The Valley Industry & Commerce Association (VICA) is urging Gov. Jerry Brown to sign 10 pieces of legislation and veto 11 bills that made it through the Legislature as the regular session closed last week. Brown has 30 days from the end of the session to act on the bills that reached his desk. “These pieces of legislation are vitally important to the business community and VICA encourages Gov. Brown to carefully consider our recommendations,” said VICA Chair Daymond Rice.
“VICA has actively worked with our elected officials throughout the year to debate the merits of these bills. We hope our advocacy efforts will pay off for business, and the overall economic recovery of our state.”
VICA urges the Governor to sign the following bills:
* AB 91 (Portantino): Establishes a three-year pilot program to increase community college student awareness of and participation in state and federal financial aid programs.
* AB 306 (Gatto): Institutes a pilot program to install pressure sensors on two strips of California highway to access their potential as a form of renewable energy.
* AB 427 (John A. Pérez): Authorizes the California Emergency Management Agency to reallocate unused Mass Transit bond proceeds from the Transit System Safety, Security, and Disaster Response Account to shovel-ready renovation projects, including intercity railway systems.
* AB 696 (Hueso): Requires the Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (I-Bank) to develop a process for projects to receive Infrastructure State Revolving Fund Program (ISRF) support based on the project’s economic benefit.
* AB 1069 (Fuentes): Extends the California Film Commission annual allocation of tax credits to qualifying motion pictures through July 1, 2015.
* AB 900 (Buchanan): Creates expedited judicial review procedures under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for various types of LEED silver-certified infill site projects.
* SB 14 (Wolk): Requires the Governor’s budget proposal to include performance-based budgeting practices, and establishes the legislative review process to be based on program performance.
* SB 15 (DeSaulnier): Requires biannual state budgets, and revenue and expenditure projections for the three subsequent years.
* SB 292 (Padilla): Establishes expedited judicial review procedures under CEQA for the proposed downtown Los Angeles Farmers’ Field football stadium and convention center project.
* SB 619 (Fuller): Exempts flight instructors and flight schools from regulation by the Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE), if the instructor or school does not require upfront payment of tuition or fees, and does not require students to enter into a contract of indebtedness.
(The mission of the Valley Industry & Commerce Association (VICA) is to enhance the economic vitality of the greater San Fernando Valley region by advocating for a better business climate and quality of life. Visit www.vica.com for more information.)