Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I would like to welcome you to my eNewsletter.

My eNewsletter will provide you with the latest information on how your state government is working to serve you. I will use the eNewsletter to update you on important issues, pending legislation and new state laws. I will also use our eNewsletter to brief you on state programs that have an impact on you and your community. From time-to-time, the eNewsletter will feature 'People Making A Difference' in the 26th District

I am honored to serve you. So, whether you live in the cities of Los Angeles or Culver City, or the communities of Baldwin Hills, Baldwin Vista, Beverlywood, Carthay Circle, Century City, the Crenshaw District, Culver City, Hancock Park, Hollywood, Hyde Park, Jefferson Park, Koreatown, Ladera Heights, Lafayette Square, Larchmont, Leimert Park, Los Feliz, Miracle Mile, South Los Angeles, Southwest Los Angeles, View Park, West Los Angeles or Windsor Hills, I intend to make our new eNewsletter your official 26th Senate District electronic connection to the State of California.

I invite you to visit my official Senate website on a frequent basis to follow the progress of my legislative proposals and stay up-to-date on state matters of importance to you. Also log on to be informed about community events taking place in your neighborhood or to locate websites links to federal, state and local government offices.

Don't hesitate to contact my staff or me whenever you have issues of concern or problems that warrant attention. Email my eNewsletter to your neighborhood contacts and urge them to sign up to receive future issues. Thank you for the privilege of serving as your State Senator.

Sincerely,

SENATOR CURREN D. PRICE JR.

State Capitol Update:

Legislative Bills Introduced By Senator Curren Price for the 2011 Session

The deadline to introduce bills for the current legislative session was February 18, 2011. According to the Secretary of the Senate, Senators have introduced a total of 936 Senate Bills. Below is list of bills introduced by Senator Curren Price:

The Black Caucus honored legendary jazz pianist Herbie Hancock on the floors of the Senate and Assembly during Black History Month.

Bill #

Topic

Summary

SB 509

Textbooks and instructional materials: flexibility

This bill would require that textbooks and instructional materials meet the most recently adopted standards and criteria for instructional material and have copyrights that are not more than 8 years old, unless the requirement is waived by the State Board of Education, as specified. This bill would only allow districts to participate in the state's flexible funding provisions if they meet the requirements of this bill.

SB 511

Low-performing schools: pilot schools

This bill would establish a statewide demonstration program to evaluate the use and effectiveness of best practices in persistently low-performing schools. Under the program, eligible public schools may apply for grant funding to implement state approved practices for increasing student achievement and closing the achievement gap. Amendments to this bill will identify a federal source of funding to finance the program.

SB 512

Academic Performance Index: numerically significant subgroups

This bill would define, for purpose of developing an Academic Performance Index (API), a "numerically significant pupil subgroup" as one that consists of at least 10 pupils each for whom has a valid test score. Under existing law, a numerically significant pupil subgroup is defined as one that either consists of at least 50 pupils each of whom has a valid test score, or one that constitutes at least 15 percent of the total population of pupils at a school who have valid test scores. This bill incorporates the recommendation of the African American Advisory Committee to the State Board of Education, which concluded that more than 14,000 African American students statewide were not included as a part of the last API because they were not considered "numerically significant."

SB 538

Healing arts

The bill states legislative intent to make substantive changes to the Business and Professions Code relating to the healing arts.

SB 544

Healing arts

This bill makes technical, non-substantive changes to the Business and Professions Code, relating to the healing arts.

SB 566

Alcoholic beverages: tied house restrictions

This bill would include a distilled spirits wholesaler in statutory provisions prohibiting a licensed retailer from being obligated to purchase or sell alcoholic beverages of any licensee conducting market research. (Spot Bill)

SB 596

Insurance: disclosures

Existing law requires an insurer, upon receiving notice of a claim, to immediately, but not more than 15 calendar days after receipt, provide the insured with a legible reproduction of the specified sections of the Insurance Code, with at least 12-point type, detailing acts prohibited as unfair trade practices, as specified. Among its numerous provisions, this bill would require that the contents of the written notice be changed and be in at least 10-point type.

SB 671

Shorthand reporters: continuing education requirement

This bill would require the Court Reporters Board of California to establish, on or before July 1, 2012, to adopt minimum continuing education requirements for renewal of a shorthand reporter's certificate, with certain exceptions, and requires the board to establish a procedure for approving providers of continuing education courses, as specified.

SB 706

Real estate

This bill states that protecting the public shall be the highest priority of the Department of Real Estate in carrying out its regulatory functions. (Spot Bill)

SB 733

High-speed rail: business plan: contracts: small businesses

This bill would require the High-Speed Rail Authority to include in the business plan, to be submitted on January 1, 2012 a strategy for ensuring the participation of small businesses in contracts awarded by the state or federal government.

SB 734

High-speed rail: small business participation goals

This bill would extend the state's 25% small business participation goal to the High-Speed Rail Authority.

SB 735

High-speed rail: contracts

This bill would require the High-Speed Rail Authority, in awarding contracts, to require that 25% of the workforce used at each worksite be from the local workforce.

SB 756

Sex offender registration

This bill, it its current form, is a placeholder for proposed changes to the Penal Code to enact provisions relating to the registration of sex offenders.

SB 789

Advisory Committee on Creative and Innovative Index

This bill would establish a 15-member Advisory Committee on Creative and Innovative Education to develop an index to measure creative opportunities for pupils in schools and to make recommendations on what should be included in the index and on ways to foster creative and innovative education in public schools.

SB 844

Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital: dietary department

Existing law requires general acute care hospitals to maintain dietary services for its patients. This bill would allow such services to be provided in another hospital if that hospital is immediately adjacent to the hospital that is no longer providing the service. This bill is intended to address an issue at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital which must close its dietary services department in order to help facilitate reconstruction at the hospital. Dietary services will be relocated at another hospital that is situated across the street and connected by an overpass.

SB 875

Rental vehicles

This bill makes conforming changes to the Business and Professions Code relating to non-passenger rental and rental truck.

Bill #

Topic

Summary

SB 539

Nursing

This bill is a part of the sunset review package and would extend the operations of the Board of Registered Nurses and the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians until January 1, 2016.

SB 540

Dentistry

This bill is a part of the sunset review package and would extend the operations of the Dental Board until January 1, 2016.

SB 541

Contractor's License Board

This bill is a part of the sunset review package and would extend the operations of the Contractor's License Board until January 1, 2016.

SB 542

Professions and vocations: regulatory boards

This bill is a part of the sunset review package and would extend the operations of the Board of Accountancy and the Professional Fiduciaries Bureau until January 1, 2016.

SB 543

Professions and vocations: regulatory boards

This bill is a part of the sunset review package and would extend the operations of the Architects Board, the Landscape Architects Technical Committee, the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologist, the State Board of Guide Dogs for the Blind, and the State Athletic Commission until January 1, 2016; except the State Board of Guide Dog for the Blind, which would be extended until January 1, 2014.