CFRW Capitol Update October 9, 2023

SB-14 Serious felonies: human trafficking.
This bill designates human trafficking of a minor for purposes of a commercial sex act as a “serious felony,” making it a strike for purposes of the Three Strikes Law, except as specified.

AB-1078:   Instructional materials and curriculum: diversity.
 This bill would revise the list of the culturally and racially diverse groups to instead include materials that accurately portray the contributions of people of all genders and the role and contributions of Latino Americans, LGBTQ+ Americans, and other ethnic, cultural, religious, and socioeconomic status groups. By imposing new obligations on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the department, no later than July 1, 2025, to issue guidance related to how to help school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, and school personnel manage conversations about race and gender, and how to review instructional materials to ensure that they represent diverse perspectives and are culturally relevant.

AB-969 Elections: voting systems.
This bill would prohibit an elections official from performing a manual vote count in a semifinal official canvass pursuant to the above procedures in any contest held on an established election date, as specified, where there are more than 1,000 registered voters eligible to participate in that election as of 154 days in advance of the election, or in any contest held on a date other than an established election date, where there are more than 5,000 registered voters eligible to participate in that election as of 154 days in advance of the election. The bill would only allow an election official to conduct a manual vote count for a semifinal official canvass in a precinct pursuant to the above procedures if the count is conducted pursuant to a plan approved by the Secretary of State, as specified. The bill would require the Secretary of State to adopt regulations regarding manual vote counts.

AB-28 Firearms and ammunition: excise tax.
This bill, the Gun Violence Prevention and School Safety Act, would, commencing July 1, 2024, impose an excise tax in the amount of 11% of the gross receipts from the retail sale in this state of a firearm, firearm precursor part, and ammunition, as specified. The tax would be collected by the state pursuant to the Fee Collection Procedures Law. The bill would require that the revenues collected be deposited in the Gun Violence Prevention and School Safety Fund, which the bill would establish in the State Treasury. The bill would require the moneys received in the fund to be used to fund various gun violence prevention, education, research, response, and investigation programs, as specified. The bill would require the Director of Finance to transfer, as a loan, $2,400,000 from the General Fund to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration to implement these provisions, as specified. The bill would require each licensed firearms dealer, firearms manufacturer, and ammunition vendor to register with the department for a certificate, as specified. The bill would also provide procedures for the issuance, revocation, and reinstatement of a permit.

SB-2 Firearms.
This bill restructures and recasts provisions of law related to carrying concealed firearms and concealed carry licenses (CCWs) in response to a recent United States Supreme Court decision invalidating a concealed carry law in New York similar to California’s.  Read more here: SB-2 Text

AB-1228 Fast food restaurant industry: Fast Food Council: health, safety, employment, and minimum wage.
Requires the hourly minimum wage for fast food restaurant employees to be $20 per hour, effective April 1, 2024, and thereafter authorize the Council to establish minimum wages for fast food restaurant employees, to take effect on an annual basis, beginning on January 1, 2025, in accordance with the following procedures: a) The hourly minimum wage established by the Council may increase on an annual basis by no more than the lesser of the following, rounded to the nearest $0.10: i) 3.5%. ii) The rate of change in the averages of the most recent July 1 to June 30, inclusive, period over the preceding July 1 to June 30, inclusive, period for the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics nonseasonally adjusted United States Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (U.S. CPI-W).  Read more here:  AB-1228 Text

• AB 5 by Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Los Angeles) – The Safe and Supportive Schools Act.
• AB 223 by Assemblymember Christopher Ward (D-San Diego) – Change of gender and sex identifier.
• AB 760 by Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Fairfield) – Public postsecondary education: affirmed name and gender identification.
• AB 783 by Assemblymember Philip Ting (D-San Francisco) – Business licenses: single-user restrooms.
• AB 994 by Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley) – Law enforcement: social media.
• SB 372 by Senator Caroline Menjivar (D-San Fernando Valley/Burbank) – Department of Consumer Affairs: licensee and registrant records: name and gender changes.
• SB 407 by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) – Foster care: resource families.
• SB 760 by Senator Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) – School facilities: all-gender restrooms.
• SB 857 by Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) – Advisory task force: LGBTQ+ pupil needs.