Archuleta celebrates legislation signed by Newsom

Photo Courtesy Bob Archuleta

NORWALK – Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed legislation authored by Senator Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera) regarding veterans, the environment and public safety.

Archuleta represents Norwalk in the California State Senate. 

Senate Bill 480, the prohibiting law enforcement agencies from authorizing their employees from wearing uniforms that are camouflage or substantially similar to those of the United States Armed Forces. “Our police are not a military force,” said Senator Archuleta. “And it should not be made deliberately difficult for a member of the public to distinguish between the two.”

Senate Bill 480 is one of the first legislative efforts in the nation to address the confusion between members of the armed forces and law enforcement. The bill protects service members, law enforcement officers, and civilians by ensuring that there are clear identifying features on police uniforms that distinguishes them from the military and prohibits the use of camouflage unless it is being worn by tactical teams, such as SWAT and Special Operations.

“The main objective of military camouflage is to deceive the enemy as to the presence, position, and intentions of military formations. But, police officers protect and serve their communities. Deceiving the public should never be the purpose of law enforcement officers performing their duties in America,” said Senator Archuleta.

Since the introduction of this bill, similar legislation has been proposed on the federal level as the nation works to rebuild the relationship between law enforcement and the public.

Senate Bill 588 creates guidelines for state department’s awarding contracts to a prime contractor that pairs with subcontractors through the Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE). This legislation gives state departments the tools necessary to hold prime contractors accountable.

“Disabled Veteran business owners will now be able conduct business on a level playing field,” Sen. Archuleta said.

Senate Bill 895 will allow state funds previously earmarked for ‘clean diesel’ investments to instead be invested in zero-emission technology development and deployment. The funds, managed by the California Energy Commission (CEC) through the Diesel Emission Reduction Fund, were set aside for ‘clean diesel’ in 1989, when few cleaner alternatives existed.

“We now know that there is no such thing as ‘clean’ diesel,” Sen. Archuleta said. “Today, we have 100 percent zero-emission alternatives like hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that can replace heavy diesel polluters like trucks and buses immediately, and we should be investing in those technologies whenever we can.”

Senate Bill 905 adds to the existing privacy protections of citizens and undocumented immigrants alike within the state while still ensuring the safety of minors or other vulnerable individuals.

While the law allows organizations to request all of an applicant’s records of convictions from the California Department of Justice if the applicant would have supervisory or disciplinary power over a minor or another in their care, these requests can be exploited to divulge the location of undocumented individuals that are applying to volunteer in their communities.

The fear of this personal information being taken has created a chilling effect on the volunteer efforts of organizations

“Our communities always benefit from people getting involved,” Sen. Archuleta said. “I am proud to help those that want to make a difference in the lives of their children.”

Senate Bill 907, expanding upon California’s proud history of protecting children and providing support for military families.

SB 907 now requires local Child Welfare Services offices, in cases of alleged child abuse or neglect, to determine if the parent or guardian is an active duty military member. This would help the children of military families by improving coordination between the on-base Family Advocacy Program and the county Child Welfare Services offices. The bill also clarifies that Child Welfare Service offices have the existing authority to develop Memorandums of Understanding with military installations within their jurisdiction regarding their roles and responsibilities in investigating allegations against active-duty service members assigned to units on those installations.

“States have the responsibility and the authority to address the welfare of all children residing in their state. The Department of Defense has the same obligation to address child abuse in military families. By giving our counties and our military bases every tool possible, we ensure that all children in California are safe and receive whatever prevention and rehabilitative services they need,” said Senator Archuleta.