September 30, 2021
California Federation of Republican Women
Sue Blair, President
Submitted by the CFRW Legislative Analyst Committee
Gretchen Cox, Elaine Freeman, Lou Ann Flaherty,
Val Emick, and Theresa Speake
The Governor has signed or is considering signing the following bills. He has until Oct. 10,2021 to sign bills that have reached his desk. Remember too, that the Governor can allow bills to become law without his signature.
SB 380– Health-Title: END OF LIFE– This bill would allow for an individual to qualify for aid-in-dying medication by making 2 oral request a minimum of 48 hours apart (current law requires the requests be 15 days apart) and it would eliminate the requirement that an individual who is prescribed and ingests aid-in-dying medication make a final attestation. It would require health care provider who is unable or unwilling to participate under the act, to inform the individual seeking an aid-in-dying medication that they will not participate, document the date of the individual’s request and the provider’s notice of their objection, and transfer their relevant medical record upon request.
It would prohibit a health care provider from engaging in false, misleading, or deceptive practices relating to their willingness to qualify an individual or provide a prescription for an aid-in-dying medication to a qualified individual, the bill would require a health care entity to post its current policy regarding medical aid in dying on its internet website. STATUS: Enrolled on September 10. 2021 – 75% progression.
AB37-Absentee Ballots- Among other things, this bill would extend the requirements to mail a ballot to every registered voter to all elections and apply them to all local election officials. This bill would require a vote by mail tracking system to be accessible to voters with disabilities. This bill would require county elections officials to permit any voter to cast a ballot using a certified remote accessible vote by mail system for any election. This bill would provide that a vote by mail ballot is timely cast if it is voted on or before election day and, if returned by mail, received no later than 7 days after election day. Signed by Governor.
AB319– Amendment to the Political Reform Act of 1974/ Campaign Contributions- Existing law, the Political Reform Act of 1974, provides for the comprehensive regulation of campaign financing, including requiring the reporting of campaign contributions. A violation of the act’s provisions is punishable as a misdemeanor and subject to specified penalties. The act prohibits a foreign government or principal, as defined, from making a contribution or expenditure in connection with a ballot measure.
The act also prohibits a person or committee from soliciting or accepting a contribution from a foreign government or principal for this purpose. This bill would expand this prohibition to include contributions and expenditures in connection with an election of a candidate to state or local office. Signed by Governor.
SB 35-Elections– This bill would extend the deadline for a candidate to submit tax returns to 88 days before the direct primary election. The bill would require the Secretary of State to notify the candidate of deficiencies in redactions, as specified, and require the candidate to submit hard copies of returns with corrected redactions no later than 5:00 p.m. on the 78th day before the direct primary election. A candidate who does not timely submit corrected hard copies would not be qualified to have their name placed on the ballot of the direct primary election.
This bill would expand prohibited activities around a polling place to include obstructing ingress, egress, and parking, and specify that such activities are prohibited within 100 feet of (1) the entrance to a building that contains a polling place, an elections official’s office, or satellite voting location, as defined, and (2) an outdoor site at which a voter may cast or drop off a ballot.
The bill would also prohibit a person from soliciting a vote, speaking to a voter about marking the voter’s ballot, or disseminating visible or audible electioneering information in the immediate vicinity of a voter in line to cast a ballot or drop off a ballot, as further specified. Signed by Governor.
For further info. on any of the bills mentioned here, or others, CLICK HERE and simply enter the bill # or keywords where designated.
Find/contact your local Legislators, click HERE to inquire about or let them know your opinion about bills or issues.
To contact your U.S. Representatives, call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121
Listen to hearings on bills that interest you – http://www.legislature.ca.gov/the_state_legislature/calendar_and_schedules/audio_tv.html
Calif. Legislative Portal links- To express your support or opposition to a bill directly to the Legislative committee currently reviewing it (as an individual, not as a member of RWF or CFRW)– click here, or the bill’s author- click here, enter your bill # and look for tab at top of the bill page labeled “Comments to Author”
