October 15 was the last day for the Governor to sign into law any bills on his desk, and several of Anderson’s legislative priorities received the Governor’s signature. All of the legislative items listed below have been signed by Governor Brown to become law.

Keeping our public safe:

AB 413 – This bill was introduced by Assemblymember Susan Eggman and coauthored by Anderson. AB 413 authorizes people to lawfully record communication without the other party’s permission for the purpose of obtaining evidence related to domestic violence.

Letter to the Governor: http://anderson.cssrc.us/sites/anderson.cssrc.us/files/171016_AB413.pdf

Anderson statement: “Before AB 413 was signed, domestic violence survivors were not allowed to use the recording of domestic violence as evidence to obtain the initial restraining order. AB 413 closes that loophole by allowing all recordings of domestic violence abuse to be offered as evidence.”

AB 993 – Aggravated sexual assault and sexual intercourse or sodomy with a child under 10 will be added to the existing list of offenses where a victim who is 15 years of age or less or is developmentally disabled may provide video testimony at the preliminary hearing. This bill was authored by Assemblymember Catharine Baker and coauthored by Anderson.

Letter to the Governor: http://anderson.cssrc.us/sites/anderson.cssrc.us/files/171016_AB993.pdf

Anderson: “I have always been concerned with the trauma that these victims face in experiencing the most severe sexual crimes as children. According to the California State Sheriffs Association, AB 993 ensures that these victims will not have to relive their traumatic experiences in a courtroom.”

SB 384 – Anderson joint-authored this bill with San Francisco’s Senator Scott Wiener to create a tiered registry for sex offenders so that individuals convicted of specified sexual offenses will be required to register for 10 years, 20 years, or lifetime depending on the conviction offense.

Floor Speech: https://youtu.be/WfRpOyPexLs

Anderson statement: “I am pleased Governor Brown stood with law enforcement to reform the sex offender registry into a more manageable list that will ensure we are tracking the offenders that are truly dangerous for life.”

AB 41 – Assemblymember David Chiu authored this bill that increases the government’s accountability with sex crimes by requiring applicable law enforcement agency to report to the Department of Justice, through the Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Tracking (SAFE-T) database when working on a case involving sexual assault kit. The bill also requires the Department of Justice to provide annual summary reports to the Legislature on the status of the reports they receive from law enforcement agencies. Anderson coauthored AB 41.

Anderson statement: “I am a proud coauthor of Assemblymember Chiu’s bill that will ensure that victims of sexual assault receive appropriate assistance from our state law enforcement agencies.”

Helping our neighbors in need:

AB 1021 – The Coalition of California Welfare Rights Organizations (CCWRO) argued that because most counties limit the application by phone, some In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program applicants “have complained that they have problems getting an answer to their calls as the telephone lines are constantly busy.” This bill was authored by Assemblymember Catharine Baker and coauthored by Anderson to require each county to accept applications for IHSS via various methods including telephone, fax, in person or via email or other electronic means when available.

Letter to the Governor: http://anderson.cssrc.us/sites/anderson.cssrc.us/files/171016_AB1021.pdf

Anderson statement: “Giving IHSS applicants a variety of ways to apply for benefits is the right thing to do.”

SB 61 – Governor Brown signed this bill authored by Senator Bob Hertzberg and coauthored by Anderson that changes the Emergency Food Assistance Program Fund’s name to the Emergency Food for Families Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund. The bill requires that all money transferred to the fund to be continuously appropriated to the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) and the State Controller for reimbursement of administrative costs.

Anderson statement: “Poverty is a big problem in our state, and I am glad to work with Senator Hertzberg to provide a solution that will put us in the right path.”

Serving those who served:

SB 339 – This bill was introduced by Senator Richard Roth and coauthored by Anderson to require the Judicial Council to conduct research on veteran treatment courts in counties that already have them and identify barriers to implementation in counties that do not currently operate veteran treatment courts.

Anderson statement: “We owe it to our veterans who have selflessly served this great country to ensure that they receive the benefits and support they deserve when they come home. This bill will give the state necessary data to ensure that we are using our resources effectively for veterans in California.”

Making government effective, efficient, and accountable:

AB 434 – Assemblymember Catharine Baker and coauthored by Anderson, AB 434 requires the directors and chief information officers of state agencies or entities to post on the front page of the agency’s or entity’s website a signed certification to show its compliance with federal accessibility standards.

Anderson statement: “There have been numerous issues with some state websites that prohibit people with disabilities to access the websites’ content easily. Government data should be accessible to all Californians including users with disabilities.”