SACRAMENTO – The 2018 legislative package of Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D-Discovery Bay) received a big boost last week after a number of his bills were moved forward by major policy committees or approved by the full Assembly.
AB 2441, which is of major importance to the Delta region, was approved by the Assembly Appropriations Committee today. This bill would establish a funding mechanism for the removal of abandoned commercial vessels in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. A recent Department of Fish & Wildlife survey found 54 derelict commercial vessels throughout the Delta. These large vessels are a significant threat to the environment, hinder navigation in the Delta and cost on average $500,000 each to remove. This bill now moves to the Assembly Floor.
AB 1743, which Frazier is coauthoring with the chairman of the Assembly Education Committee, was also approved by the Assembly Appropriations Committee today. The bill will direct $500 million annually toward Career Technical Education (CTE) to keep these programs in our public high schools. CTE prepares students, particularly those who are not college-bound, for rewarding careers after high school in a wide range of fields that require specific skills, including the building trades and technology. This bill now moves to the Assembly Floor.
AB 2061, which Frazier is authoring as chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee, was approved by the Assembly Appropriations Committee as well. This bill is designed to help California meet its greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals by putting more clean energy commercial trucks on the road and reducing the number of Diesel and gasoline powered trucks. This bill now moves to the Assembly Floor.
AB 2353, which was approved by the full Assembly today, would help to reduce the cost of building new housing by implementing added protections for builders from unwarranted construction defect lawsuits. This bill would ensure that inspectors used in construction defect cases are qualified to perform such inspections by requiring them to be licensed by the Contractors State License Board. This bill now moves to the Senate.
AB 2171, which was also approved by the Assembly Appropriations Committee today, would require the three state agencies that provide services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to ensure each individual achieves their fullest employment potential. This bill now moves to the Assembly Floor.
Other bills authored by Frazier include ABs 2096, 2734 and 3032, which have already been approved by the Assembly and are now under consideration by the Senate; AB 1792, which was approved by the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee and now goes to the Assembly Floor; and AB 2307, which is on the governor’s desk after being approved by both houses of the Legislature.
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Assemblymember Frazier represents the 11th Assembly District, which includes the communities of Antioch, Bethel Island, Birds Landing, Brentwood, Byron, Collinsville, Discovery Bay, Fairfield, Isleton, Knightsen, Locke, Oakley, Pittsburg (partial), Rio Vista, Suisun City, Travis AFB, Vacaville and Walnut Grove
