SACRAMENTO, CA – Several key pieces of legislation authored by Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield) which seek to address important issues affecting California’s Central Valley passed a significant legislative hurdle, and now head to the floor of the California State Assembly. Among the seven bills eligible for a floor vote and potential passage into law are:

Senate Bill 1183, the Strengthening Nursing in Underserved Communities Act, which seeks to allow community college districts that elect to use multicriteria screening measures to evaluate candidates for admission to registered nursing programs to also include candidates that are within Medically Underserved areas. SB 1183 also extends the authority of a community college to admit students into a registered nursing program when the number of applicants surpasses its capacity.

Senate Bill 1248, Yahushua’s Law, which requires the Department of Education to compile statewide guidelines referencing existing resources or frameworks, in consultation with relevant stakeholders and experts, which trigger modifications to pupil physical activities during extreme weather conditions. Local Education Agencies are then required to establish their own specified protocols and procedures, following the department’s guidance, to better protect pupils from the risks of exposure to extreme weather conditions during school sponsored physical activity.

Senate Bill 1448, the Increasing Access to Land and Markets for Small and Underserved Farmers, seeks to support farmer equity by addressing land equity and access to markets for small family farmers. It does this by addressing implementation issues for two important existing programs listed, The California Agricultural and Equity task Force and The Farm to Community Food Hub Program.

Senate Bill 1156 Groundwater Sustainability Agencies Transparency, would require executives and the board of directors of groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) to file their Form 700s directly with the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), using the FPPC’s electronic filing system.

Senate Bill 1555 Modernizing the Prohibition on Insider Trading for Government Executives Act SB 1155 aims to broaden the scope of lobbying restrictions by including executive members of state agencies. The bill proposes a one-year prohibition period for these officials from engaging in lobbying activities.

Senate Bill 1367 Safe Animal Feed Education Program Funding, safeguards funding for the Safe Animal Feed Education Program (SAFE) by extending the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s ability to designate funding for the SAFE Program.

The Governor this year has already signed legislation authored by Senator Hurtado into law: Senate Bill 1366, the Water Tank Disclosure for Consumer Protection Act, which requires that a seller who has experienced water well issues and received water tank assistance, deliver to the prospective buyer a disclosure statement when selling a property. The bill received unanimous bipartisan support throughout the legislative process.

Senator Melissa Hurtado is Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and currently represents the 16th Senate District in the California Legislature, which includes portions of Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Kern Counties. Website of Senator Melissa Hurtado https://sd16.senate.ca.gov/

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