Lawmakers worked diligently last week to meet a Friday deadline to pass bills out of their house. Here is a look at some of the key technology-related bills approved by either the Assembly or Senate:
California Department of Technology
- The Assembly endorsed legislation that would require the California Department of Technology to develop a standardized system to evaluate and rate state contractors. AB 1546 by Assemblywoman Autumn Burke, D-Inglewood, would require the reporting system be active by Jan. 1, 2019, for information technology contracts or any project reportable to the department. The Assembly approved the bill by a 78-0 vote.
- A second, related bill by Burke, AB 1681, would require the director of the Department of Technology to issue a report about its development of a standardized performance assessment system for information technology contractors. The report would be due by Jan. 1, 2019. The Assembly approved that bill by a 79-0 vote.
- AB 1680 by Burke would require the Director of Technology to establish and oversee the implementation of a training program and curriculum for anybody engaged in the procurement of information technology. The Assembly approved the bill by a 78-0 vote.
- Legislation by Assemblywoman Catharine Baker, R-Dublin, would require state agencies and entities to submit a report about their website accessibility at least every two years. AB 434 also would require the Department of Technology to adopt a state Web accessibility standard by Dec. 31, 2018, and report to the Legislature how it would ensure state agency websites meet that standard. The Assembly approved the bill by a 76-0 vote.
- The California Department of Technology may get the continued authority it needs to negotiate and hammer out project details for IT goods and services. AB 475 by Assemblyman Ed Chau, D-Monterey Park, removes a Jan. 1, 2018, sunset that lawmakers put into statute when it gave the technology department the authority to negotiate IT contracts — in addition to using the traditional method of closed, competitive bids to solicit goods and services. The Assembly approved the bill by a 69-0 vote.
- The Senate approved legislation that would establish a statewide framework for small cell technology — a bid to foster faster, more reliable wireless communications. The measure cleared the Senate with a 32-1 vote despite the continued objection of cities and local governments across California. Backed by business interests, SB 649 by Sen. Ben Hueso, D-San Diego, would streamline the permitting siting process of small cell wireless facilities, such as low-powered wireless base stations that provide local connectivity.
- Spearheaded by a coalition of rural lawmakers, the Assembly voted 67-5 to extend the California Advanced Services Fund, which provides money for broadband deployment in underserved areas. The Public Utilities Commission had a goal of providing broadband access to at least 98 percent of Californians by 2015, but a recent report found that only 43 percent of rural households had access to reliable service. AB 1665 sets the new goal at 2022 and authorizes the PUC to collect up to $330 million in taxpayer surcharges. That’s an increase from the current $315 million authorization.
- The Government Operations Agency would establish and administer a government innovation follow program under legislation approved by the Assembly. The idea is to improve state government services by placing people with advanced skill-sets and innovative backgrounds at state agencies. AB 86 by Assemblyman Ian Calderon, D-Whittier, would require the GOA to consult with state agencies and private entities to obtain the resources and administrative support needed for the program. Whittier had initially sought an entrepreneur-in-residence program but amended the bill. The measure passed with a 69-0 vote.
- Digital signatures on state contracts are one step closer to becoming a reality. The Assembly unanimously approved legislation that would require the Department of General Services to develop procedures that would authorize electronic signatures and electronically-submitted documents for contracts covered by the State Contracting Manual. The Assembly voted 76-0 for AB 639 by Assemblyman Jay Obernolte, R-Hesperia.
- In a move to protect the massive amounts of sensitive digital data stored by the state, lawmakers unanimously approved a bill that would require a review of information security technologies at state agencies. AB 531 directs the Department of Technology’s Office of Information Security to conduct that review by April 2018. The bill by Assemblywoman Jacqui Irwin, D-Thousand Oaks, would require the Office of Information Security to determine if there are sufficient policies, standards and procedures in place to protect critical government information and prevent the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive digital content. Lawmakers approved the bill by a 77-0 vote.
- A second bill by Irwin would require state agencies to provide the Department of Technology with a confidential inventory of their critical infrastructure controls and assets — part of an effort to help the state combat cyber attacks. The bill also authorizes local entities to voluntarily submit their inventories to CDT. AB 1022 would prohibit the public disclosure of the inventories. The Assembly approved the bill by a 76-0 vote.
- The Assembly believes Gov. Jerry Brown’s cybersecurity center should be codified into law. AB-1306 by Jay Obernolte, R-Big Bear, would set in statute the existence of the California Cybersecurity Integration Center (Cal-CSIC) at the Office of Emergency Services, which Brown created in a 2015 executive order. The bill would also authorize the Director of Emergency Services to administer, authorize and allocate federal homeland security grant funding. Lawmakers approved the bill by a 73-1 vote.
- With cyber attacks rising in number and severity, lawmakers want to ensure California’s higher institutions are training the future workforce. AB 276 by Jose Medina, D-Riverside, directs the Regents of the University of California, th eChancellor’s Office of the California State University, and the Chancellor’s Office of the California Community Colleges to complete a report that evaluates the current state of cybersecurity education and training programs. The Assembly approved the bill by a 76-0 vote. It is now before the Senate Rules Committee.
- Seeking to make government more accessible to the public, the Assembly approved legislation that would require the California Environmental Protection Agency to live stream all of its onsite public meetings. AB 816 by Kevin Kiley, R-Roseville, would also require the webcasts to be done in a way that listeners and viewers can ask questions and provide public comment. It would also require all recordings of webcasts be made available online for no less than three years. Lawmakers approved the bill by a 76-0 vote.
- Legislation now before the Senate would make prescription opioid data more available to physicians and pharmacists. AB 40 by Assemblyman Miguel Santiago, D-Los Angeles, would require the state Department of Justice to create an electronic history of controlled substances that have been dispensed to an individual based on data contained in its prescription drug database known as the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System, or CURES. It would also allow an outside health information technology system to integrate and submit queries to the database. The Assembly approved the bill on a unanimous 77-0 vote.
- A divided Assembly approved a bill that would require the state Department of Justice to administer and oversee any shared gang database used by California law enforcement agencies. AB 90 would require the department to issue regulations governing the use, operation, and oversight of any shared gang database, including establishing requirements for entering and reviewing gang designations, the retention period for listed gangs, the criteria for identifying gang members, and the definitions of offenses consistent with gang activity. The bill by Shirley Weber, D-San Diego, passed with a 42-36 vote.
- Lawmakers want the public to have the ability to search for records of ex parte communication at the California Coastal Commission. AB 684 by Assemblyman Mark Stone, D-Monterey Bay, would require the commission to develop, implement and maintain an online database of all private communications between a commissioner and an interested party, such as someone who might have business or interests before the commission. Currently, those communications are often disclosed orally at commission meetings and few details are revealed. Stone’s bill would require a database by July 1, 2018. Lawmakers approved the bill by a 74-0 vote.
- The state Board of Education could soon be updating instruction materials and curriculum frameworks to include media literacy under legislation approved the Senate. A bill by Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, would require the board to develop the model curriculum by March 2019. SB 135 states the curriculum may include the ability of schools to measure the “21st-century skills” of their pupils, including creativity and innovation, communication, digital citizenship, technology operations and concepts, and information, media and technological literacy. The Senate approved the bill by a 27-12 vote
- The Senate unanimously approved legislation aimed at cracking down on human trafficking. SB 225 by Sen. Henry Stern, D-Los Angeles, would require certain businesses to post notices that include information about how to text a special hotline. Supporters say the ability to text a hotline would give victims of slavery and human trafficking, as well as the public, a more secretive way to contact help. Businesses and establishments — such as massage parlors, roadside rest stops, airports and truck stops — are currently required by law to post notices that include phone numbers. The Senate approved the bill by a 40-0 vote.
