LEGISLATION
Senator Umberg 2022 Legislative Package
SB 34 – Public Contracts Reform -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Declares that certain contracts would be considered voidable if they were formed in connection to a bribe of a public official. – Signed into law.
SB 49 - Streamlining the Incorporation of California Businesses -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Encourages new businesses to incorporate in California, rather than another state, by streamlining our corporate conversion process, thereby making California more competitive.
SCR 100 – National Fentanyl Awareness Day -- Chaptered by Secretary of State
Fosters public safety and awareness by declaring May 10th, 2022 as National Fentanyl Awareness Day. Fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid, was responsible for the death of over 100,000 Americans in 2021 alone.
SB 349 - California Ethical Treatment for Persons with Substance Use Disorder Act -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Creates the California Ethical Treatment for Persons with Substance Use Disorder Act to protect patients with substance use disorder treatment and their families.
SB 361 – Reforming the Surplus Lands Act -- VETOED
Prohibits an agency from disposing of a parcel of land if it is not in compliance with California’s Surplus Lands Act (SLA) and requires that an agency provide at least 14 days’ notice prior to the convening of a public session for the purpose of ratifying a proposed deal.
SB 837 - Free Veteran’s Driver License Designations -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Removes the $5 fee for obtaining a “VETERAN” designation on a driver’s license or identification card, thereby encouraging more veterans to utilize county and federal benefits they earned by virtue of their service.
SB 986 – Preventing Catalytic Converter Thefts -- FAILED PASSAGE IN ASSEMBLY
Requires car dealers to permanently mark the catalytic converters of vehicles up for sale with the VIN of that vehicle.
SB 1037: Safe Depositions -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Improves access to justice by requiring all participants of an in-person deposition to abide by local health and safety ordinances.
SB 1056 - Online Violence Prevention Act -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Requires a social media platform to clearly state whether it has a mechanism for reporting violent posts that is available to users and nonusers of the platform. If a post is reported, the social media company would have 48 hours to determine whether the post constitutes a violent post and if so, remove it.
SB 1071 - Removing Barriers for Foster Care Benefits -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Allows attorneys and judges in a Department of Social Services administrative hearing involving a minor in foster care to have access to juvenile case files for purposes of that hearing. Additionally, the bill would establish a time when counties must make certain records available.
SB 1140 - Preventing Electronic Benefits Theft -- VETOED
Modernizes current law to protect people against electronic theft of CalFresh benefits issued through the EBT system. This will ensure that CalFresh recipients who are victims of electronic theft are eligible to have their benefits replaced in a timely manner.
SB 1360 - The Disclosure Clarity Act -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Improves election transparency by updating campaign advertising disclosure requirements to make TV and online graphic ad disclosures easier to read. Also ensures that voters who are being asked to sign initiative, referendum, and recall petitions know they must be shown the top funders of the signature gathering campaign that exceeds $50,000 or more.
SB 1338 - CARE Courts -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Establishes the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Care Program to connect a person struggling with untreated mental illness and substance use disorder with a court-ordered CARE plan.
SB 1402 - Incentivizing Veterans to Work in Public Service -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Allow United States military veterans to purchase up to four years of service credit under CalSTRS or CalPERS from their time serving in the United States Armed Forces, or the Merchant Marine, prior to becoming a member of the retirement system.
2022 Budget Asks
- Children’s Hospital of Orange County: $4 million to immediate fund necessary mental health programming and workforce development of mental health clinicians. This funding will expand facilities to meet the growing needs of patient care, provide community partnership and education opportunities, and establish a physician consultation line to provide pediatricians in Orange County with patient mental health advice and guidance
- Orange County United Way: $4.9 million to support its United to End Homelessness Initiative by ensuring an immediate response to ending the homelessness of at least 150 housing voucher holders.
- The City of Santa Ana - $9 million to Modernization of the Santa Ana Civic Center
- Cal State University of Fullerton – 5 million for CSU Asian Bilingual Teacher Education Program Consortium, which will ensure the state, is producing enough accredited teachers for Asian Language Dual Immersion Programs by funding: 1) Student-Teacher Development, 2) Consortium Infrastructure Support, and 3) Faculty Support.
Senator Umberg Legislative Victories 2021
SB 29 – Vote By Mail Ballots -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Extends the requirement that county elections officials mail ballots to all registered voters and to use a vote by mail ballot tracking system through 2021.
SB 35 – Protecting Polling Places -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Extends the area where electioneering activities may not take place to 200 feet from where voting is taking place and clarifies the prohibition and penalties for providing or encouraging voters to place their ballots in unofficial ballot boxes.
SB 41 – DNA Testing Data Privacy -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Requires direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies to obtain informed consent for the collection, use, or disclosure of a consumer’s genetic data. Requires companies to destroy a consumer’s genetic data sample within 30 days of that consumer’s revocation of consent.
SB 241 – 2021 CA Court Efficiency Act -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Strengthens access to justice by reforming and modernizing our court system. This bill would allow witness to appear remotely under certain circumstances, require courts to prioritize sensitive judicial proceedings, and allow courts to electronically serve court-issued documents to parties with their consent.
SB 366 – Cracking Down on Catalytic Converter Theft and Illegal Auto Dismantling -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to investigate unlicensed and unpermitted auto dismantlers and the growing issue of catalytic convertor theft.
SB 386 – Easing Marketing Restrictions for ocV!BE Entertainment District -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Extends the current alcohol advertising exemption within the Honda Center to include the planned ocV!BE entertainment district. The project is anticipated to break ground in 2024 and will create over 10,000 construction jobs and over 3,000 permanent jobs when finished.
SB 498 – Legal Aid for Indigent & Disabled Veterans -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Increases the income eligibility cap for legal aid services and extends eligibility for such services to disabled veterans.
SB 665 – Hiring Preference for Veterans -- VETOED
Allows private employers to voluntarily give preference to veterans in hiring and employee retention decisions.
Senator Umberg Pending Legislation 2021-22 Session
California's Legislative Session operates on a two-year cycle, with this current session running from January 2021 - September 2022. Some bills require additional time and stakeholder input after they are introduced, and are referred to as "two-year bills." After tackling some of California's most pressing and complex issues, Senator Umberg looks forward to continuing work on the following measures:
SB 349 – Ethical Treatment of Persons with Addiction Act -- Two-Year Bill
Protects people seeking treatment for substance use disorders and their families by granting patients additional rights, prohibiting payment for patient referrals, and barring deceptive advertising and marketing practices.
SB 361 – Electronic Signatures for Car Sales and Leases -- Two-Year Bill
Permits electronic signatures for car sale and lease contracts.
SB 420 – Unemployment Insurance Integrity Enforcement Act -- Two-Year Bill
Would require California’s Attorney General to establish a task force that would coordinate efforts to recoup fraudulently obtained unemployment insurance funds.
SB 764 – Domestic Terrorism Task Force -- Two-Year Bill
Ensures that law enforcement is properly trained and funded for the detection and prevention of hate crimes and domestic terrorism.
Senator Umberg Legislative Victories 2020
SB 423 – Safe In-Person Voting -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Guarantees safe in-person polling places for the 2020 General Election.
AB 860 – Vote by Mail Ballots (with Assemblymember Berman) -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Requires county elections officials to mail a ballot to all registered voters for the November 2020 presidential general election only.
SB 970 – June Statewide Primary -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Due to COVID-19 delays in the 2020 Census – SB 970 will move the March 2022 Primary election back to the traditional date of June in order to provide the necessary amount of time for the redistricting process.
SB 980 – Privacy Protections for DNA and Illness Testing -- VETOED
Creates privacy guidelines for consumers who use home DNA testing kits as well as illness testing.
SB 1146 – Remote Depositions and E-Service for California Civil Cases -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Sponsored by the Consumer Attorneys of California, SB 1146 makes changes to court procedures to allow for the use of new technologies which will increase efficiencies during trial.
SB 1196 – Protecting Consumers from Price Gouging During an Emergency -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Cracks down on predatory price gouging tactics on products that consumers purchase during an emergency declaration.
SB 1220 – Ensuring Police Integrity to Protect the Public -- VETOED
Sponsored by the California District Attorneys Association, SB 1220 forces law enforcement to comply with mandatory Constitutional requirements of providing information of officers who may have a record of corruption or illegal acts.
AB 2782 – Mobilehome Parks Change of Use/Rent Control (with Assemblymember Stone) -- SIGNED INTO LAW
1) Extends the length of notice that parks must give to residents in advance of appearing before local authorities to request permission for the change 2) Requires mobilehome parks to compensate the displaced resident for the in place market value of their mobilehome if the residents cannot relocate to another mobilehome park; and 3) Prohibits local authorities from approving the change in use unless they find that it will not result in a shortage of affordable housing within the local jurisdiction. In addition, SB 2782 eliminates a State exemption which prevented local governments from including many mobile home communities from accessing local rent control ordinances.
Senator Umberg Legislative Victories 2019
SB 17 – Sanctions for Abusive Court Practices -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Reduces delays in court by allowing judges to impose a $1,000 sanction against lawyers for abusing the civil discovery process. This procedural change will create more efficient access to justice for all civil court litigants.
SB 72 – Same Day Voter Registration -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Expands access to the ballot by requiring counties to provide conditional voter registration at all polling places. Counties may choose for themselves whether they want to go high tech with electronic poll books and ballot on demand printing systems, or low tech/low cost by simply providing paper provisional ballots.
SB 151 – Voter Education Reform -- SIGNED INTO LAW
This bill authorizes an officer in a voter-nominated office who is subject to a recall election to have the officer’s party preference identified on the ballot and also ensures voters receive their nonpartisan county voter information guide prior to receiving their vote-by-mail ballot.
SB 370 – Transparent Discovery for Court Cases -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Requires all documents produced in response to a demand for inspection, copying, testing, or sampling to be identified with the documents' specific request number.
SB 390 – School Safety Training -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Requires all school security officers, regardless of the number of hours worked per week, to complete an annual school safety-training course.
SB 400 – Electric Bike Program -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Expands the definition of ‘mobility options’ in the California’s Clean Cars 4 All Program to include access to vouchers for electric bicycles and bicycle sharing.
SB 439 – Wiretap Expansion and Police Accountability -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Authorizes peace officers or federal law enforcement officers to disclose the contents of wire or electronic communication if they relate to some serious felonies or to a crime involving a peace officer disclosed in an administrative or disciplinary hearing.
SB 450 – Motel Conversion for Supportive Housing -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Addresses both the housing and homeless crisis by exempting from the California Environmental Quality Act projects related to the conversion of a motel into supportive or transitional housing that is linked to supportive services.
SB 481 – State Military Inspector General -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Establishes the California Military Department Inspector General’s position as a principal advisor to the Adjutant General instead of as a subordinate, and revises the investigative process by requiring that the Inspector General conduct an interview with the individuals filing the complaint if they request it.
SB 505 – Presidential Candidate Requirements -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Specifies the criteria that a “recognized candidate” must meet in order to appear on the California presidential primary ballot. This bill also extends the deadline by which the Secretary of State is required to announce and distribute the names of recognized candidates.
SB 544 – State Bar Applicant Privacy -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Prohibits the staff of the State Bar or members of the examining committee, in reviewing whether an applicant is of good moral character, from reviewing the person’s medical records relating to mental health.
SB 576 – Coastal Erosion Data Collection -- SIGNED INTO LAW
Requires California to develop and implement a coastal climate adaptation, infrastructure, and readiness program designed to improve the climate change resiliency of the state’s coastal communities, infrastructure, and habitat.
SB 696 – “Independent” Political Parties -- VETOED
Prevents misleading voter registration by prohibiting the name of a party from including the word ‘independent,' ‘decline to state,' ‘no party preference,’ or any variation of those words. Would also require the Secretary of State to provide notice to any qualified party whose name includes a variation of these words and to notify each voter registered to that party informing them of the change.