Legislative Priorities for 1998

By Jim Cunneen

21st CENTURY ECONOMY

AB 1614 California Internet Tax Freedom Act: Fully one-third of California's economic growth came from the information and technology components of the economy, clearly a well used medium and reliable source of income for California's economic stability. By levying an additional usage fee for internet service over and above the already existing local sales taxes and utility user taxes, cost of the Internet access will go beyond the means of many Californians. This bill would prohibit Internet-specific taxes by the State or local governments.

AB 1629 Spamming (Miller/Cunneen): This measure will allow Internet Service Providers to protect their Internet consumers from unsolicited, junk, commercial email, otherwise known as spam, through a civil cause of action. In addition, the measure offers consumers whose private property has been violated by the fraudulent use of a domain name to protect themselves through criminal as well as civil charges.

AB 1710 Year 2000 Litigation Damage Limits (Firestone/Cunneen): This measure is designed to curtail frivolous lawsuits against businesses in the expected blitz of "millennium bug" litigation. Specifically, this bill will limit recovery for a computer date failure to actual damages and the cost of replacing or repairing computer systems. AB 1710 will also limit recovery to the physical injuries incurred as a direct result of a computer breakdown. Punitive damages and claims for alleged emotional injuries will be barred.

AB 1356 3 Tier Alternative Percentages, Federal Conformity (Figueroa/Cunneen): This measure will further enhance California's Research and Development tax credit by conforming state law to the "three tier alternative procedures" recently adopted by the federal tax code. These new procedures will permit companies to take greater advantage of recent R&D base tax credit enhancements.

AB 2441 Manufacturers Investment Tax Credit (MIC)- SOFTWARE (Campbell/Takasugi/Cunneen): An important measure for the high tech industry in California that will allow California to remain competitive with other states vying for high technology jobs and businesses. Specifically, this bill would allow software companies to claim the MIC for the purchase of equipment used in the manufacture of software. While other industries in California have been afforded this tax credit, the software industry has not.

EDUCATION

AB 2431 Virtual University: (Firestone/Lempert/Cunneen): The "Virtual University" is a public/private partnership of online courses and classes from 88 accredited California colleges and universities. It is the largest online network in the nation for distance learning. AB 2431 will place in statute a distance education policy for California. The bill also will establish a three-year pilot program for the distribution of course, content and program development funds for the Virtual University.

SB 1985 Deductions for Technology Donations (O'Connell/Cunneen): This measure is designed to encourage businesses to donate more computer technology and equipment to our public schools. The bill will conform state law to federal law which provides a larger deduction for such charitable donations.

AB 1721 Adult ED ADA Funding: Adult Education and Regional Occupational Programs (ROP) are critical to California's commitment to life long learning. This measure will provide that Average Daily Attendance (ADA) monetary distributions from Proposition 98 funding include regular, adult and regional occupational center education.

AB 2002 Regional Occupation Centers (Kuykendall/Cunneen): This bill will amend the education code to allow Regional Occupation Centers (ROC's) to be eligible for deferred maintenance funds. Currently, only school districts are eligible for such funds. If the ROCS were entitled to receive funding for deferred maintenance, they could allocate more of their budgets to the educational needs of their students

ENVIRONMENT

A BETTER PLACE FOR CALIFORNIA FAMILIES

AB 2254 Faith-Based Community Contracted Government Services: Nonprofit faith-based organizations provide childcare, job training and other needed services to displaced workers and the unemployed. Some counties and local governments in California have contracted with such groups to provide these services to families transitioning from welfare to work. This bill will fund a study to explore the feasibility of faith-based organizations playing a greater role in providing these transitional services.

SB 1663 Thoracic Nebulizer Treatments (O'Connell/Cunneen): Preschool children suffering from respiratory or asthmatic conditions often cannot be placed in daycare because daycare centers are not permitted under state law to administer nebulizers. Parents who could otherwise work and provide needed income for their families are forced to stay at home. SB 1663 will allow child daycare facilities to administer nebulizer treatments when the doctor has prescribed it and the family has requested it in writing.

PUBLIC SAFETY

AB 1712 Santa Clara County Fire Districts: (Cunneen/Honda) This measure would forgive four local fire districts in Santa Clara County ERAF obligations owed retroactively to the state as a result of county calculation errors. In an already existing transition period of critical cutbacks by county service providers, AB 1712 would enable these fire districts to avoid further drastic service reductions that would be needed to accommodate repayment.

HEALTH