October 2020 Newsletter

Dear Neighbor,

As the calendar turns to fall, I hope you and your family are doing well as we continue to do our part to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.

This year, more than ever before, getting the flu vaccination is important for the well-being of you, your family, friends and neighbors. Below you will find information where free immunizations are available in and around District 32.

You will read about the bills I authored that were signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom that will benefit military families, public safety, veterans and the environment.

Our corporate sponsors, Anthem Blue Cross and CVS, are returning to the Y in Montebello from 8am to 5pm on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays beginning Oct. 8, 2020 through Oct. 29, 2020, to provide no-cost flu shots to support a healthier District 32. The location is at Montebello-Commerce YMCA, 2000 W Beverly Boulevard, Montebello, CA 90640.

SB 907 will help the children of military families by improving coordination between on-base Family Advocacy Programs and county child welfare services. Proud to be taking steps that improve the lives of military families statewide.

This bill now requires local Child Welfare Services offices, in cases of alleged child abuse or neglect, to determine if the parent or guardian is an active duty military member.

This will help the children of military families by improving coordination between the on-base Family Advocacy Program and the county Child Welfare Services offices. The bill also clarifies that Child Welfare Service offices have the existing authority to develop Memorandums of Understanding with military installations within their jurisdiction regarding their roles and responsibilities in investigating allegations against active-duty service members assigned to units on those installations.

States have the responsibility and the authority to address the welfare of all children residing in their state. The Department of Defense has the same obligation to address child abuse in military families. By giving our counties and our military bases every tool possible, we ensure that all children in California are safe and receive whatever prevention and rehabilitative services they need.

I worked closely with the Department of Defense to ensure that all military children can benefit from enhanced communication between county and on-base services. I am proud to have helped California continue its fight for a better life for all children.

Senate Bill 480 is just one of many steps we can take to rebuild the relationship between law enforcement and the public. SB 480 will make it easier for the public to distinguish between law enforcement and the military.

Governor Newsom has signed into law, one of the first legislative efforts in the nation to address the confusion between members of the armed forces and law enforcement. The bill protects service members, law enforcement officers, and civilians by ensuring that there are clear identifying features on police uniforms that distinguishes them from the military and prohibits the use of camouflage unless it is being worn by tactical teams, such as SWAT and Special Operations.

The main objective of military camouflage is to deceive the enemy as to the presence, position, and intentions of military formations. But, police officers protect and serve their communities. Deceiving the public should never be the purpose of law enforcement officers performing their duties in America.

Since the introduction of this bill, similar legislation has been proposed on the federal level as the nation works to rebuild the relationship between law enforcement and the public.

I am proud to author the measure, this is not only a necessary step in promoting the safety of the public but also in helping to ensure our service members and law enforcement officers can perform their respective duties to the best of their abilities.

Senate Bill 905 will help all Californians feel safe when they volunteer in their communities. SB 905 has been highlighted amongst other pieces of legislation that continue California’s landmark leadership in the protection and inclusion of immigrant communities.

California law allows organizations to request all of an applicant’s records of convictions from the California Department of Justice if the applicant would have supervisory or disciplinary power over a minor or another in their care. This measure is a prudent step in ensuring the safety of minors or other vulnerable individuals. However, these requests can be exploited to divulge the location of undocumented individuals that are applying to volunteer in their communities.

Under current law, the Department of Justice can be forced to divulge the background check records without a proper warrant, constituting an unlawful seizure. The fear of this personal information being taken has created a chilling effect on the volunteer efforts of organizations throughout the state. Individuals are afraid of volunteering and contributing in their communities for fear of their privacy being breached by federal entities.

Immigrant communities have suffered the most during this period of uncertainty, with numbers of volunteers in schools dropping dramatically. The fear of unintended consequences cannot continue. Procedure should never stop individuals from being involved in their communities.

Senate Bill 905 will allow individuals to submit these background checks without a residence address, so to best project their families. By not requiring an address on these background checks, we can provide assurance to individuals that they can volunteer in their communities without risking compromising the safety of themselves or their loved ones.

I worked closely with the California Department of Justice to ensure that these changes can be made to background check procedure without compromising the safety of those being supervised, our most vulnerable. Due to this collaboration, the newly signed law ensures that California background check policies conform to all FBI standards, simplifying the process, and reducing the number of requests for federal criminal records that are denied by the FBI.

Without impeding the ability of the Department of Justice to investigate those interacting with vulnerable populations, SB 905 adds to the existing privacy protections of citizens and undocumented immigrants alike within the state.

Our communities always benefit from people getting involved. I am proud to help those that want to make a difference in the lives of their children.

Senate Bill 895 will help reduce harmful emissions and ensure our communities have clean air to breathe.

The bill allows state funds previously earmarked for ‘clean diesel’ investments to instead be invested in zero-emission technology development and deployment. The funds, managed by the California Energy Commission (CEC) through the Diesel Emission Reduction Fund, were set aside for ‘clean diesel’ in 1989, when few cleaner alternatives existed.

We now know that there is no such thing as ‘clean’ diesel, today, we have 100 percent zero-emission alternatives like hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that can replace heavy diesel polluters like trucks and buses immediately, and we should be investing in those technologies whenever we can.

Since elected in 2018, I have been a key advocate in the Legislature for reduction of diesel emissions and greenhouses gases in the Golden State, specifically in our district, where emissions remain a serious health issue.

Our community has been plagued by deadly diesel emissions for far too long.  I am proud to be in a position to scream that message from the rooftops of Sacramento. Senate Bill 895 is a big step in the right direction toward improving air quality and quality of life in our District, as well as the entire state.

With the changes made under Senate Bill 895, the CEC will be able to invest in zero-emission diesel alternatives beginning next year. I worked closely with the entire zero-emission vehicle industry to pass this landmark legislation and will continue to fight to bring zero-emission vehicles to the 32nd Senate District in the coming year.

This bill will give us one more weapon in our battle against the deadly diesel emissions that make our children and elderly sick and harm the public health of our entire community. It is a good step, but not a final one, and I will continue to fight this battle so long as our communities suffer from these harmful pollutants.

Senate Bill 588 will require an awarding department to give a prime contractor that fails to comply with certification requirements reasonable opportunity to cure the deficiency.  In addition, the bill would require the Department of General Services, upon notification of the failure, to suspend a prime contractor from bidding on, or participating in the state contract for a period of no less than five years for the first violation, and a permanent suspension for a second violation.

Disabled Veteran business owners will now be able conduct business on a level playing field.

The issues after reviewing a large sample of historic date, a state audit report 2013-115 indicated that many contract-awarding departments are doing a poor job obtaining and maintaining their data, to include records on certifications and payments. The audit included two of the state’s largest departments, the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), both of which are among the highest volume contractors.

While the state law provides for a penalty for a prime contractor who knowingly provides false information to an awarding department regarding its payments to a subcontractor, there is currently no penalty for simply failing to provide the information in the first place.  This lack of enforcement tool contributes to the DVBE “data hole” common to many awarding departments.

This bill establishes an appropriate penalty framework for failing to provide the information already required under existing law in order to help facilitate accurate and transparent collection of date related to DVBE programs.

This bill will also provide that prior to taking any penalty action, the awarding department would first be required to give the prime contractor a reasonable opportunity to cure the reporting deficiency, and if the prime contractor continues to fail to comply with the certification requirements, the awarding department must notify DGS.

Please log onto www.cdph.ca.gov/covid19 for more information that is vital for you and your friends and family.

Finally, please stay safe during our holidays. Follow the Los Angeles County guidelines for Halloween. Get creative with stay at home activities for the children and let’s get through this pandemic together. Stay home, watch some Halloween movies, bake some scary cookies and create a fun backyard environment for photo opportunities.