Date: Fri, 19 Feb 1999 08:48:28 -1000 From: Mia H H Lam Subject: Queer-friendly Laws! (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 12:28:14 -1000 From: LisaChun@aol.com Subject: Queer-friendly Laws! Hi Folks! Want to do something to help protect queers? Here's what's new in state government legislation. And it's easy to help! Read on! CAPE is a group that works with state government to ensure queer rights. Lisa CALIFORNIA ALLIANCE FOR PRIDE AND EQUALITY (CAPE) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The California Alliance for Pride and Equality is the only nonprofit, nonpartisan, statewide advocacy organization representing the interests of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. Its mission is to ensure the dignity, safety, equality and civil rights of all lesbian, gay,bisexual, transgendered and queer Californians by: lobbying the state government for appropriate legislation and public policies; educating the public about the communities' issues and concerns; and, working with other communities to promote equality and a better life for all Californians. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LEGISLATIVE UPDATE (as of February 12, 1999) AB 26 (Assemblymember Carole Migden, D - San Francisco) TOPIC: Domestic Partnership Registry SUMMARY DIGEST: AB 26 was introduced on Dec. 7, 1998. This bill would create a statewide domestic partnership registry with the Secretary of State. Additionally, it would provide hospital visitation rights for domestic partners and would require health care insurance carriers to provide health care coverage for domestic partners of employees, subscribers, insureds or policyholders, who request to include their domestic partners as their dependents. COMMITTEE LOCATION: Assembly Health Committee HEARING DATE: March 1999 POSITION: SPONSOR ACTION ALERT: Please send LETTERS OF SUPPORT to Assemblymember Carole Migden and Assemblymember Martin Gallegos (D - Irwindale), chair of the Assembly Health Committee. AB 103 (Assemblymember Carole Migden, D - San Francisco) TOPIC: HIV Case Reporting SUMMARY DIGEST: AB 103 was introduced on Dec. 21, 1998. This bill would require the Department of Health Services to institute a uniform, statewide HIV case reporting system that uses unique identifier codes. COMMITTEE LOCATION: Assembly Health Committee HEARING DATE: March 1999 POSITION: SUPPORT ACTION ALERT: Please send LETTERS OF SUPPORT to Assemblymember Carole Migden and Assemblymember Martin Gallegos (D - Irwindale), chair of the Assembly Health Committee. AB 107 (Assemblymember Wally Knox, D - Los Angeles) TOPIC: Health Care Benefits for Domestic Partners of Public Employees SUMMARY DIGEST: AB 107, introduced on Dec. 22, 1998, would provide state and local employers the ability to offer health care coverage, through the Public Employees' Medical and Hospital Care Act, to the domestic partners of their employees and annuitants. COMMITTEE LOCATION: Assembly Public Employees, Retirement and Social Security (PERSS) Committee HEARING DATE: March 1999 POSITION: SUPPORT ACTION ALERT: Please send LETTERS OF SUPPORT to Assemblymember Wally Knox and Assemblymember Lou Correa (D - Santa Ana), chair of Assembly PERS Committee. AB 208 (Assemblymember Wally Knox, D - Los Angeles) TOPIC: Punishment for Murder SUMMARY DIGEST: AB 208, introduced on January 25, 1999, would provide that the penalty for a defendant who is convicted of first-degree murder is life imprisonment without possibility of parole if the victim was intentionally killed because of the victim's actual or perceived disability, gender or sexual orientation. COMMITTEE LOCATION: Assembly Public Safety Committee HEARING DATE: March 1999 POSITION: SUPPORT ACTION ALERT: Please send LETTERS OF SUPPORT to Assemblymember Wally Knox and Assemblymember Mike Honda (D - San Jose), chair of the Assembly Public Safety Committee. AB 222 (Assemblymember Sheila Kuehl, D - Santa Monica) TOPIC: Dignity for All Students Act SUMMARY DIGEST: AB 222, introduced on January 26, 1999, would amend the California Education Code to add "sexual orientation" to those sections that now protect students from other forms of discrimination, i.e., race, creed, color, national origin, sex or economic status." AB 222 would specifically bar discrimination based on sexual orientation in public education, including student programs and activities, athletics, curricula, employment and financial aid. COMMITTEE LOCATION: Assembly Education Committee HEARING DATE: March 1999 POSITION: SPONSOR ACTION ALERT: Please send LETTERS OF SUPPORT to Assemblymember Sheila Kuehl and Assemblymember Kerry Mazzoni (D - Novato), chair of the Assembly Education Committee. If you are a constituent of these Education Committee members, please urge them to support AB 222. Incidentally, some of these members (with asterisks) are co-authors of AB 222, including the committee chair. In your letters of support, please acknowledge the members who are co-authoring this bill. Bill Campbell, Vice Chair (R - Irvine, Mission Viejo, Orange) *Elaine Alquist (D - Mountain View, San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale) Roy Ashburn (R - Bakersfield, Lake Isabella, Visalia) Steve Baldwin (R - Chula Vista, El Cajon, La Mesa, San Diego) *Thomas Calderon (D - Montebello, Norwalk, Pico Rivera, Whittier) Lou Correa (D - Anaheim, Garden Grove, Santa Ana) Jim Cunneen (R - Cupertino, Los Altos, San Jose, Saratoga) *Susan Davis (D - San Diego) *Mike Honda (D - San Jose) Lynne C. Leach (R - Lafayette, Walnut Creek, San Ramon, Dublin, Livermore, Orinda, Danville, Pleasanton) George Nakano (D - El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Marina Del Rey, Torrance, Palos Verdes Estates) Robert Pacheco (R - Diamond Bar, Industry, La Mirada, Pomona, Walnut) *Jack Scott (D - Altadena, La Crescenta, Pasadena, San Marino, Sunland,Temple City) Nell Soto (D - Chino, Montclair, Ontario, Pomona, Rancho Cucamonga) *Virginia Strom-Martin (D - Arcata, Eureka, Fort Bragg, Santa Rosa, Ukiah) Scott Wildman (D - Burbank, Glendale, Los Angeles) Charlene Zettel (R - Lakeside, Poway, Santee) SB 38 (Senator Joe Baca, D - Chino) TOPIC: Religious Freedom Protection Act SUMMARY DIGEST: This bill was introduced by Senator Baca on Dec. 7, 1998 as a spot bill. The bill has not been amended to include any language. Senator Baca authored similar legislation last year when he was in the State Assembly. That bill, AB 1617, was eventually vetoed by ex-Governor Wilson. CAPE is working to ensure that the protection for religious freedom would not undermine the state's anti-discrimination policies. LOCATION: Senate Rules Committee COMMITTEE LOCATION: To be referred to Senate Judiciary Committee HEARING DATE: March or April 1999 POSITION: WATCH ACTION ALERT: To be announced later. SB 75 (Senator Kevin Murray, D - Los Angeles) TOPIC: Domestic Partnership Registry SUMMARY DIGEST: Introduced on December 7, 1998, SB 75 would create a domestic partnership registry with the Secretary of State. It will provide hospital visitation and conservatorship rights for domestic partners. COMMITTEE LOCATION: Senate Judiciary Committee HEARING DATE: March 1999 POSITION: SPONSOR ACTION ALERT: Please send LETTERS OF SUPPORT to Senator Kevin Murray and to Senator Adam Schiff (D - Pasadena), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. If you are a constituent of these Judiciary Committee members, please urge them to support SB 75. Bill Morrow, Vice-Chair (R - Carlsbad, Escondido, Laguna Beach, Oceanside, San Diego, Solana Beach, Vista) John Burton (D - Marin, San Francisco, San Rafael) Martha Escutia (D - Bell Gardens, Commerce, Montebello, Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs, South Gate, Whittier) Ray Haynes (R - Coronoa, Hemet, Murrieta, Riverside, Sun City, Temecula) Jack O'Connell (D - San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura) Steve Peace (D - El Cajon, National City, San Diego, San Ysidro) Byron Sher (D - Atherton, Cupertino, Half Moon Bay, Palo Alto, San Jose, Woodside) Cathie Wright (R - Canoga Park, Chatsworth, Northridge, Oxnard, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks) SB 118 (Senator Tom Hayden, D - Santa Monica) TOPIC: Family Care and Medical Leave SUMMARY DIGEST: SB 118, introduced on December 18, 1998, will expand the Family Care and Medical Leave Act, to allow an employee to take family care and medical leave to care for an individual who depends on the employee for immediate care and support, who has a relationship with the employee of one year or more, who shares a common residence with the employee, and who is seriously ill. This legislation would allow unmarried partners, such as same-sex or opposite-sex couples, and siblings who live together to be covered under the act. COMMITTEE LOCATION: Senate Industrial Relations Committee HEARING DATE: WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24, 1999 POSITION: SUPPORT ACTION ALERT: Please send LETTERS OF SUPPORT ASAP to Senator Tom Hayden and Senator Hilda Solis (D - El Monte), chair of the Senate Industrial Relations Committee. BILLS THAT WILL BE INTRODUCED IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS AB XXXX (Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa, D - Los Angeles) TOPIC: Fair Employment and Housing Act SUMMARY DIGEST: This bill would move the provision prohibiting employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation from the Labor Code to the Fair Employment and Housing Act (Civil Code). It would codify existing case law which prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. POSITION: SPONSOR AB XXXX (Assemblymember Wally Knox, D - Los Angeles) TOPIC: Domestic Partners Tax Equity Act SUMMARY DIGEST: This bill would authorize tax deductions for a variety of medical expenses incurred by persons in domestic partnerships including provisions to exclude from their gross income the value of employer-provided health insurance costs; allow itemized deductions for health care costs that exceed 7.5% of adjusted gross income; deduct health insurance costs if self-employed; and deduct contributions to Medical Savings Account. SB XXX (Senator Tom Hayden, D - Santa Monica) TOPIC: Hate Crimes SUMMARY DIGEST: This bill would amend California's hate crimes laws to enhance penalties for a perpetrator who committed crimes against an individual because the individual is "identified or associated with" a person who is a member of, or a group that is included within the hate crimes statutes, i.e., race, sex, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, etc. To send letters to members of the California State Legislature, please use the following format: The Honorable (Member's Name) California State (Assembly or Senate) State Capitol Sacramento, CA 95814 ********** To post, send mail to aplb@queernet.org. To unsubscribe, send mail to majordomo@queernet.org; put a line saying unsubscribe aplb in the body. (This may fail if your address has changed since you signed up; if so, or for other assistance, contact aplb-approval@queernet.org.)