• Two bills aimed at addressing human trafficking, authored by Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo), passed out of the Assembly on May 31. Assembly Bill 662 would update and simplify a current law that could be useful in closing trafficking locations. Assembly Bill 663 would increase the maximum fines imposed on traffickers who prey on minors. The bill would also allow counties to keep 75 percent of all fines collected to fund counseling and rehabilitation services for trafficking victims. “Human trafficking is modern-day slavery, and it’s happening right here on the Central Coast,” Cunningham said in a statement. “These bills will give law enforcement the tools they need to fight trafficking, and direct needed resources to victims of trafficking.” On June 6, both bills were referred to the Senate Committee on Public Safety.
• The state Senate passed Senate Bill 182 on May 29, which would strengthen local planning requirements in areas prone to wildfires and would encourage local jurisdictions to seek fire-resistant development strategies. The bill, authored by state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), requires local jurisdictions to create plans to fix at-risk structures, change planning ordinances to reduce fire risk through design, and curb development in high-risk fire areas. With the Senate’s approval, the bill moves to the Assembly for a vote. In a statement, Jackson said that with the number of homes and lives devastated by wildfires, the state must approve measures to make homes more fire resistant. This includes using different building materials in homes, like metal or tile, and covering vents with mesh wiring, among other possible solutions. “The risk is simply too high to continue with business as usual in our state,” Jackson said. “SB 182 will ensure our communities are better prepared and more fire-resilient without sacrificing new home construction.”
• On June 6, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statement thanking the federal government for passing a disaster relief bill that allocates about $19 billion to help communities recover from disasters that occurred over the last three years, including numerous wildfires throughout the state. “I want to thank President Trump and Congress for bringing much-needed relief to communities impacted by wildfires and other natural disasters,” Newsom said in a statement. “This legislation will bring our state critical disaster funding to help Californians rebuild and recover.” The most significant funding allocation is dedicated to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which receives $4.5 billion to cover agricultural-related losses, repair farmland, restore timber, and perform watershed recovery work. Additionally, the bill provides funding to the U.S. Forest Service for wildfire suppression.
• State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) recognized 805HELP as her district’s nonprofit of the year in a resolution on June 5. According to Jackson’s office, the nonprofit is an online organization that encourages local residents to support survivors of recent disasters through donations, volunteering, and other services. The online nonprofit was launched after the Thomas Fire in 2017 and also supports survivors recovering from the Montecito debris flow, Holiday Fire, Hill Fire, Woolsey Fire, and the 2018 shooting in Thousand Oaks. “As our community continues to rebuild from the devastating Thomas Fire and other local disasters, 805HELP has proven to be an effective tool to connect our most vulnerable survivors with the resources they need to recover,” Jackson said in a statement.
