On October 23 Assemblymember Ed Chau (D–Monterey Park) held a press conference in San Gabriel to discuss bills from his legislative bill package that will become new laws on January 1, 2020.

“California residents expect us, as Legislators, to work on important issues to improve their lives,” said Assemblymember Chau.  “Some of the legislation I authored this year will help ensure that Emergency Medical Technicians, such as paramedics, receive dementia-specific training; establish timelines for the massage therapy school approval process, while providing better notice to students attending non-approved schools; extend the sunset on the Register Your Mobilehome California Program; improve public safety by tracking cannabis drugged driving; and require data brokers to register with the Attorney General.”

Governor Gavin Newsom signed a total of 9 bills authored by Assemblymember Chau.  Some of the bills highlighted in today’s press conference included:

PRIVACY AND CONSUMER PROTECTIONS

AB 1202 – Data Brokers – Requires data brokers, defined generally as businesses that are buying and/or selling the personal information of consumers with whom they have no direct relationship, to register with the Attorney General (AG) and for the information to be posted on its website. It would also authorize the AG to collect registration fees and otherwise enforce the provisions of the bill through civil action.  Sponsor: Author.  (Chaptered by Secretary of State – Chapter 753, Statutes of 2019)

BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS

AB 775 – Massage Therapy – Establishes timelines for the approval of a massage therapy school by the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) and mandates that student applicants be notified when they are attending a non-approved school, which can put at risk their ability to become certified massage therapists. Sponsor: Author. (Chaptered by Secretary of State – Chapter 290, Statutes of 2019)

HEALTH

AB 453 – Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) Training – Requires the Emergency Medical Services Authority, as part of its requirement to develop training standards for EMTs, to include a component within the dementia-specific training hours on how to interact effectively with people who have dementia and their caregivers.  Sponsors: Alzheimer’s Los Angeles, Alzheimer’s Orange County, and Alzheimer’s San Diego. (Chaptered by Secretary of State – Chapter 88, Statutes of 2019)

HOUSING

Assembly Bill (AB) 173 – Register Your Mobilehome California Program – Promotes the accurate titling of mobilehomes by extending the sunset date on the Register Your Mobilehome California program – a fee and tax abatement program – until December 31, 2020.  Sponsor: Golden State Manufactured-Home Owners League (GSMOL). (Chaptered by Secretary of State – Chapter 488, Statutes of 2019)

PUBLIC SAFETY

AB 397 – Driving Under the Influence of Cannabis – Requires, beginning January 1, 2022, the annual reporting of criminal conviction data to the Department of Justice to also include driving under the influence of cannabis. Sponsor: Author. (Chaptered by Secretary of State – Chapter 610, Statutes of 2019)

Other bills signed into law include the following:

AB 25 – California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA) – Clarifies that the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA) excludes individuals whose personal information has been collected by a business within the scope of their employment, or in similarly situated contexts, but only to the extent that their information is collected and used solely for purposes related to those activities. It also allows a business to require limited authentication of the consumer making a request for information, such as requiring requests to be made through an existing account.  Sponsor: Author. (Chaptered by Secretary of State – Chapter 763, Statutes of 2019)

AB 814 – Vehicle Hacking – Explicitly makes the unauthorized access of a vehicle’s computer data and computer system illegal under California Law. Sponsor: Author. (Chaptered by Secretary of State – Chapter 16, Statutes of 2019)

AB 1129 – Invasion of Privacy – Adds electronic devices and unmanned aircraft systems to the list of instruments that can be used to commit invasion-of-privacy crimes.  Sponsor: Author. (Chaptered by Secretary of State – Chapter 749, Statutes of 2019)

AB 1355 – California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA) – Addresses various drafting errors and makes other clarifying changes to the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA). Sponsor: Author. (Chaptered by Secretary of State – Chapter 757, Statutes of 2019)