AVFCA has been lobbying throughout the Summer!

Have you met with your Assembly Member and Senator?  

July 25, 2022 Update: This is the last week of the summer vacation, before legislators return from their districts to Sacramento.  Once back, bills will be heard in the Appropriations Committee, and then by the full Assembly and the full Senate, before going back to the other house for Concurrence and then on to the Governor's desk by September 1, 2022.  
While the AVFCA team has taken a little time to decompress and rejuvenate during the break, we have also been lobbying our Democrat legislators and their staff, as well as other organizations that may take a stand against the bills we are opposing.  A Voice for Choice Advocacy has been doing all we can to ensure the demise of the five remaining "bad" bills.  But we can't do this without your support!  While A Voice for Choice Advocacy's lobbying activity in the Capitol is important, your positive constituent relationships with your CA State Senator and Assembly Member (https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/) and their staff are critical to assisting with A Voice for Choice Advocacy's efforts in the Capitol.  If you haven't met with them, please be sure to sign up for their newsletters, go to their events, and ask their staff for a meeting.  The next 5 weeks are critical.  
As our two lobbyists continue to work along side our internal legislative team, AVFCA needs to continue to fund them and needs your financial support more than ever to make it through the next 5 weeks.  If you can please donate today: https://avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org/donate

Below A Voice for Choice Advocacy gives you a detailed description of all the bills we are Opposing and Supporting, and the Action we need you to take this week.  The key for the next week is to reach out to the State Senators and Assembly members voting on these 5 bills.
If you wish to share this information, please share this link: https://avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org/2022-ca-legislation/

✘ 2022 CA BAD Bills ✘

A Voice for Choice Advocacy is Actively Opposing the following bills:

✘ SB 866 Minors: vaccine consent (Pan) – 15 Year Old Minor Consent to Vaccination Without Parental Consent: (https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB866)
A minor 15 years of age (amended up from 12) or older may consent to a vaccine that is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration and meets the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (ACIP) without the consent of the parent or guardian of the minor.

AVFCA Position: Oppose unless Amended (https://avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/AVFCA-SB866-Letter-of-Oppose-unless-Amended-Wiener-Pan-Asm-Amend.pdf)

Status: Passed the Senate Judiciary Committee (7-0-4), full Senate (21-8-11) and Assembly Judiciary Committee (6-4-1).  Was amended on the Assembly Floor (38-22-19).  Can be voted on the Assembly Floor any Monday or Thursday in August.

Take Action:  Continue to call your local Assembly Member or their staff (https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/) sharing your concerns and asking them to oppose SB 866.  Talk to parents to do the same.

✘ AB 2098 Physicians and Surgeons: Unprofessional Conduct (Low) – MD/DO Misinformation:(https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB2098)
Designates the dissemination or promotion of misinformation or disinformation related to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, or “COVID-19,” as unprofessional conduct.

AVFCA Position: Oppose (https://avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/AVFCA-AB2098-Letter-of-Opposition-Low.pdf)  

Status: Passed Assembly Business & Professions Committee (12-5-2), Assembly Appropriations Committee (12-4-0), full Assembly (53-20-5) and Senate Business, Professions & Economic Development Committee (9-4-1).  It will be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday, August 1.

Take Action:  Take Action:  Call your local State Senator or their staff (https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/) sharing your concerns and asking them to oppose AB 2098.  Talk to MDs and DOs to do the same.

✘ SB 1479 COVID-19 testing in schools: COVID-19 testing plans (Pan) – Testing programs for teachers, staff, and pupils: (https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB1479)
Require each school district, county office of education, and charter school to create a COVID-19 testing plan that is consistent with guidance from the department and designate one staff member to report information on its COVID-19 testing program to the State Department of Public Health. (Note: this bill will be amended before the Assembly Appropriations Committee hearing)

AVFCA Position: Oppose unless Amended (https://avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/AVFCA-SB1479-Letter-of-Opposition-Pan.pdf)

Status: Passed Senate Health Committee (9-2-0), Senate Education Committee (5-2-0), Senate Appropriations Committee (5-2-0), full Senate (27-9-4), Assembly Health Committee (11-3-1) and Assembly Education Committee (4-1-2).  Will be heard in Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, August 3. 

Take Action:  Call your local Assembly Member or their staff (https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/) sharing your concerns and asking them to oppose SB 1479.  

✘ AB 1797 Immunization registry (Weber) - Modernize California’s Immunization Registry 
(https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB1797)
Would require all vaccines will be required to be entered into the CA Immunization Registry (CAIR).  Schools and other entities would also have access to all COVID-19 vaccine records until July 2026.
AVFCA Position: Oppose unless Amended. (https://avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/AVFCA-AB1797-Letter-of-Opposition-Weber-Asm-Ed.pdf)

Status: Passed Assembly Health Committee (10-3-2), Assembly Education Committee (5-2-0), Assembly Appropriations Committee (12-4-0), full Assembly (54-20-4), Senate Health Committee (8-1-2) and Senate Education Committee (5-2-0).  Will be heard in Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday, August 1.

Take Action:  Meet with your local Senator or their staff sharing your concerns (https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/).  Talk to parents to do the same.

✘ SB 1419 Health Information (Becker) – Prohibits representatives of minors, age 12 years and older, from inspecting minors’ patient records that relate to sensitive medical services:
(https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB1419)
Prohibit the representative of a minor from inspecting the minor’s patient record when the records relate to certain services, including medical care related to the prevention or treatment of pregnancy, as specified.

AVFCA Position: Oppose unless Amended (https://avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/AVFCA-SB1419-Letter-of-Oppose-unless-Amended-Becker-Asm-Health.pdf)

Status: Passed Senate Health Committee (8-2-1), Senate Judiciary Committee (9-2-0), Senate Appropriations Committee (5-2-0), full Senate (28-8-4) and Assembly Health (10-3-2). Was supposed to be heard in Assembly Judiciary Committee but was pulled from the committee and will be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday, August 1.  

Take Action: Meet with your local Assembly member or their staff sharing your concerns (https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/).  Talk to parents to do the same.

✔ 2022 CA GOOD Bills ✔

A Voice for Choice Advocacy is Actively Supporting the following bills, which can be used as meetings openers:

✔ AB 1809 Nursing Facility Resident Informed Consent Protection Act of 2022 (Aguiar-Curry): (https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB1809)
Requires the right of every resident to receive all information material to an individual’s decision concerning whether to accept or refuse any proposed treatment or procedure.

AVFCA Position: Support (https://avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/AVFCA-Letter-of-Support-re-AB-1809-Health.pdf)

Status: Passed Assembly Health Committee, Assembly Judiciary Committee, Assembly Appropriations Committee, full Assembly and Senate Health Committee.  Was supposed to be heard in Senate Judiciary Committee but was pulled from the committee and will be heard in Senate Appropriations Committee. 

Take Action:  Meet with your local Senator or their staff sharing your support (https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/).

✔ SB 1149 Civil actions: agreements settling actions involving public health or safety (Leyva): (https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB1149)
Prohibits a provision within a settlement agreement for civil damages regarding a defective product or environmental condition that poses a danger to public health or safety, as defined, that purports to restrict the disclosure of factual information related to the action.

AVFCA Position: Support.

Status: Passed Senate Judiciary Committee, full Senate and Assembly Judiciary Committee.  Will be heard on the Assembly floor in August.

Take Action:  Meet with your local Assembly Member or their staff sharing your support (https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/).

✔SB 994 Vocational nursing: direction of naturopathic doctor (Jones):
(https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB994)
Revises the definition of vocational nursing to additionally include practice under the direction of a naturopathic doctor.  

AVFCA Position: Support (https://avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/AVFCA-Letter-of-Support-re-SB-994-BP.pdf)

Status: Passed Senate Business, Professions & Economic Development Committee, full Senate and Assembly Business & Professions. Will be heard on the Assembly floor in August.

Take Action:  Meet with your local Assembly Member or their staff sharing your support (https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/).

✔ AB 2146 Pesticides: midacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam, dinotefuran, and acetamiprid: prohibited nonagricultural use (Bauer-Kahan): (https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB2146)
Designates, by regulation, pesticides containing midacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam, dinotefuran, or acetamiprid as restricted materials, and prohibits, beginning January 1, 2024, the sale, possession, or use of these pesticides, except for use on an agricultural commodity, as defined.

AVFCA Position: Support (https://avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/AVFCA-Letter-of-Support-re-AB-2146-ESTM.pdf)

Status: Passed Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee, Assembly Appropriations, Senate Environmental Quality. Is in Suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.  Will be heard on the Senate floor in August.

Take Action:  Meet with your local State Senator or their staff sharing your support (https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/).

✔ AB 1817 Product safety: textile articles: perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) (Ting): (https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB1817)
Beginning January 1, 2024, prohibits any person from distributing, selling, or offering for sale in California any textile articles that contain regulated PFAS, and requires a manufacturer to use the least toxic alternative when replacing regulated PFAS in textile articles to comply with these provisions.

AVFCA Position: Support (https://avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/AVFCA-Letter-of-Support-re-AB-1817-ESTM.pdf)

Status: Passed Assembly Environmental, Safety & Toxic Materials Committee, full Assembly and Senate Environmental Quality Committee.  Will be heard on the Senate floor in August. 

Take Action:  Meet with your local State Senator or their staff sharing your support (https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/).

✔ AB 2771 Cosmetic products: safety (Friedman):
(https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB2771)
Prohibits a person or entity from manufacturing, selling, delivering, holding, or offering for sale in commerce any cosmetic product that contains intentionally added perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances PFAS.

AVFCA Position: Support.

Status: Passed Assembly Environmental, Safety & Toxic Materials Committee, Assembly Health Committee, Assembly Appropriations, full Assembly, Senate Environmental Quality Committee and Senate Health Committee. Will be heard on the Senate floor in August.

Take Action:  Meet with your local Senator or their staff sharing your support (https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/).

If you found this information helpful and appreciate the work A Voice for Choice Advocacy is doing, please support us by making a donation today.

Together we can make change happen!

C

Christina Hildebrand
President/Founder
A Voice for Choice Advocacy, Inc.
[email protected]
www.AVoiceForChoiceAdvocacy.org