Suspense Day: Critical Bills on Senate Republicans’ Watch List

Thursday, August 15, is a critical day for California lawmakers as they anxiously wait to learn whether their bills are removed from the suspense file in order to continue their journey through the legislative process in the California State Legislature.

Members of the California Senate Republican Caucusare keeping a watchful eye on their bills in the Assembly Appropriations Committee as they have measures that would protect our communities, address wildfire issues, and assist our veterans. In a practice known as the Suspense File process, the Assembly Appropriation Committee considers hundreds of bills that are deemed to have a cost higher than $150,000, without public debate.

WHO: California State Senate Republicans

WHAT: Suspense Day for the Assembly Appropriations Committee

WHEN: Thursday, August 15, upon adjournment of the CA State Assembly floor session

WHERE:

California State Assembly Committee on Appropriations

1021 O Street, Suite 8220

Sacramento, CA 95814

Livestream link: https://apro.assembly.ca.gov/hearings

"Senate Republicans are pushing common-sense reforms to Fix California-because our communities need solutions, not suspense," said Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones(R-San Diego), who also Vice Chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee.

"Transparency is key to a functional and efficient state government," said Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil(R-Jackson). "Californians should be paying attention to what happens in this committee. Many good bills will be rejected without discussion which is all the more reason for the public to keep a close eye on this."

Here is a list of some top bills authored by California Senate Republicans:

*NOTE: This list is not a comprehensive list of all Republicans' bills.

Protecting our Communities:

• SB 1074 (Jones): Known as the Sexually Violent Predator Accountability, Fairness, and Enforcement Act (SAFE Act), this measure would aim to prevent the Newsom Administration from secretly dumping SVPs into family-friendly neighborhoods with no regard for public safety
• SB 268 (Alvarado-Gil): Would make rape of an intentionally intoxicated person a violent felony.
• SB 796 (Alvarado-Gil): Would make general threats against a school or place of worship a felony.
• SB 1414 (Grove): Would address the lucrative crime of sex trafficking and aims to increase penalties for those who purchase children for sex.
• SB 1442 (Ochoa Bogh): Would allow the state to produce and distribute Fentanyl tests throughout California so that accidental poisonings from products laced with Fentanyl can be avoided.

Addressing Wildfire Issues:

• SB 542 (Dahle): Would exclude settlement payments awarded to victims of the 2022 Mill Fire and the 2021 Dixie Fire from gross income, meaning those payments would not be subject to income taxes.
• SB 1004 (Wilk): Would make settlement payments made in connection with any California wildfire from January 1, 2024, to January 1, 2029, tax-exempt.
• SB 1176 (Niello): Would require the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Office of Emergency Services, and the Dept. of Toxic Substances Control to collaborate in forming a workgroup. This workgroup will develop best practices and recommendations to protect wildfire-impacted communities and first responders from exposure to heavy metals following a wildfire.

Assisting our Veterans:

• SB 73 (Seyarto): Would allow private businesses to establish voluntary hiring preferences for Veteran applicants.
• SB 916 (Seyarto): Would clarify that extended education courses that can be applied toward an undergraduate degree are included in the CalVet Fee Waiver.
• SB 920 (Seyarto): Would formally establish the Purple Star School Program which helps military families identify schools that specialize in providing support for the unique challenges children of military families face.

Providing Government Transparency:

• SB 978 (Seyarto): Would help everyday Californians access critical information regarding how their tax dollars are spent by making the State Budget machine readable.
• SB 1043 (Grove): Endorsed by child advocate and celebrity Paris Hilton, this bill would propose greater transparency for children and young adults who are living in facilities licensed by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), by requiring information related to the use of restraints and seclusion rooms to be accessible to the public.
• SB 1194 (Wilk): Would mandate the California Department of Education to post the names and counties of residence of its Parental Advisory Council members on its website by January 31, 2025. Additionally, if a member is employed by a local education agency, that information must also be included.

Protecting our Environment:

• SB 1062 (Dahle): Would support the conversion of biomass generation facilities to newer advanced bioenergy technology-allowing them to continue operating to reduce harmful debris that pose a serious wildfire threat to communities.
• SB 1088 (Alvarado-Gil): Would improve water infrastructure for rural communities facing imminent wildfire threats.

Addressing Animal Shelter Welfare:

• SB 1233 (Wilk): Would establish a framework for California's two accredited schools of veterinary medicine at UC Davis and Western University of Health Sciences, to create a first-in-the-nation High-Quality High-Volume Spay/Neuter (HQHVSN) certification program.
• SB 1459 (Nguyen): Would require shelters in large counties to post monthly reports on their websites including numbers of intakes, outtakes, euthanasia's, and other types of deaths animals endure.

Assisting our Veterans:

• SB 73 (Seyarto): Would allow private businesses to establish voluntary hiring preferences for Veteran applicants.
• SB 916 (Seyarto): Would clarify that extended education courses that can be applied toward an undergraduate degree are included in the CalVet Fee Waiver.
• SB 920 (Seyarto): Would formally establish the Purple Star School Program which helps military families identify schools that specialize in providing support for the unique challenges children of military families face.

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