Frommer’s bills set to save cash

Assembly Majority Leader Dario Frommer has two bills awaiting the

governor’s signature this week that would provide relief in education

funding and prescription drug consumer costs.

The state Assembly and the Senate approved the bills last week

before the end of the session.

One bill, which is sponsored by state Treasurer Phil Angelides,

could generate up to $2 billion in new revenue during the next decade

by managing underutilized state-owned property like a business. Under

AB 593, revenue from those properties would be funneled into

expanding higher education opportunities for California’s students.

The bill, which is referred as the California Hope Endowment, would

use that revenue to fund college scholarships, outreach and

preparatory programs for students and more challenging academic

programs at the high school level. Officials estimate endowment will

bring in as much as $300 million after start-up.

The second bill would allow the state to develop a website to

inform consumers about international pharmacies that meet state

standards for safety and accessibility. Such pharmacies sell

prescription drugs for 40% to 75% less than local drug stores. A

second Frommer bill that was co-authored with Assemblywoman Wilma

Chan (D-Oakland), AB 76, would also allow the state the consolidate

drug purchasing for state programs to negotiate lower drug prices.

Fostering hope

for children

In an effort to strengthen America’s foster care system,

Congressman Adam Schiff introduced the “Fostering our Future Act,”

this week.

The bill aims to improve the capability to analyze caseloads and

track results; fund training programs for court personnel, attorneys

and child welfare advocates; provide loan forgiveness to full-time

dependency attorneys who promise to remain in their jobs for at least

three years; and calls for a Government Accountability Office study

to compare state procedures and establish the ideal practices.

The bill is needed because a 2004 Pew Commission report found

nearly 20% of the 500,000 children in foster care wait for more than

five years for a safe, permanent family, Schiff said.

“This nation has an obligation to our most vulnerable children

that we are not meeting,” Schiff said in a statement. “Substantial

reforms of the foster care system have been recommended by the Pew

Commission and Congress would be wise to take those up.”

The “Children’s Safety Act,” co-sponsored by Schiff, passed in the

House Wednesday and will crack down on sex offenders who prey on

children. Provisions in the bill include incentives for states that

require lifetime electronic monitoring of sex offenders. States can

receive a 10% bonus in law enforcement grants if they require

lifetime electric monitoring for offenders whose victim was under 12

and previous sex offenders whose victim was a minor. States can also

receive the incentive if they require electronic monitoring during

the probation, parole or supervised release for all sex offenders

whose victim was a minor.

“As a father and a former prosecutor, I have no higher priority

than combating the serious threat posed by sex offenders that prey on

our children,” Schiff said. “This bill dramatically increases

penalties and provides important tools to law enforcement.”

The bill is awaiting Senate approval.

Sherman fights for public information

Congressman Brad Sherman also made headway in the fight to better

inform the public about local sex offenders. Sherman’s Child

Protection Act, first proposed in 1997, was passed by the House on

Wednesday.

The bill will create a national hotline to give the public access

to a nationwide list of registered sexual predators. The proposal is

modeled on the statewide registry in California. The national

registry will be maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation

and will include every person required to register in any

jurisdiction’s sex offender registry.

State Sen. Jack Scott

to visit Armenia

State Sen. Jack Scott hopes to further relations with Armenia

during a fact-finding trip next week.

Scott will leave Los Angeles for Yerevan, Armenia, Saturday for a

weeklong trip. While in Armenia, Scott will meet with representatives

like President Robert Kocharian and parliament Chairman Artur

Baghdasarian. Scott is also scheduled to participate in Armenian

Independence Day activities on Sept. 21 and tour historic parts of

the country.