Key Bills Await Final Votes in the Legislature

Media Contacts
Emily Rusch

Vice President and Senior Director of State Offices, The Public Interest Network

CALPIRG’s List of Six Bills to Watch in the Legislature

CALPIRG

The legislature has until September 11th to put bills on Governor Brown’s desk to sign. The following bills are some of the key public interest policy decisions still pending in the legislature: 

Public Health: SB 27 (Hill) – OPPOSE 

Antibiotic-resistant infections kill 23,000 people in this country alone and sicken millions. If we don’t act now to stem the growth and spread of these infections, they could become more deadly than cancer by 2050. To protect their effectiveness, we need to stop the overuse of antibiotics, and 70 percent of medically important antibiotics are sold for use on livestock. Unfortunately, SB 27 fails to establish meaningful limitations on the use of antibiotics. The bill includes poison pill language to continue allowing antibiotics to be given to entire flocks or herds that are not sick, despite the public health repercussions of the overuse of antibiotics.  The legislature should reject this bill and commit to passing meaningful restrictions on antibiotic use on livestock in the future. 

Energy: SB 350 (De León and Leno) – SUPPORT 

To protect public health from air pollution, to protect consumers from fossil fuel price spikes, and to protect the planet from the imminent threat of climate change, California needs to be transitioning our economy away from our dependence on fossil fuels. SB 350 would set targets to increase renewable energy use to 50 percent by 2030, reduce petroleum use by 50 percent by 2030, and increase the energy efficiency of our buildings by 50 percent by 2030.  

Health care: AB 533 (Bonta) – SUPPORT 

One of the more frustrating experiences for health care consumers is getting a surprise medical bill from a health care provider for services that they reasonably thought was covered by their insurance plan. These bills can be hundreds or even thousands of dollars. AB 533 would prohibit health care providers from sending surprise medical bills to consumers if they do the right thing and go to an in-network provider or facility. 

Public health: SB 763 (Leno) – SUPPORT 

Growing evidence shows that many fire retardant chemicals in children’s products have harmful health impacts, including cancer, decreased fertility, hormone disruption, lower IQ, and hyperactivity. Unfortunately, tests have found these dangerous chemicals in baby products that are in close and prolonged contact with infants and young children, including portable cribs, bassinets, car seats, strollers, play pens, nursing pillows, and toddler chairs. This bill would require labels on children’s products to inform consumer about the presence of flame retardant chemicals. SB 763 would give families and caregivers critical information they need to choose safe and healthy products for their children.  

Democracy: AB 1461 (Gonzalez, Alejo, and McCarty) – SUPPORT  

A well-functioning democracy depends on the participation of its citizens. But in 2014, only 52 percent of eligible young people were registered to vote. That means nearly half of eligible youth did not receive information from their local elections official about the upcoming election, nor do they receive any outreach from the campaigns, creating a cycle of neglect. AB 1461 would improve upon California’s existing Motor Voter law to make it easier and more automatic for eligible citizens to register to vote. 

Government Transparency: AB 1200 (Gordon) – SUPPORT 

State government hands out $12 billion in contracts to private companies each year and taxpayers should be assured that the contracts are awarded fairly and the money is well spent. Right now the lobbying that often takes place to help secure those contracts is not publicly reported. AB 1200 would bring transparency to this practice by requiring lobbyists to disclose when they are lobbying in order to help companies get government contracts. 

CALPIRG is a consumer group that stands up to powerful interests whenever they threaten our health and safety, our financial security or our right to fully participate in our democratic society.