Editor’s note: Sacramento Snapshot is a weekly series that provides updates on the work of Orange County’s representatives in the state Assembly and Senate. The deadline for bills related to healthcare, homelessness, education, elections, the fentanyl crisis, and more was on July 14th, as legislators went on a month-long summer break. Some of the bills aim to implement unique codes on semiautomatic pistols, combat the sale of fentanyl on social media, require public transit agencies to address safety issues, and create an inventory of public restrooms. Let’s take a closer look at some of the bills currently in progress.
Education:
Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, D-Fullerton, has introduced a bill aimed at providing foster youth with the opportunity to return to their schools to collect personal belongings and reconnect with teachers and classmates. Given that foster youth often change schools multiple times within a year, this bill seeks to ensure that they are able to transition with dignity. Additionally, Assemblymember Phillip Chen, R-Yorba Linda, has proposed legislation that would allow schools to access federal funds for stocking albuterol, a drug that helps people suffering from asthma attacks.
Fentanyl:
Despite the challenges in passing fentanyl-related legislation this year, Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris, D-Irvine, is working on a bill that would require social media platforms to retain data on content that promotes the sale or distribution of illicit drugs, including fentanyl. By doing so, law enforcement would have the means to track individuals engaged in these activities. Republican Senator Kelly Seyarto, with co-author Senator Tom Umberg, is leading an effort to establish an anti-fentanyl task force that would collect data on fentanyl use and chair the attorney general or their designee. Another bill from Seyarto aims to establish a more consistent platform for sharing overdose data among emergency medical services agencies, coroners, and fire departments, to effectively address and track overdose patterns.
Guns:
Democratic Senator Catherine Blakespear is advocating for microstamping technology to be included in all semiautomatic pistols sold in California. This technology would etch unique identifiers on expended cartridges to provide law enforcement with additional information to identify shooters. Additionally, Republican Assemblymember Laurie Davies believes that California’s gun violence prevention programs need to be strengthened. Her bill, which has cleared the Senate Public Safety Committee, requires the attorney general to provide local law enforcement agencies with specific information about individuals in the Armed Prohibited Persons Systems database, including details about firearms and past contacts.
Healthcare:
New Assemblymember Avelino Valencia, D-Anaheim, is working on a bill to promote cultural medical equity. The bill aims to encourage participation in foreign language classes as part of continuing medical education courses, in order to improve physician-patient communication, given California’s diverse population. Additionally, Assemblymember Tri Ta, R-Westminster, has proposed a bill that would launch a mental health study of women veterans in California, as research has shown that female veterans are more likely to commit suicide compared to non-serving women. Assemblymember Kate Sanchez’s bill requires pediatric care waiting rooms to display notices about human trafficking and hotline information for those in need.
Public Health:
Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva has introduced a bill that would task the California Department of Public Health with creating and managing an inventory of public restrooms. Cities, counties, and specified special districts would be required to inventory the public bathrooms they own and maintain, improving accessibility for everyone, including the homeless population.
Transportation:
Senator Dave Min has proposed a bill that would require California’s largest public transit agencies, including the Orange County Transportation Authority, to collect data to improve rider safety. The bill aims to ensure that public transit is a safe option for all individuals, especially marginalized groups.
Other Local Issues:
Assemblymember Avelino Valencia is working on a bill that would establish an independent commission for future Orange County redistricting plans. This commission would be responsible for changing boundary lines for the Board of Supervisors following the next decennial census. Additionally, there are efforts to designate the Aliso Creek Bridge in Laguna Beach as the Officer Jon Coutchie Memorial Bridge and the North Arm Newport Bay Bridge on State Route 1 as the Marian Bergeson Memorial Bridge, in honor of their respective legacies in public service.
Please note that some of these bills are still in progress and subject to change.
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