Capitol Briefs: racing toward the finish line

The deadline for California Gov. Gavin Newsom to address the hundreds of bills lawmakers sent him last month is on Monday. As always, the bigger measures draw most of the attention, and rightly so. But here are some of those measures the governor has signed or vetoed that are less “above the fold.”

Measures signed:

SB 1233, a bill from Sen. Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita) that requires California’s two accredited veterinary schools — UC Davis and Western University of Health Sciences— to develop the nation’s first High-Quality High-Volume Spay/Neuter (HQHVSN) certification program. HQHVSN is a minimally invasive surgical technique that enables veterinarians to perform large numbers of spay and neuter procedures at low- or no-cost.

SB 1394, a bill from Sen. Dave Min (D-La Mesa) that would establish a legal process for the rapid termination of a domestic abuser’s access to app-connected, remote, and GPS-based vehicle technology, addressing the growing problem of domestic violence abusers exploiting in-car location tracking to stalk, harass, and intimidate survivors.

SB 1061, a bill by Sen. Monique Limon (D-Santa Barbara) that bars medical debt collectors and health care providers from sharing medical debt information with credit reporting agencies and prohibits the appearance of medical debt on California consumer credit reports.

AB 3024, a so-called “anti-hate littering” bill from Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego) that would expand the definition of “intimidation by threat of violence” to include distribution of hateful materials on the private property of another without authorization for the purpose of terrorizing or intimidating the owner or occupant of that private property.

SB 53, a bill from Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-Burbank) that requires a person who possesses a firearm in a residence to keep the firearm securely stored when the firearm is not being carried.  A firearm is considered to be securely stored if it is locked by or disabled using a certified firearm safety device or a secure gun safe.

SB 708, a bill from Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones (R-San Diego) that establishes a special permit so Californians may operate certain off-road motorcycles at sanctioned events. It takes effect in January, 2025.

AB 2863, a bill from Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo (D-Chatsworth) that requires companies offering automatic renewals and continuous services to provide consumers a means to cancel the subscription using the same medium they used to sign up.

SB 764, a bill from Sen. Steve Padilla (D-San Diego) that requires the parents of minors featured in monetized online content to set aside 65% of a proportionate percentage of total gross earnings in a trust account the minor can access when they reach adulthood.

AB 1880, a bill from Assemblymember Juan Alanis (R-Modesto) that updates a state law that requires employers of child performers and creators to place at least 15 percent of their gross earnings in trust till they reach adulthood to include minors who are employed as content creators on online platforms such as YouTube.

Measures vetoed:

SB 936, a bill authored by Sen. Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta) would have tasked the California Department of Transportation with publishing a study that identifies the top 15 locations in the state highway system with the highest rate of vehicle collisions in an effort to then properly fund and prioritize rehabilitation for those roads.

AB 2903, a bill from Assemblymember Josh Hoover (R-Folsom) that would have required the state to more closely monitor the state’s spending on homelessness programs and their outcomes.

SB 954, a bill from Sen. Caroline Menjivar (D-San Fernando Valley) that would have required high schools to offer free condoms to students. It is the second straight year Newsom has vetoed such legislation.

SB 1170, a bill also from Sen. Menjivar that would have allowed candidates to use campaign funds to address mental health-related issues that arise during a campaign.