Advocacy Day | Capitol Hill | Wednesday August 14, 2024
August Advocacy Day at the capitol, thoughtfully organized by PERK Advocacy's co-founder and Director of Advocacy and Education, Darrlene Alquiza, emphasized the importance of ongoing dialogue between elected officials and their constituents. Darrlene and the PERK Advocacy team prepared comprehensive handouts detailing the various bills currently in suspense for capitol staff to review and share with legislators throughout the day. During all office visits, advocated on critical issues concerning children’s education, health, and overall safety. Notably, this significant advocacy day occurred just before the critical voting on suspense bills, which is an essential step before those bills reach the Governor for final consideration.
The dedicated PERK team meticulously navigated the intricate corridors of the capitol, traversing eight floors in an effort to greet Senators and Assemblymembers whenever possible. We also connected with assigned staffers, all while actively exercising our commitment to civic engagement, a prominent and essential practice within PERK Advocacy’s mission. The Advocacy Day provided a valuable opportunity for cultivating a working relationship with legislators, emphasizing the significance of our presence in promoting accountability and transparency. By engaging in meaningful interactions, we brought attention to PERK’s unwavering commitment to advocate for commonsensical policy. Our approach showcases a genuine willingness to engage in constructive dialogue, which plays a crucial role in fostering trustworthiness and enhancing our legacy within the community. Sharing even a few precious seconds or a handful of minutes with legislators and their staff further cements our platforms, instilling hope that elected officials may increasingly lean towards our political stance in the future. In a soft yet effective manner, our sustained level of engagement is continuously opening doors for future policy discussions and deepening PERK Advocacy’s philosophy within the lawmaking process, all in pursuit of creating a better community and ensuring the protection of our family members.
PERK is building stronger political connections through visits to elected officials at the capitol and their local offices. These year-round visits, friendly emails, and interactions at political events foster positive relationships in a challenging political landscape.
Last day to amend bills on the floor is August 23, and the last day for each house to pass bills is August 31. September 30 will be the last day for the Governor to sign or veto bills that were passed by the Legislature before Sept. 1 and in the Governor’s possession on or after Sept. 1.
Since legislators begin their final recess after August 31, many of them will be campaigning for elections that will be held November 5. Make sure to speak with candidates in your district to find out where they stand on the issues you care about. There will be at least 26 new legislators voted in with the coming election. This is a big deal! We have an opportunity to make significant change at the capitol. Get involved in your district and be a part of the effort to make a difference!
Bill updates 8/19/24
Oppose:
We are happy to share that 4 of the 5 bills that PERK Advocacy opposed were amended in our favor! Unfortunately, AB1955 passed into law, but we are strategizing plans of action to fight it and stand up for parental rights to know about their child.
AB 2442 (Zbur) Healing arts: expedited licensure process: gender-affirming health care and gender-affirming mental health care.
There is a moral obligation to treat each person with equal care and prioritizing gender affirming care is no more important than other care. Comparing this to the abortion laws does not make sense as there is no time expiration for the rush on treating a patient.
PERK Advocacy want to ensure that all California residents receive safe and proper care.
STATUS: Sen 3rd Reading - Asm Bills 08-19-2024 418
AB-1825 California Freedom to Read Act.
The bill would prohibit the governing board or body of a public library, or any body or commission designated to review the procurement, retention, or circulation of, or access to, library materials, from (1) proscribing the circulation or procurement of, or access to, library materials in a public library because of the topic addressed by the library materials or because of the views, ideas, or opinions contained in materials or (2) creating policies or procedures that limit or restrict access to library materials offered by the public library, except as provided. The bill would also prohibit library materials in a public library from being excluded, and access to library materials from being limited, solely on the bases of (1) specified protected characteristics of a subject of the library materials, an author of the materials, the sources of the library materials, or the perceived or intended audience for the library materials, (2) that the materials contain inclusive and diverse perspectives, or(3) that the materials may include sexual content, except as provided. The bill would provide that a person’s right to use a public library and its resources shall not be denied or abridged solely because
Status: Sen 3rd Reading - Asm Bills 08-19-2024 #527
AB 1955 (Ward) Academic Futures and Educators for Today’s Youth Act.
STATUS: Signed into law 07/15/24 by Governor Newsom
This bill would prohibit school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, and the state special schools, and a member of the governing board or body of those educational entities, from enacting or enforcing any policy, rule, or administrative regulation that requires an employee or a contractor to disclose any information related to a pupil’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to any other person without the pupil’s consent unless otherwise required by law, as provided.
SB-907 Orange County Board of Education: members.
SB 907 seeks to add 2 more trustees (i.e. packing the court) to the Orange County Board of Education, costing more tax dollars to fund a County School Board that already exceeds doing a sufficient job. Orange County test scores are exceptional.
Status: Asm 2nd Reading File Senate Bills 08-19-2024 #131
Support:
SB 1414 (Grove)- Crimes: Solicitation of a minor.
This bill increases jail times and fines for solicitation of a minor and creates a requirement to register as a sex offender for a term of 10 years.
STATUS: Asm Appropriations Committee Hearing Date: 08/15/24
AB 2652 (Muratsuchi) Dept. of Education: A.I. working group.
This bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to convene a working group for the purpose of exploring how A.I. and other forms of advanced technology are currently being used in education and developing best practices to ensure that those technologies advance, rather than harm, educational quality.
STATUS: Bill Died
AB 1824 (Valencia) California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018: opt-out right
This bill would require a business to which another business transfers the personal information of a consumer as an asset that is part of a merger, acquisition, bankruptcy, or other transaction, to comply with a consumer’s opt-out direction to the transferer. This requirement will help safeguard consumer privacy and protect against improper use of personal information that is collected and sold by businesses.
STATUS: Sen 3rd Reading - Asm Bills 08-19-2024 #430
SB-976 (Skinner) Social Media Youth Addiction Law.
This bill prohibits “social media platforms” from providing “addictive feeds,” as those terms are defined, to minors without parental consent and from sending notifications to minors at night and during school hours without parental consent. The bill requires platforms to make available to parents a series of protective measures for controlling access to and features of the platform for their children. The bill also requires reporting on data regarding children on their platforms, as specified.
Status: : Asm 2nd Reading File Senate Bills 08-19-2024 #146
AB-1871 Adopted course of study for grades 7 to 12: social sciences: personal financial literacy.
This bill with respect to the adopted course of study for grades 7 to 12, inclusive, would require the social sciences area of study to also include instruction on personal financial literacy, as provided.
Status: Sen Held At Desk - Assembly Bills 08-19-2024 A- 42
AB-1949 California Consumer Privacy Act of 2020: collection of personal information of a minor
This bill would instead prohibit a business from selling or sharing the personal information of a consumer if the business has actual knowledge that the consumer is less than 18 years of age and would revise the above-described prohibition to prohibit a business from selling or sharing the personal information of a consumer over 13 years of age, but less than 18 years of age, unless the consumer, or the consumer’s parent or guardian, as applicable, has affirmatively authorized the sale or sharing of the consumer’s personal information, as specified. The bill would require a business to treat a consumer as under 18 years of age if the consumer, through a platform, technology, or mechanism, transmits a signal indicating that the consumer is less than 18 years of age.
STATUS: Sen 2nd Reading - Asm Bills 08-19-2024 #28
Please visit PERK Advocacy Action Campaign Page and take action on the important bills that are still being considered by the legislature: https://p2a.co/PERKAdvocacyActionCenter
*Rest assured, PERK and PERK Advocacy is dedicated to providing you with ongoing updates on the status of these crucial bills, along with actionable steps you can take to bring about meaningful change. PERK Advocacy remains committed to careful monitoring, active lobbying, and consistent advocacy for California legislation. For more frequent updates and convenient access to the PERK Advocacy Action Center, be sure to visit www.perkadvocacy.com.