Top remaining public safety bills for cities

By Jolena Voorhis, legislative advocate (public safety)

Cal Cities is advocating on a host of public safety issues this year, ranging from emerging drugs to wildfire safety. City support will be critical to advancing or blocking those bills when lawmakers return from summer recess. Here’s everything cities need to know about Cal Cities’ priority public safety measures for the last month of session.

Co-sponsored measures focus on reducing metal theft and whippets

Last year, Cal Cities sponsored AB 476 (González, Mark) to address the rise in metal theft, which significantly impacts streetlights, broadband, and other critical infrastructure. However, the key penalties were removed from the bill before it was signed. This year, Cal Cities is co-sponsoring AB 1941 (González, Mark), which further strengthens penalties for individuals who work together to steal metal materials.

Cal Cities is also leading the charge in reducing unsafe nitrous oxide use (better known as whippets or laughing gas) with SB 758 (Umberg). The co-sponsored measure prohibits all tobacco retailers, except grocery stores, from selling nitrous oxide. Recreational use of nitrous oxide can lead to serious adverse health events, including death.

Selling nitrous oxide for recreational use is illegal. However, many restaurants use nitrous oxide to create whipped cream, pickle vegetables, and other culinary products. As such, some smoke shops and convenience stores are circumventing the ban by labeling small nitrous oxide canisters as food preparation products. SB 758 has sailed through the Legislature with no opposition.

SB 758 is part of a larger package of bills that includes SB 936 (Blakespear) and AB 2076 (Lowenthal), both supported by Cal Cities. SB 936 prohibits the sale and distribution of nitrous oxide containers that can hold more than 8 grams of nitrous oxide. The bill also blocks the sale and distribution of nitrous oxide that has, or is marketed as having, the taste or smell of any food.

AB 2076 focuses on preventing children from accessing nitrous oxide from online sites by adding it to the list of substances requiring strict age verification under the regulations of the Parent’s Accountability and Child Protection Act.

License plate reader bill would snarl investigations

For the past two years, the Legislature has attempted to restrict the use of automatic license plate readers by local governments. While Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed one such bill last year, a new attempt is moving through the Legislature.

SB 1013 (Cervantes) would limit the technology’s use to locating vehicles or people reasonably suspected of being involved in a public offense or a missing persons case. Local agencies could store the data for 30 days. After that, they would need to delete the information unless it is part of an active investigation or criminal proceeding or matches information on an authorized HOT list (Amber Alerts, Silver Alerts, missing persons, and felonies).

Cal Cities is opposed to SB 1013 unless it is amended to address the data retention limit, as many criminal cases are not reported within the 30-day timeframe.

Cal Cities seeks to reduce insurance costs and cancellations

Another returning priority for Cal Cities and lawmakers this year is the increasing cost of home insurance and cancellations. To address these concerns, Cal Cities is supporting:

• AB 1934 (Bennett), which requires the Office of the State Fire Marshall (OSFA) to establish a tiered certification program on home hardening. Homeowners could obtain discounts from insurance companies based on their certification levels. OSFA has already created a working group to create this type of program.
• AB 2724 (Bauer-Kahan), a bill that requires the Department of Insurance to consider modifying the definition of distressed communities in the Catastrophic Modeling regulation. This would address concerns raised by Cal Cities that the new regulations excluded certain distressed communities from the rule, which requires insurance companies to write policies in the distressed areas.
• SB 1301 (Allen), which requires insurers to provide a nonrenewal notice three months in advance and detail the specific reasons why the nonrenewal notice was issued.  

Lawmakers are on break through Aug. 3. When they return, they’ll have just one month to resolve any outstanding business. To learn how to make your voice heard on these critical issues, contact your regional public affairs manager or sign up for Cal Cities’ July 22 legislative briefing.