Laws Authored by Ramona's State Legislators Go Into Effect 2012

The new year will bring 750-plus new laws for California residents. Eleven of them were authored or co-authored by state and Assembly members and Nathan Fletcher, who all represent Ramona or portions of it. Fletcher represents the southwestern part of the Ramona area.

Here's a list of laws that will go into effect in 2012.

Anderson authored or co-authored the following laws:

• SB 918 allows a mutual water company to elect directors to staggered 4-year terms rather than at annual board meetings.
• SB 26, co-authored by Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Los Angeles, increases penalties for illegal use, possession or transporting of a cell phone and “facilitates the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's efforts to implement a managed access system to block authorized wireless transmissions.”
• AB 316, co-authored by Assemblywoman Wilmer Carter, D-Rialto, classifies stolen copper materials exceeding $950 as grand theft.

Fletcher authored or co-authored the following new laws:

• AB 648, co-authored by Assemblyman Marty Block, D-Lemon Grove, requires that the district attorney and victims in criminal cases are notified when a defendant applies for clemency.
• AB 687, co-authored by Assemblywoman Beth Gaines, R-Roseville, streamlines the adoption process and amends certain laws including the delegation of “certain authority to a licensed private adoption agency that has provided adoption-related services to a birth parent or prospective adoptive parent.”
• AB 754 allows for deployed, active military service members to file declaration of candidacy or nomination papers by an attorney.
• AB 813, co-authored by Gaines, “cleans up” certain provisions of last year's AB 1844, or as it is colliquially known, Chelsea's Law. Among the changes, it allows the California Sex Offender Management Board to hold closed sessions and immunes board members from liability “for good faith conduct.”
• AB 1014 exempts brewers from California Retail Food Code requirements and allows for craft beer makers to open tasting rooms if food is not served.
• AB 1111, co-authored by Assemblywoman Holly Mitchell, D-El Segundo, “would prohibit a court from garnishing wages or levying a bank account for the enforcement and collection of fees, fines, forfeitures, or penalties imposed by a court against a person under 25 years of age” if the court finds proof that the person is homeless.
• AB 1247 seeks to improve pension reform transparency and requires CalPERS to report annually, among other changes.

Jones authored the following law:

• AB 959 streamlines the CalWORKS process by giving "recipients a one month period to correct any problems following the discontinuance of aid, and restore benefits without having to submit a new application." In an earlier in the year, Jones said that this law "reduces the number of man-hours per month that they need to spend on that process." (the provision goes into affect on July 1, 2012)

Julie Pendray contributed to this report.

Check back with Patch to find a list of the "10 Most Interesting New California Laws."