Sacramento, California - With a total of seven pieces of chaptered measures already under his belt, Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia’s (D- Coachella) remaining 2017 legislative proposals are swiftly accelerating toward the finish line.
“As we near the end of this year’s legislative session, I am particularly excited to see the success of measures we introduced in direct response to the ideas and concerns of my constituents,” stated Assemblymember Garcia, who so far, this week, has ushered an additional four bills onto the Governor’s desk. Three of these initiatives stemmed from requests made by residents or other local entities within the 56th Assembly District, including; AB 1264, AB 1073, AB 661, and AB 474.
AB 1264, Parent Involvement and Transparency Act will help improve the educational tract for children with special needs by allowing parents/guardians the opportunity to review documents pertaining to their child prior to their scheduled IEP meeting. Most parents/guardians are not able to review their child’s IEP related documents until minutes before they are asked to sign and verify the contract, unaware of their right to review documents relevant to the proposed plan in advance.
“This bill seeks to enhance the educational experience for students with special needs by granting parents access to information to ensure they make the best choice for their child. The objective is to increase transparency and enhance parental engagement, because every child deserves their best chance to succeed,” professed Assemblymember Garcia.
1073, California Clean Truck, Bus, and Off-Road Vehicle and Equipment Technology Program aims to alleviate a majority of air pollutants by providing incentives for more zero- and near-zero-emission vehicles. Specifically, it would require the state board to allocate no less than 20% of available funding to support the early commercial deployment or existing zero- and near-zero-emission heavy-duty truck technology until January 1, 2023.
“Unfortunately, communities of color and the economically disadvantaged along transportation corridors are disproportionately affected by pollution and left to face the dire health ramifications of poor air quality, such as cancer, asthma and other respiratory diseases,” said Garcia. “By incentivizing the use of more clean fuel heavy duty trucks for the movement of goods we can reduce a significant source of pollution, while helping to achieve our state’s emission reduction and long-term climate goals.”
AB 661, Magnesia Spring Ecological Reserve: Mirage Trail extends access to the Magnesia Spring Ecological Reserve Mirage Trail, known as the “Bump and Grind” between the months of May and January until January 1, 2028.
“I was proud to tag team this legislative effort with my regional colleague, Assemblymember Mayes. AB 661 will allow our Coachella Valley families and tourists continued access to this beloved desert treasure for fitness and recreational opportunities, all while ensuring vital environmental protections for the populations of Bighorn Sheep who call it home,” exclaimed Assemblymember Garcia.
474, Hazardous waste: spent brine solutions would exempt from Hazardous Waste Control Law, spent brine solutions that are byproducts of the treatment of groundwater to meet California drinking water standards. This legislation brought forward by the Coachella Valley Water District and would permit a cost-effective and environmentally beneficial means of treating the waste products resulting from meeting the clean drinking water standards in areas affected by concentrations of Arsenic, Chromium 6 and potentially other undesirable minerals in the future.
With only a few days left until deadline, Assemblymember Garcia continues to work toward desired results on his seven remaining active measures.
