• On Aug. 31., Gov. Jerry Brown signed an executive order to bolster California’s preparedness and response to destructive cyber-attacks, which increase the state’s vulnerability to economic disruption, critical infrastructure damage, privacy violations, and identify theft. The order directs the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to establish the California Cybersecurity Integration Center (Cal-CSIC), which will be responsible for strengthening the state’s cybersecurity strategy and improving inter-agency, cross-sector coordination to reduce the likelihood and severity of cyber-attacks. Cal-CSIC will work closely with the California State Threat Assessment System and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and will facilitate more integrated information sharing and communication with local, state and federal agencies, tribal governments, utilities and other service providers, academic institutions, and non-governmental organizations.
• On Sept. 1 Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law a a bill by Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) to allow community colleges to discipline students for sexual assault violations even if they occur off-campus. This law is meant to complement but not supersede the criminal justice process. In addition to defining sexual assault, the law defines sexual exploitation as prostituting another person as well as recording, photographing, and distributing naked and sexual images without a person’s consent. SB 186 takes effect on Jan. 1, 2016.
• On Sept. 2, U.S. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) and U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) sent Fiat Chrysler a letter requesting support for the Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act, legislation that would protect American consumers by prohibiting rental car companies from renting or selling vehicles under a safety recall. In the letter, Boxer and Capps called the company’s lack of support “particularly troubling” after the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently announced it’s imposing a record $105 million fine and vehicle buyback requirement on the company for its failure to adequately fix recalled vehicles or notify vehicle owners in a timely manner. “Support for this bill should be an easy decision by your company. While it would not solve the many serious recall issues Fiat Chrysler is facing, it would at least provide assurance that your large fleet of rental vehicles are safe for consumers to drive,” the lawmakers wrote. “In addition, considering that your company has more than 20 active recalls affecting over 11 million vehicles, one would think you would want to do everything you can to prevent consumers from operating these vehicles. Our bill would legally provide you with such assurance for at least some of your vehicles.”
This article appears in Sep 10-17, 2015.
