Capitol Briefs: To the governor!

Lawmakers are burning the midnight oil to address a huge number of bills before Saturday’s deadline. As such, a handful of notable bills are on their way to Gov. Gavin Newsom, including measures that address:  

Entertainment zones: The Senate unanimously endorsed SB 969, a bill authored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) that would allow local governments to create “entertainment zones” in downtown areas as a means to revitalize them after the pandemic. Restaurants and bars located in these zones would be allowed to serve alcoholic beverages “to-go,” creating opportunities for businesses to increase foot traffic. The idea is similar to those successfully implemented in states such as Michigan, Ohio and Virginia. If signed, the law will go into effect at the beginning of 2025.

Increased penalties for corporate crimes: The Assembly gave final approval to AB 2432, a bill authored by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) that increases financial penalties on corporations convicted of breaking the law. The measure would also provide permanent funding for programs that serve crime victims, including those affected by domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking. Mirroring the federal act passed by Congress in 1984, AB 2432 aims to fill the funding gap created by declining resources from the federal program. California service programs this year were short about $200 million from prior funding levels.

Gun Storage: The Senate gave final concurrence approval to SB 53, a bill authored Sen. Anthony Portantino (D- Burbank) that would require people who have firearms in their home to keep the weapon in secure storage when it is not being carried. Firearms are considered safely secured if they are held within, locked and/or disabled using certified gun safes or safety devices. The bill exempts unloaded antique firearms. If signed, the bill would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.

Student Refugees: The Senate also concurred on SB 971, a measure also authored by Portantino that would create exemptions of nonresident fees for nonresident, low-income students who are from a region impacted by war or conflict and registered for lower division classes at Glendale Community College District or Contra Costa Community College District. The bill requires the governing boards of the two college districts to adopt one uniform policy if they choose to use the exemption.

Smartphone use in schools: The Assembly endorsed AB 3216, a bill authored by Assemblymembers Josh Hoover (R-Folsom), Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance), Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), and David Alvarez (D-San Diego) that would require school districts in California to adopt a policy no later than July 1, 2026 that limits or prohibits the use of smartphones by students during the school day. The idea of limiting smartphone use by students has been endorsed by Gov. Newsom, who recently sent a letter to school districts asking them to implement similar policies on their own.

Deep fakes: Lawmakers also signed off on AB 2655, a bill authored by Assemblymember Berman (D-Menlo Park) that addresses the rising use of deep fakes in political campaigns by requiring large online platforms to remove, after receipt of a complaint, the posting of deceptive and digitally altered or created images, audio, or video recordings meant to give the impression that a candidate or elected official did or said something they did not do or say.

Capitol Weekly intern Mahrukh Siddiqui contributed to this story.