CAPITOL UPDATE #9 February 25, 2021

February 25, 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

• AB 76– Interdistrict transfer of pupils: prohibition on transfers by a school district of residence: in-person instruction – This bill would prohibit a school district from prohibiting the transfer of a pupil who is not receiving in-person instruction in a pupils’ district to a school district that is offering in-person instruction.   This bill would also define “in-person instruction” for its purposes to mean instruction under the immediate physical supervision and control of a certificated employee who engaged in education activities required of the pupil which include both full-time and hybrid instructional models, this bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute. 

• SB 5-Housing: bond act – Under existing law, there are programs providing assistance for emergency housing, multifamily housing, farmworker housing, homeownership for very low and low-income households, and down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers among other things. Existing law also authorizes the issuance of bonds in specified amounts pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law and requires that proceeds from the sale of these bonds be used to finance various existing housing programs, capital outlay related to infill development, brownfield cleanup that promotes infill development, and housing-related parks. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would authorize the issuance of bonds and would require the proceeds from the sale of those bonds to be used to finance housing-related programs that serve the homeless and low and very low-income Californians.

• AB 397-Unemployment insurance: benefits: disqualification: notice- This bill,would require the Employment Development Department, prior to disqualifying an individual and subjecting that person to a period of ineligibility, to provide notice to the individual of the proposed determination among other things.  This bill would require the department to provide the above-described notices for each successive disqualification for making a false statement or representation or withholding material facts before the director can extend the ineligibility period.   Interesting idea, since the CA. EDD was recently reported as having given out $10 BILLION in fraudulent unemployment claims!

• SB 29, the bill requiring all registered voters in Ca. to receive mail-in ballots for all elections held in 2021, passed in the legislature on 2/16, and was approved by the Gov. on 2/19/21. No surprises there, unfortunately.
• SB-56- Medi-Cal Eligibility– HEARING ON MARCH 10-This bill will grant Medi-Cal eligibility, regardless of immigration status to people residing in Ca. This bill is like AB-4, which is still in committee.