2024 Policy Update in California
Updates as 8/12/2024
Update for 2024
In August, the California legislators are back in Sacramento after their summer break. The PERK Advocacy team will be going up to the capitol one more time this month to continue sharing with legislators and their staff about the negative impacts of vaccine mandates, as well as advocating for key bills to pass.
Bills in the fiscal Appropriations Committees will need to be voted on by Friday August 16. 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!
There are 60 bills PERK Advocacy has taken action on in 2024:
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.
Join our Town Hall on Tuesday, August 13th, for the latest update on AB1955.
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 - 08-12-2024 #86
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 08-12-2024 #213
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 Appropriations Committee Hearing Date: 08/15/24
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
SB 1435 (Ochoa Bogh) – Books and other school materials: Obscene matter
This bill protects children from materials that are not developmentally appropriate.
Guidance regarding appropriateness for various ages is a necessary consideration for books and other materials used in school.
STATUS: FAILED 04/24/24
Judiciary Committee Vote Result:
(FAIL) »» Ayes: 2; Noes: 3; Abstain: 2;
SB 1203 (Grove) Education Flex Account Act of 2024
School funds should allow each child to learn in a setting that best suits their educational needs and interests. Establishing an ESA trust that allows parents to work with the state to ensure that the child is the center of focus is important for the child’s growth and development.
STATUS: 04/24/24 Failed
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 08-12-2024 #102
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 Appropriations Committee Hearing Date: 08/15/24
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 08-12-2024 A- 48
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 Appropriations Committee Hearing Date: 08/15/24
PERK Advocacy submitted 54 support letters and 1 neutral; 5 passed, 34 in process.
PERK Advocacy supports these bills that have passed and are chaptered :
AB1796: Pupil instruction: course offerings: parental notification. (Alanis)
Ensures parents are notified about course offerings at the school
AB2370: Community colleges: faculty: instructor of record: qualifications. (Cervantes)
Ensures the instructor is a human, preventing AI technology from replacing live teachers.
AB2932: Pupil instruction: sextortion prevention. (Patterson, Joe)
Requires the Quality Commission to consider providing for inclusion, content on sextortion in recommendation of curriculum frameworks to the State Board of Ed.
ACR 174: Firefighter Suicide Awareness and Prevention Stand Down Week. (Grayson)
Brings awareness to mental health issues first responders face. This aligns with our message that the vaccine mandates have caused moral injury, a type of PTSD that has hit many of our essential workers. They were coerced to get the jab to keep the jobs they are passionate about, after having already faced actively sick covid patients at the height of the pandemic.
SCR 134: Child Abuse Prevention Month (Grove)
Declares August a time to bring awareness to protecting children from abuse and neglect.
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 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.