A LOOK AT LOCAL ASSEMBLY BILLS FOR 2014

With the goal of better understanding what our local legislators are up to in Sacramento, we are tracking the bills they introduced. On Wednesday, we summarized some of the bills introduced in the state Senate. Today we do the same with bills by Assembly members Wes Chesbro, D-Arcata; Mark Levine, D-San Rafael; and Mariko Yamada, D-Davis.

Chesbro's bills include:

* AB 520: Allows wine and spirits wholesalers to conduct retail on-sale tastings on behalf of a manufacturer without prior approval. Assigned to Senate Government Organization Committee.

* AB 582: Requires that Palm Drive Health Care District certificates of participation be secured by a lien on revenue generated from the district's parcel tax. Assigned to Senate Committee on Government and Finance.

* AB 1642: Extends the sunset date to 2021 on state programs to address Pierce's disease and glassy-winged sharpshooters. Assigned to Assembly Agriculture Committee.

* AB 1782: Increases from $500 to $50,000 the maximum fine for illegally severing, obstructing or removing telegraph, telephone, cable TV or other lines used to conduct electricity. Assigned to Assembly Public Safety Committee.

* AB 1989: Allows underage students in winemaking and brewing programs to taste alcoholic beverages as necessary for class. Assigned to Assembly Government Organization Committee.

* AB 2142: Prohibits the sale of timber from state forests to anyone who, within 24 months before the bid date, exported unprocessed timber from private lands into foreign commerce. Assigned to Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

* AB 2184: Authorizes the use of money from the state Forest Restoration Fund for grants to remediate land damaged by marijuana growing operations. Assigned to Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

* AB 2352: Involves enrollment priorities at community colleges for students concurrently enrolled in high school. Assigned to Assembly Higher Education Committee.

Levine's bills include:

* AB 737: Allows the state Transportation Commission to relinquish an abandoned freeway route to city of Tiburon. Placed in Senate inactive file.

* AB 1163: Requires the Cal-PERS board to establish a policy for providing education for board members. Assigned to Senate Public Employment and Retirement Committee.

* AB 2042: Requires zero-emission vehicle leases to allow for renewal or purchase by the lessee. Assigned to Assembly Judiciary Committee.

* AB 2071: Requires the state Public Health Department to approve the use of tertiary-treated recycled water for pasture animals. Assigned to Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee.

* AB 2098: Expands the list of mitigating factors in death penalty cases to include whether the defendant is a veteran and may be suffering from a brain injury, sexual trauma, mental illness or post-traumatic stress. Requires voter approval. Assigned to Assembly Public Safety Committee.

* AB 2355: Requires local governments to adopt standards developed by the Department of Transportation for recycled paving materials or discuss why it is not adopting those standards at a public hearing. Assigned to Assembly Local Government Committee.

* AB 2398: Establishes a fine of up to $1,000 for motorists who injure vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists. Assigned to Assembly Transportation Committee.

*Yamada's bills include:

* AB 1553: Prohibit long-term care insurance policies issued, amended, or renewed on or after Jan. 1, 2015, from charging a different premium or price based on the sex of the beneficiary. Assigned to Assembly Insurance Committee.

* AB 1965: Authorizes restaurants to allow pet dogs in outdoor dining areas. Also allows local government to adopt ordinances prohibiting dogs in outdoor dining areas. Assigned to Assembly health and local government committees.

* AB 2144: Requires state Department of Public Health to establish minimum nurse-to-patient ratios for acute care psychiatric hospitals. Assigned to Assembly Health Committee.