SALINAS
– Reelected 28th District State Assemblyman Simon Salinas has
introduced 19 bills – addressing issues ranging from housing to
paperwork in his package for the first year of the 2003-2004
session.
SALINAS – Reelected 28th District State Assemblyman Simon Salinas has introduced 19 bills – addressing issues ranging from housing to paperwork in his package for the first year of the 2003-2004 session.
Salinas, D-Salinas, said his bill package is mindful of the state’s budget situation and includes legislation that has little or no fiscal impact. The Legislature and Gov. Gray Davis have been hashing out how to address a shortfall that could reach $35 billion.
“None of the bills proposes new spending, and are instead focused on creative ways that we can make government both more efficient and accessible to the people,” he said.
The package addresses affordable housing, agriculture, education, health, local government and transportation.
Some highlights:
• AB 316: Would encourage state health programs to make their services more culturally and linguistically accessible to agricultural workers and their families.
• AB 1285: Would require the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue special novelty license plates celebrating agriculture.
• AB 493: Would authorize funds from the state’s CalHome program – which provides support and loans for low-income residents to buy, repair and maintain homes – to be used to rehabilitate or repair manufactured housing in mobile home parks that aren’t affixed to foundations.
• AB 157: Would allow appointment of alternate board members for the Pajaro River Flood Prevention Authority.
• AB 32: Designed to make farm worker housing less expensive to provide by allowing builders to lease blocks of units to farmers, who would then make the housing available to workers at their actual cost.
• AB 1237: Would require that certain amounts of money collected on power bills for energy conservation and public-interest research programs be used in part for revolving direct loan programs meant to help nonprofit organizations boost efficiency and cut their energy consumption.
• AB 980: Would authorize cities in Santa Clara County to self-certify their housing elements, the plans that show how much housing – and of what type and income level – the city should build.
• AB 839: Changes the rules by which governments can destroy old records.
• AB 1668: Would make school districts or county offices of education that provide childcare through a certain state program eligible to apply for certain state funding.
