Sacramento (CA) – Today, seven of Assemblymember Chris Holden’s bills passed Senate Appropriations Committee. The bills that passed include duty to intervene, AB 26; lead free faucets, AB 100; The Upward Mobility Act, AB 105; use of force training for private security, AB 229; wildfire property damage mitigation, AB 242; real estate appraisal reform, AB 948; and affordable housing funding, AB 1297.
AB 26 establishes clear guidelines for police responsibility and accountability when witnessing excessive force by another member of law enforcement. The bill requires police officers to intercede when witnessing excessive force under the updated guidelines and report the incident in real time to dispatch or the watch commander. Retaliation against officers that report violations of law or regulation of another officer to a supervisor would be prohibited.
“We are calling for responsibility and accountability,” said Assemblymember Chris Holden. “Instituting these core values are paramount to building public trust that has eroded between law enforcement and communities across California.”
AB 105 would address barriers to upward mobility and inclusion for people of color working in California’s civil services system. Specifically, the legislation would require diversity on all state boards and commissions that have volunteers, and reform processes that hinder upward mobility for people of color in the civil service system, giving attention to compliance, the appeals process, and annual parity goals for upward mobility.
“Upward mobility is integral to achieving racial justice, and we should be setting the example,” said Assemblymember Chris Holden. “The existing systems in place at our own state agencies fail to create inclusive workplace environments, and hinder qualified individuals to move on up within their department simply based on the color of their skin.”
AB 229 would require the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS) to develop curriculum and training courses on the appropriate use of force for private security service employees in consultation with the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.
“When private security are responsible for the safety of the general public, those private operators must have the proper training in order to apply the appropriate use of force in any particular situation,” said Assemblymember Chris Holden. “We put a lot of attention on our State’s peace officers, but private security, who sometimes are in similar circumstances, need comparable training.”
AB 948 would require the Bureau of California Real Estate Appraisals to gather data on demographic information of buyers and sellers of real estate property and compile data of homeowners from protected classes who file complaints based on low appraisals. The legislation also requires appraisers to take anti-bias training when renewing their license.
“Black homeowners in predominately white neighborhoods are getting their homes appraised for far less than their neighbors,” said Assemblymember Chris Holden. “It’s just another example of how bias, whether explicit or implicit, creates inequity for Black Americans. This is redlining 2.0.”
AB 100 would restrict the amount of lead leaching from faucets and fixtures to no more than 1 microgram, which is five times lower than the current industry standard.
AB 242 expands the definition of “covered wild-fire” for the purpose of paying property damage claims through the Wildfire Fund where an electrical corporation is in involved. It also consolidates required reports of the California Public Utilities Commission.
AB 1297 expands the financing authority of the California Infrastructure and Economic Bank (IBank) to include housing projects, when the housing is necessary for the operation of the financed project.