There is no fiscal impact from the adoption of an advocacy position although the bills themselves may have fiscal effects.
At their March 13, 2023 meeting, the Legislation Committee took action to recommend that the Board of Supervisors adopt a position of "Support" on AB 817 and AB 240.
AB 817 (Pacheco)
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Author: |
Blanca Pacheco (D-064) |
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Coauthor |
Wilson (D) |
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Title: |
Open Meetings: Teleconferencing: Subsidiary Body |
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Fiscal Committee: |
no |
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Urgency Clause: |
no |
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Introduced: |
02/13/2023 |
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Last Amend: |
03/16/2023 |
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Disposition: |
Pending |
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Location: |
Assembly Local Government Committee |
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Summary: |
Relates to the Ralph Brown Act. Authorizes a subsidiary body to use alternative teleconferencing provisions similar to the emergency provisions indefinitely and without regard to a state of emergency. |
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Status: |
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03/16/2023 |
To ASSEMBLY Committee on LOCAL GOVERNMENT. |
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03/16/2023 |
From ASSEMBLY Committee on LOCAL GOVERNMENT with author's amendments. |
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03/16/2023 |
In ASSEMBLY. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Committee on LOCAL GOVERNMENT |
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According to CSAC, who is co-sponsoring the bill along with the California Association of Recreation and Park Districts, League of California Cities, Rural County Representatives of California, and the Urban Counties of California, AB 817 "would increase civic engagement by allowing members of non-decision-making legislative bodies that do not have the ability to take final action to participate in two-way virtual teleconferencing without posting their personal addresses while teleconferencing. Counties and other local governments have faced an ongoing challenge to recruit and retain members of the public on advisory bodies, boards, and commissions. Challenges associated with recruitment have been attributed to participation time commitments, time and location of meetings, physical limitation, conflicts with childcare, and work obligations, to name just a few.
The COVID-19 pandemic drove both hyper-awareness and concerns about the spread of infectious diseases, as well as removed barriers to local civic participation by allowing this same remote participation. This enabled individuals who could not otherwise accommodate the time, distance, or mandatory physical participation requirements to engage locally, providing access to leadership opportunities and providing communities with greater diversified input on critical community proposals.
The in-person requirement to participate in local governance bodies presents a disproportionate challenge for those with physical or economic limitations, including seniors, persons with disability, single parents and/or caretakers, economically marginalized groups, and those who live in rural areas and face prohibitive driving distances. AB 817 addresses these issues by providing a narrow exemption under the Ralph M. Brown Act for non-decision-making legislative bodies that do not take final action on any legislation, regulations, contracts, licenses, permits, or other entitlements, so that equity in opportunity to serve locally and representative diversity in leadership can be achieved."
The bill has been referred to the Assembly Local Government Committee and is awaiting a hearing date. A Fact Sheet for the bill is available here.
AB 240 (Kalra)
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Author: |
Ash Kalra (D-025) |
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Title: |
Dogs and Cats: California Spay-Neuter Fund |
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Fiscal Committee: |
yes |
|
Urgency Clause: |
no |
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Introduced: |
01/13/2023 |
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Last Amend: |
02/28/2023 |
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Disposition: |
Pending |
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Committee: |
Assembly Agriculture Committee |
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Hearing: |
03/29/2023 1:30 pm, State Capitol, Room 126 |
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Summary: |
Requires the Department of Food and Agriculture to collect, on an annual basis, a charge of a specified amount from a manufacturer of dog and cat food for each label submitted by the manufacturer to the State Department of Public Health for dog and cat food. Requires a manufacturer of dog and cat food that has less than a specified amount in verifiable gross annual sales to instead pay only a single annual charge of a specified amount to the Department of Food and Agriculture; appropriates funds. |
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Status: |
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03/15/2023 |
In ASSEMBLY Committee on AGRICULTURE: Not heard. |
Full Status
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01/13/2023 |
INTRODUCED. |
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02/02/2023 |
To ASSEMBLY Committees on AGRICULTURE and REVENUE AND TAXATION. |
|
02/28/2023 |
From ASSEMBLY Committee on AGRICULTURE with author's amendments. |
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02/28/2023 |
In ASSEMBLY. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Committee on AGRICULTURE. |
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03/15/2023 |
In ASSEMBLY Committee on AGRICULTURE: Not heard. |
|
AB 240 would establish the California Spay-Neuter Fund to finance low-cost spay-neuter operations throughout the state of California. The Fund would be financed through a $200 annual charge to pet food manufacturers for each dog and/or cat food label they have on file with the State Department of Public Health.
The fund will be managed by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), which will distribute the money through competitive grants and/or set allocations. “Eligible partners” will include public animal shelters, private animal shelters with public contracts, and nonprofits for whom spay-neuter is a primary activity. Grant recipients must primarily use any money they receive for spay-neuter services. They will also be required to report annually on how they used the funds and the outcomes that use produced.
The Assembly Agriculture Committee analysis for the bill is available here.
If the Board does not adopt a "Support" position on the bill, there will be no official advocacy position for Contra Costa County.