Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation on September 1, by Senator Dave Cortese intended to speed up housing across California. SB 406 will eliminate certain types of repetitive reviews under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) while maintaining California’s strong environmental protections. The Governor also signed Senator Cortese’s SB 642 to help protect the public from pollution and deter unfair business practices.
Press Releases
Senator Cortese issued the following statement on the passage of SB 553 from the Assembly Appropriations Committee, a bill to protect workers from workplace violence:
The Assembly Appropriations Committee passed a package of bills by Senator Dave Cortese on Friday, including Senate Bill (SB) 10 to prevent opioid overdoses at public schools. SB 10 would require that school safety plans – which are mandated by law – include protocols that respond to pupils suffering from an opioid overdose, such as new campus safety rules concerning fentanyl on campus. The bill would also ensure information is supplied to educators and other school staff to save children who overdose on campus.
Senator Cortese announced new language on Monday that amends his legislation to protect people from incidents of workplace violence. Senate Bill (SB) 553 requires employers to develop their own workplace violence prevention plans as part of their Cal/OSHA Injury Illness Prevention Plan. Employees must be informed of these plans and prepare accordingly.
In a report released this week, “Restraint and Seclusion in California Schools: Findings and Recommendations from the 2021-22 School Year Data,” Disability Rights California (DRC) calls on California to enact greater protections for students against prone, or facedown, restraint and other dangerous techniques used in schools.