Download the 2008 bill package as a PDF file [65 KB]

Positions are taken on bills that relate to Association public policy principles and AAUW California public policy priorities. All bills are supported except where OPPOSE is noted in their descriptions.

Equity: Recognizing that equity for all women and girls requires an application of legal definition, AAUW CA supports:

• Constitutional protection for the civil rights of all individuals

SB 1066 (Migden) Domestic Partners
This bill would extend eligibility to establish and register a domestic partnership to any 2 people. Current law restricts eligibility to 2 people of the same sex or over the age of 62.

SB 1163 (Maldonado) Special license plates for registered sex offenders OPPOSE
Existing law requires persons convicted of specified sex offenses to register with law enforcement authorities. This bill would mandate any person required to register not operate a motor vehicle unless it is displaying a special license plate or a sticker that indicates the driver is a sex offender.

AB 2085 (Huff) Discrimination: Schools OPPOSE
This bill would remove ‘sexual orientation’ from the list of groups protected from discrimination in public schools.

AB 2812 (Silva) Illegal Immigration OPPOSE
This bill would classify illegal immigration a disaster enabling the governor to declare a state of emergency.

AJR 44 (HUFF) Restrict Citizenship OPPOSE
Assembly Joint Resolution 44 urges Congress and the President to pass federal Joint Resolution 46 which proposes to amend the Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution to deny automatic citizenship to individuals born to a mother and father, neither of whom is a US citizen nor is a person who owes permanent allegiance to the US.

• Legislation that addresses current inequities in compensation and benefits for all working women

AB 437 (Jones) Employment Discrimination
This bill would establish that a cause of action for discriminatory wages accrues when (1) the discriminatory pay decision was made, or (2) the plaintiff became subject to the discriminatory pay decision, or (3) the plaintiff is affected by the discriminatory pay decision, including each payment of a discriminatory wage. The bill mirrors the Fair Pay Act supported by Association.

SB 1661 (Kuehl) Unemployment compensation: family leave
This bill would provide that an individual shall be deemed to have left his or her most recent work with good cause if the individual terminated employment after taking a qualifying leave under the family temporary disability insurance program and the ill family member needs continuing care. Leaving for good cause preserves the care giver’s eligibility for unemployment benefits.

Education: Believing that public education and lifelong learning are the foundations of a democratic society, AAUW CA supports:

• Equitable funding for quality public education in preschool through secondary schools that supports all students of any culture, race, ethnicity, special needs or sexual orientation

AB 2040 (Nunez) Alternative high school exit exam for disabled
This bill would provide the opportunity to receive a diploma to eligible pupils with disabilities who have fulfilled all the requirements to receive a diploma except passage of the exit examination. Eligible pupils would be given a standardized evidence based assessment.

AB 2159 (Brownley) Education Funding
This bill would establish a commission to provide state policymakers with a comprehensive plan to reform the current education finance system. This commission would convene by July 1, 2009 and report to the Governor and legislature no later than July 1, 2010.

• Continuing educational research and reform that improves student achievement

SB 675 (Torlakson) Instructional Programs
Requires the State Department of Education to conduct a needs assessment survey of all school districts and county offices of education to determine the availability and accessibility of courses and coursework in the areas of career technology education and computer literacy. Requires the department to provide a comprehensive plan for integrating technical skills training into the core curriculum of schools.

Societal Change: Promoting the social, economic, and physical well-being of all individuals, AAUW CA supports:

• Right to determine one's reproductive life, including the right to privacy and access to quality family planning services

Parental Notification Initiative likely on November ballot OPPOSE
The American Association of University Women, California (AAUW) is opposed to the parental notification initiative now circulating for signatures. This initiative would place the most vulnerable of California girls at risk. The initiative pits California girls against their families. It threatens their privacy and the well being of their families.

AAUW supports the right of every woman to safe, accessible, affordable, and comprehensive family planning and reproductive health services. AAW members have made reproductive rights a policy principle since 1977. We trust that every woman has the ability to make her own informed choices regarding her reproductive life within the dictates of her own cultural, moral and religious beliefs. Further, AAUW members advocate that these deeply personal decisions should be made without government interference.

• Access to health care and the expansion of patient rights

SB 164 (Migden) Prenatal Screening
Relates to the Birth Defects Monitoring and Biomedical Resources Program. Requires the Department of Public Health to charge investigators to use pregnancy blood for research purposes, a fee for costs related to data linkage, storage, retrieval, processing, data entry, re-inventory, and shipping of pregnancy blood or its components, and related data management.

SB 840 (Kuehl) Single-Payer Health Care Coverage
Establishes the State Universal Healthcare System. Makes all state residents eligible for specified health care benefits under the system, which would, on a single-payer basis, negotiate for or set fees for health care services provided through the system and pay claims for those services. Creates the Universal Healthcare Policy Board to establish policy on medical issues and various other matters in the system.

SB 1565 (Kuehl) Stem cell institute products available to uninsured
This bill would require that the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, funded by Proposition 71 funds, ensure that therapies resulting from the Institute’s research be made available to low income and uninsured Californians.

• Respect for diversity and the rejection of all forms of discrimination

SB 1115 (Migden) Disability approval: discrimination
This bill would provide that any determination made of a permanent disability not be negatively impacted by the applicant’s race, religious creed, color, national origin, age, gender, marital status, sex or genetic predisposition.

SB 1578 (Florez) California Title IX: Support if amended
This bill would create an enforcement mechanism to ensure compliance with Title IX equity in education. The bill would create an Office of Gender Equity and appoint a Title IX compliance officer. CSU and UC campuses would file a certificate of compliance with the CA Department of Justice.

AAUW CA will support this bill if the language is expanded to cover all of academia not just athletic departments. For information on progress in amending the bill email president@aauw-ca.org.

AB 2086 (Huff) Schools: parental notification OPPOSE
This bill would require notice be sent to the parent or guardian of a pupil whenever gender identity or sexual orientation will be discussed outside the context of sexual education or HIV prevention classes. For example, if the literature curriculum included Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman and his homosexuality was mentioned, a notice would be required before the discussion occurred.

• Freedom from violence and fear in homes, schools, workplaces, and communities

AB 86 (Lieu) Cyber Bullying
This bill defines bullying to include acts committed by use of an electronic communication device or system as well as personal acts. This addition would ensure that cyber bullying would be among those issues to be targeted for prevention by agencies serving youth.

SB 129 (Kuehl) Criminal Communications
Makes it a misdemeanor for a person to make telephone calls or contact with an electronic communication device with the intent to annoy another person at any place. Provides that a person is subject to the described penalties if the person knowingly permits any telephone or electronic communication device under the person's control to be used for the prohibited purpose.

AB 2100 (Wolk) Elder abuse
This bill would require the local ombudsperson or the local law enforcement agency to report instances of alleged or suspected physical abuse, which includes sexual and financial abuse, to the local district attorney.

Association Principles for Action

• AAUW supports a clean and healthful environment

SB 1712 (Migden) Adulterated Cosmetics
This bill would permit marketing of lead free lipstick only in California. Manufacturers would be required to reformulate their lipsticks.

• Support for government agencies administering programs, including adequate appropriations, effective and accountable administration, and provision for citizen participation…

AB 2317 (Walters) Voter Registration: Proof of Citizenship OPPOSE
This bill would require proof of citizenship whenever anyone registered to vote. In an effort to combat voter fraud, obstacles would be placed in the registration process. Most documented election fraud is committed by partisan precinct workers.

To follow the progress of any of these bills, go to: www.leginfo.ca.gov.

Acting Chair, Rita Wustner
Rose Gernon
Adair Paul
Nancy Mahr
Susan Wilson
Rosiland Wright
Donna Lilly
Gloria Taylor
Judy Pfeil