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AB 1848 will help reduce number of untested rape kits

San Francisco, CA—The Assembly today approved with bipartisan support a bill authored by Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco) and sponsored by Attorney General Kamala Harris that would help reduce the number of untested sexual assault evidence kits throughout California. AB 1848 will for first time require law enforcement agencies to report to the California Department of Justice annual data on sexual assault evidence kit collection and testing, providing greater transparency for survivors, policy makers and the criminal justice system.

“Survivors of sexual assault deserve to know what happened to the sexual assault evidence kits they submitted,” said Assemblymember Chiu. “To get at the heart of the backlog problem, we need to know how many kits are collected each year, and if they’re not analyzed, we need to know why.  This data will help shed some light on improvements that law enforcement needs to make and whether or not they need more resources to get the kits tested.”

Proposal for more than $1.3 billion for FY 2016-17 Budget would address challenges ranging from homelessness to homeownership

Sacramento, CA – More than a dozen members of the Democratic Assembly Caucus today unveiled a plan that would deliver relief to California families struggling to keep up with skyrocketing rents. In a letter to Assembly Budget Subcommittee 4 Chair Asm. Adrin Nazarian, the caucus members, led by Housing Committee Chair Asm. David Chiu (D-San Francisco) and Asm. Tony Thurmond (D-Richmond), proposed more than $1.3 billion to stabilize families after median rents have soared by 20 percent since 2008, while median incomes have dropped by 8 percent. “Californians cannot wait,” they wrote.  “Immediate action is needed...in this budget year to address our housing crisis.”

San Francisco, CA—A bill by Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco) that would provide greater transparency for survivors, policy makers and the criminal justice system around sexual assault cases passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee unanimously today.

Assembly Bill 1848, which is sponsored by Attorney General Kamala D. Harris and co-authored by Assemblymembers Bill Quirk (D-Hayward) and Autumn Burke (D-Inglewood), would direct local law enforcement agencies to track the progression of sexual assault evidence kits (commonly known as “rape kits”) and report their data to the Department of Justice.

Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco) today issued the following statement after the California State Assembly voted to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2022:

“Today we took a historic step to combat the economic inequality that has tarnished our Golden State, which has the highest poverty rate in the country. Raising the minimum wage will directly help working people who have too often had to make choices about which necessity – housing, food or health care – they can afford each month. This is a balanced approach that addresses the dire needs of struggling Californians while providing predictability for employers."

AB 2725 creates statewide guidelines for food date labels so they relate directly to freshness and safety

San Francisco, CA – Assemblymember David Chiu, Californians Against Waste, and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) today announced legislation aimed at reducing food waste and consumer confusion by standardizing food date labels in California. To help reduce the amount of food waste prematurely going to landfills, the Food Waste Reduction and Date Labeling Act (AB 2725) would create two standard date labels, “best if used by” and “expires on,” to communicate food quality and safety to consumers. The bill announcement took place at the Divisadero location of the iconic Bi-Rite Market, which is also supporting efforts to reduce food waste.

“There Ought to Be a Law” winner would build on foundation of California’s new Motor Voter model to automate voter registration for college students

San Francisco, CA—Assemblymembers David Chiu (D-San Francisco) and Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) today announced a bill that will increase voter registration and civic engagement among California students. The Student Voting Act, AB 2455, would implement automated voter registration for eligible students when they enroll for classes in California’s public college and university systems. The bill is the winner of Assemblymember Chiu’s “There Ought to Be a Law” program and was proposed by two UC Berkeley Law Students, one of whom lives in San Francisco’s Mission District.

Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco) today issued the following statement on the Assembly’s approval of  legislation to regulate and reduce tobacco use in California:

“Today’s historic Assembly votes are a victory for public health. As Congressman Henry Waxman famously said, cigarettes are ‘the single most dangerous consumer product ever sold.’ Even with lower smoking rates, tobacco remains the leading cause of death in the United States, with almost half a million people each year dying from smoking-related causes. This number is greater than the death toll for alcohol, illegal drugs, murders and motor vehicles accidents combined. And the cost to California – in direct health care costs and lost productivity – is at least $23 billion per year.

San Francisco, CA—A bill by Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco) that would strengthen California’s existing assault weapons ban and close the “bullet button” loophole passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee today. The committee also passed two other bills to reduce gun violence in California.

Assembly Bill 1663, which is sponsored by Attorney General Kamala D. Harris and co-authored by Assemblymembers Marc Levine (D-Marin County), Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), Rob Bonta (D-Oakland), and Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles), would require semi-automatic rifles sold or transferred in California to be manufactured with ammunition magazines that cannot be detached. Fixed magazines prevent the rapid reloading that increases the lethality of horrific mass shootings like the one in San Bernardino last December.

AB 1848 increases transparency and accountability around sexual assault cases by requiring law enforcement agencies to report data on sexual assault evidence kit collection and testing

San Francisco, CA—Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco) and Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today introduced a bill that would provide greater transparency for survivors, policy makers and the criminal justice system around sexual assault cases. Assembly Bill 1848, co-authored by Assemblywoman Autumn R. Burke (D-Inglewood) and Assemblymember Bill Quirk (D-Hayward), would direct local law enforcement agencies to track the progression of sexual assault evidence kits (commonly known as “rape kits”) and report their data to the Department of Justice.