Important Proposed Legislation You Need To Know About!

Greetings Neighbors!

Please take a moment to look at this proposed state legislation and contact our local state representative regarding AB 5 if you have concerns about what this proposed legislation would allow.

State Assembly (District 8)

Assembly Member Ken Cooley-DEM

Capitol Office:
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0008
Tel: (916) 319-2008
Fax: (916) 319-2108

District Office:
2729 Prospect Park Drive
Suite 130
Rancho Cordova, CA 95670
Tel: (916) 464-1910
Fax: (916) 464-1915

State Senate (District 4)

Senator Jim Nielsen-REP

Capitol Office

State Capitol, Room 4062

Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone: (916) 651-4004

Fax: (916) 445-7750

Proposed Homeless Bill of Rights AB 5:
Tom Ammiano D-San Francisco has proposed AB 5 which would enact the Homeless Person’s Bill of Rights and Fairness Act, which places housing status on equal footing with gender, religion and color when it comes to prohibited discrimination.
The bill helps protect homeless people from discrimination in employment, voting, and when seeking housing or public services. The bill would protect homeless people’s rights to exist in public space and to engage in life-sustaining activities like sleeping, eating, sharing food, and access to safe bathrooms and clean water, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Bill would also grant the homeless the right to sleep in legally parked cars, to possess personal property on public lands, and to receive public assistance funds and legal counsel when cited, even for infractions. The bill would also ban officials from forcing homeless people into shelters or social service programs against their will.
Ammiano s that homelessness causes Californians to be denied access to housing, employment and clean restrooms, Ammiano also asserts that homeless are unfairly targeted by Law Enforcement.
Should the bill pass; the local ordinance against vagrancy, and the ordinances that close water ways and parks at night, public buildings and transit stations, could be voided.
“In Los Angeles County, The Department of Public Social Services indicates that any impact for the demand of additional public social services under AB 5 is unknown at this time. According to DPSS, in Los Angeles County, the number of homeless CalWORKs families has risen during the last six years to a historic high of 12,861 families. In addition, over 50% of individuals on General Relief are homeless”.
“AB 5 is opposed by Sacramento County and the editorial boards of the: Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Bee, San Francisco Chronicle and the Fresno Bee”.
AB 5 has been referred to the Assembly Judiciary Committee. A hearing date has not been scheduled.


http://file.lacounty.gov/bc/q1_2013/cms1_190023.pdf
BILL NUMBER : A.B. No. 5
AUTHOR : Ammiano
TOPIC : Homelessness.
TYPE OF BILL : Active
Non-Urgency
Non-Appropriations
Majority Vote Required
State-Mandated Local Program
Fiscal
Non-Tax Levy
BILL HISTORY 2013 Jan. 24 Referred to Com. on JUD. 2012 Dec. 4 From printer.