Senate Appropriations. In the coming weeks, CIPC will continue to promote the goals of this bill through administrative advocacy while also looking at ways to preserve various provisions in other legislative vehicles to ensure that immigrants and Limited-English Proficient (LEP) communities get accurate and reliable information about the Affordable Care Act and its implementation in California.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
AB 1453 (MONNING) and SB 951 (HERNANDEZ) – ESSENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS – SUPPORT: These bills protect consumers from underinsurance and junk insurance by requiring that health plans and health insurers cover a set of minimum essential health benefits as determined by federal regulations under the Affordable Care Act.
Status: AB 1453 will be heard in Senate Appropriations on August 6th and SB 951 will be heard in Assembly Appropriations on August 8th.
AB 1580 (BONILLA) – HEALTH CARE ELIGIBILITY AND ENROLLMENT – SUPPORT: This bill is a technical fix to AB 1296 (Bonilla) which was signed into law last year to streamline eligibility and enrollment processes. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires states to have a seamless, “no wrong door” system for determining eligibility for and enrolling people into Medi-Cal, Healthy Families and the Health Benefits Exchange. AB 1296 implements these components by requiring a single application for Medi-Cal, the Health Benefits Exchange, and Healthy Families – online, by phone, in person and by mail.
Status: This bill has been waived through the Senate Appropriations Committee pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, and will be taken up for a floor vote in the coming days.
SB 970 (DE LEON) – HEALTH CARE REFORM ELIGIBILITY, ENROLLMENT, and RETENTION PLANNING ACT – SUPPORT: This bill would integrate the process for applying for public programs such as CalFresh and CalWORKs with the new online health coverage application process to ensure that families can be screened for multiple benefits of which they may be eligible.
Status: This bill has been referred to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for a hearing on August 8th.
AB 1761 (PEREZ) – CALIFORNIA HEALTH BENEFITS EXCHANGE – SUPPORT: This bill prohibits individuals and entities, including those regulated by the Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) and The Department of Insurance (CDI), from holding themselves out as representing, constituting, or otherwise providing services on behalf of the California Health Benefits Exchange (Exchange) unless the individual or entity has a valid agreement with the Exchange to engage in those activities.
Status: This bill has been referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
AB 1691 (LOWENTHAL) – CalWORKs WELFARE TO WORK ACTIVITIES – SUPPORT: This bill would include English as a Second Language (ESL) education as a core welfare-to-work activity in the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program.
Status: This bill has been placed on “suspense” in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
SB 1064 (DE LEON) – CHILD CUSTODY – SUPPORT: This bill would eliminate many of the barriers in the child welfare system for immigrant families by creating uniformity across county and state policies.
Status: This bill has been referred to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for a hearing on August 8th.
AB 2015 (MITCHELL) – CRIMINAL PROCEDURE AND TELEPHONE CALLS FOR ARRESTED CUSTODIAL PARENT – SUPPORT: This bill would require an arresting or booking officer to inquire if an arrested person is a custodial parent with responsibility for a minor child, and requires that a sign be posted in a conspicuous place informing an arrested custodial parent of his or her right to two additional phone calls for the purpose of arranging for the care of the child or children in the parent's absence.
Status: This bill is set for a hearing in Senate Appropriations on August 6th.
LANGUAGE ACCESS AND EDUCATION
SB 1233 (PADILLA) – TRANSLATION OF INITIATIVES AND REFERENDA TITLES AND SUMMARIES - SUPPORT: This bill would provide for translations of initiative and referenda circulating titles and summaries.
Status: This bill is set for a hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on August 8th.
AB 1719 (FUENTES) – SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL & ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT – SUPPORT: This bill would establish a process for the review and approval of supplemental instructional materials that are aligned to the common core state standards and the revised English language development (ELD) standards for English learner pupils.
Status: This bill is set for a hearing in Senate Appropriations on August 6th.
AB 2193 (LARA) – LONG TERM ENGLISH LEARNERS - SUPPORT: This bill defines "long-term English learners (LTELs)" and "English learners (ELs) at risk of becoming long-term English learners;" requires local educational agencies (LEAs) to report the number of pupils identified as such, and requires specified information be provided to parents of pupils who are, or are at risk of becoming LTELs.
Status: This bill is set for a hearing in Senate Appropriations on August 6th.
SB 1423 (HERNANDEZ) – PUBLIC SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY AND ENGLISH LEARNERS – SUPPORT: This bill expands the responsibilities of regional consortia (established for purposes of complying with federal No Child Left Behind Act requirements that states assist schools in Program Improvement) to additionally require that they assist these schools in their efforts to provide the same course options to English learners enrolled in the school as are available to other pupils at the same school.
Status: Failed to pass policy committee deadline.
AB 1521 (BROWNLEY) – STANDARDIZED TESTING AND REPORTING - SUPPORT: This bill makes the following changes to the K-12 assessment system (i.e., the Standardized Testing and Reporting Program): 1) Eliminates end-of-course assessments in math 1-3 and integrated/coordinated assessments in science 1-4. 2) Authorizes the State Department of Education (SDE) to make a standards-aligned primary language assessment available to school districts to assess pupils, including English language learners (ELLs) who are enrolled in a dual language immersion (DLI) program and requires a district that chooses this option to administer the assessment at its own expense.
Status: This bill has passed the Senate Appropriations Committee and will be taken up for a vote on the Senate Floor in the coming days.
SB 1109 (PADILLA) – ENGLISH LEARNERS AND A MASTER PLAN – SUPPORT: This bill requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) to develop an English Learner Master Plan, to include specified elements, before January 1, 2014, and requires the SPI to report on the status of, and recommendations for, the plan to the Legislature and the State Board of Education.
Status: This bill has been held in Senate Appropriations.
SB 993 (DE LEON) – ADDING THE BRACERO PROGRAM TO CURRICULUM – SUPPORT: This bill authorizes social science instruction to include instruction on the Bracero Program.
Status: This bill has cleared the Assembly Education Committee and will be taken up for a vote on the Assembly Floor in the coming days.
CIVIL RIGHTS AND EQUALITY
AB 1436 (FEUER) – VOTER REGISTRATION – SUPPORT: This bill would allow for conditional voter registration between Election Day and 15 days prior. It will help increase voter turnout among people who become increasingly aware of election issues and candidates closer to election dates, and has the potential to increase voter registration by 5-10%.
Status: This bill is set for a hearing in Senate Appropriations on August 6th.
AB 1814 (ENG) – VOTING RIGHTS AND LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE – SUPPORT: This bill would improve compliance with our state and federal voting rights laws by strengthening the Secretary of State’s ability to monitor the compliance of election officials in order to mitigate barriers and facilitate the ability of Limited English Proficient and first time voters to participate in California’s democratic process.
Status: This bill is set for a hearing in Senate Appropriations on August 6th.
AB 1993 (MA) – VEHICLE REMOVAL AND IMPOUNDMENT – SUPPORT: This bill would allow a city or county to impound a car for less than 30 days for certain traffic infractions where the offense involves a person who has never been issued a driver’s license.
Status: This bill failed passage in the Senate Transportation Committee.
SB 956 (LIEU) BUY-HERE-PAY-HERE, AUTOMOBILE SELLERS & LENDERS – SUPPORT: This bill aims to regulate “Buy Here, Pay Here” dealers by requiring them to obtain a California Finance Lenders license from the Department of Corporations, caps the interest rates charged to consumers, and expands repossession laws to include additional consumer protections.
Status: This bill has been referred to Assembly Appropriations Committee and will be heard in the coming weeks.
WORKERS’ RIGHTS
AB 889 (AMMIANO) – DOMESTIC WORKERS – SUPPORT: This bill would provide domestic workers with industry-specific labor protections to use kitchen facilities and cook their own food, and creates standards for sleep, sick days, living wage increases, and paid vacations.
Status: Held in Senate Appropriations Suspense File; bill will continue to move in the coming days as parties involved resolve key issues.
AB 1964 (YAMADA) – DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT AND RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATIONS – SUPPORT: This bill would clarify that undue hardship, as defined in the Definitions Section of the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), applies to the Religious Discrimination section. The bill would also specify that religious clothing and hairstyles qualify as a religious belief or observance and that segregating an employee from customers or the public is not a reasonable accommodation of an employee’s religious beliefs.
Status: This bill has been waived through Appropriations Committee pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, and will be taken up on the Senate floor in the coming days.
AB 2346 (BUTLER) – FARMWORKER HEAT ILLNES AND DEATH – SUPPORT: This bill assures that agricultural employers provide water and shade to their employees. It creates a private right of action so that farm workers would be able to
go to court to enforce state heat rules when growers refuse to provide shade and water in hot weather. The bill also ensures that growers who have hired farm labor contractors can be held liable for heat-illness violations.
Status: This bill has been referred to Senate Appropriations Committee for a hearing on August 6th.
AB 2517 (ENG) – THE WAGE THEFT RECOVERY ACT – SUPPORT: This bill Authorizes "wage liens" in the car wash industry against the real and personal property of an employer for unpaid wages, and makes changes to existing mechanics lien law.
Status: This bill failed to pass the Assembly Floor.
AB 1544 (VM PEREZ) – RESIDENTIAL GUEST WORKER PROGRAM – OPPOSE: This bill would have required the Employment Development Department (EDD), upon certification that there are not enough legal residents of California to fill all open agricultural and service industry jobs in California, to issue permits authorizing an undocumented person who meets specified criteria to reside and work as an employee in California as long as they are employed in the agricultural or service industry.
Status: This bill has been moved to Inactive status and failed to pass out of its house of origin prior to the June 1st deadline, but we expect a new version to appear in the coming days.
ANTI-IMMIGRANT LEGISLATION
AB 2479 (DONNELLY) – PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP REQUIREMENT FOR VOTING – OPPOSE: This bill requires a person to provide proof of citizenship in order to register to vote.
Status: Failed passage in policy committee.
AB 1716 (GARRICK) – PHOTO IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENT FOR VOTING – OPPOSE: This bill would require individuals voting in person to show valid or recently-expired government-issued photo ID at the polls or vote a provisional ballot in the alternative, and individuals voting by mail to submit an ID number with their ballots. California would be required to provide I.D. cards free of charge, and certain voters would be exempt, including those residing at long-term care facilities and those with religious objections to being photographed.
Status: Failed passage in policy committee.
AB 1571 (DONNELLY) – HUMAN TRAFFICKING – OPPOSE: This bill defines "human smuggling" as the importation of people into the country via the deliberate evasion of immigration law, including bringing undocumented aliens into the country, as well as the unlawful transportation and harboring of undocumented aliens already in the country.
Status: Failed passage in policy committee.
AB 2306 (DONNELLY) – CALIFORNIA EMERGENCY SERVICES ACT AND BORDER SECURITY - OPPOSE: This bill would authorize the Governor to commit state resources and funds under statutory emergency powers to address the federal function of immigration law enforcement, potentially creating an army of immigration enforcement officers throughout the state who operate under emergency police powers rather than the normal procedures of law enforcement.
Status: Failed passage in policy committee.
SB 1074 (DUTTON) – CalFresh ELIGIBILITY FINGERPRINT REQUIREMENT – OPPOSE: This bill would extend the fingerprint imaging requirement to CalFresh.
Status: Failed passage in Policy Committee.
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