• AB 292 

  This bill prohibits state and local government offices and recipients of state funding from using children to interpret for family members except for routine (e.g., office hours) information and for emergencies when health is at stake.

• AB 209 and SB 69 -- These two bills would require disabled victims of discrimination to give businesses written notice of ADA violations before a lawsuit can be filed.  

• SB 262 -- This bill amends enforcement of the California Building Code to add county counsels to the list of those who can sue violators and sets forth minimum civil penalties and the criteria courts would use to assess the amount of penalties ordered.

• SB 174 -- This is the same as last year's SB 1638, which would mandate health insurance plans to provide hearing aid coverage for minors up to $1,000 (last year's bill had a higher amount -- $1,500).
   

   

• AB 2507 -- (Last session)  This bill would have required teaching CSD students ASL and would have required CSD staff to pass ASL competency tests.  It was vetoed.

   

• AB 1292

This bill would fix the problem the DDTP faces in paying its bills if the state budget is not passed in time. Currently, the DDTP will not be allowed to pay any bills for services and equipment provided after June unless the state budget is approved.  This bill would allow bills to be paid without waiting for an approved state budget.

• Konig v. Fair Employment and Housing Commission, No. S087843 (Cal. July 29, 2002), 2002 DJDAR 8447 (July 30, 2002 issue).

The State Supreme Court upheld the authority of the Fair Employment and Housing Commission to award compensatory damages for emotional distress suffered by victims of housing discrimination.   The case benefits deaf victims of discrimination.  The case involved race discrimination but should be equally valid for disability discrimination, not only in housing cases, but also for cases involving discrimination by public accommodations (e.g., clinics, schools, motels, restaurants, amusement parks), and employment.

 

In California, victims can file complaints of discrimination with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing.  The Department will attempt to informally resolve complaints.  If unsuccessful, the Department can formally charge the offending or person and the complaint will be decided by the Commission or by a court at the option of the offending party.  Victims do not need a lawyer to file a complaint and there are no fees.  If the Department issues a formal charge, the case will be prosecuted by state lawyers.

• AB 1734: PUC to contract with a newly independent DDTP

This bill is about the DDTP and how to administer it when the funding shifts from a public trust held in private banks to the State Treasury.

THIS BILL WAS APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR

• AB 1670 & AB 677: "California's 504"

                    THIS BILL WAS APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR

• SB 1190: Signal Dog Allowance for SSDI recipients

This bill was signed and raises the signal dog allowance for SSDI recipients whose income is below the federal poverty level from $35 to $50 per month

THIS BILL WAS APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR

• Hason v. Medical Bd. of CA (in PDF format)

This new opinion from the 9th Circuit is of significance for two reasons.  First, it follows 9th Circuit precedent in upholding the constitutionality of Title II suits against the state (no 11th Amendment immunity) after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Garrett, which held that Title I ADA suits against the states would violate the constitution.  Second, it holds that licensing (at least professional licensing) is a program or activity covered by Title II.

• AB 772: Captioning of Legislative Broadcasts

See CalCLAD's letter re: AB 772

THIS BILL DIED

• SB 927: Family Court Interpreters

This bill would attempt to expand interpreter coverage in one area and that is supervised visitation in cases where there has been domestic violence.  The bill requires that all legal certified court interpreters have an initial 6 hours of continuing education in domestic violence training and 3 hours every two years thereafter.  SB 927 also requires the Judicial Council to undertake community awareness efforts of the availability of court interpreters and requires specific court signage. 

This bill died but has a new version (SB 1780).

SB 1780: New version of the court interpreter bill regarding interpreters in domestic violence proceedings

THIS BILL DIED

• AB 219: DDTP Surcharge Bill

THIS BILL WAS APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR.

• SB 371: Court Interpreter Bill

This bill would give collective bargaining rights to all interpreters, including sign language, who work in the state courts by having them be "employees" of the Judicial Council.  This bill is being co-sponsored by the Bay Area Court Interpreters Association (BACI) and the California Federation of Interpreters.  Any certified or registered interpreter who interprets in court after March 2002 would automatically be an employee.  By September 2002, the Judicial Council would have to submit a medical benefits plan and retirement plan to the legislature. 

SB 371 was amended to exclude sign language interpreters from its provisions and then was approved by the governor.

• AB 855: Equal Pay for Teachers at CSD (and some other state employees)

This bill would provide equal pay, comparable to the public school systems in the same city/district, for teachers at the California School for the Deaf in Fremont and Riverside.

THIS BILL WAS VETOED BY THE GOVERNOR, BUT NOW HAS A NEW VERSION (AB 2444)

• AB 2444: Would require the DPA to consider salary parity for CSD staff in comparison to encompassing school district salaries

          THIS BILL WAS APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR

• AB 2884 and SB 1638:  Hearing Aid bills

            THESE BILLS DIED

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