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W e' Legislative Bill Action ................................ ............................... The following are summaries of just a few of the legislative bills that are currently being acted upon by the League of California Cities. For more information about these and other bills, please visit the League website's new "Issues and Advocacy" page (www.cacities.ora/ issussandadvocacy) — a one -stop location to access information about legislation, policy issues and related developments. You can track information on bills ( www. cacities .org /legislativesearch), locate legislators and legislative committees, send letters to legislators or the media through the online Advocacy Center, research League policy positions, access useful related links, and much REVENUE AND TAXATION SB 103 (Alpert). Property Taxation: Sales and Use Tax. SB 103 requires out-of -state remote retailers that have a related "bricks and mortar' presence in California to collect use tax on internet, telephone, fax or other electronically processed sales. Staff: Jean Korinke, Status: SenRevTax; Hrg -3/26, Position: Support. SB 157 (Bowen). Sales and Use Taxes. Uniformity. California would take the first steps in participating in the Streamlined Sales Tax Project (SSTP) under the terms of SB 157 A board would be appointed by the Legislature to represent California in the SSTP and would make quarterly reports back to the Legislature. SB 157 specifies certain requirements that must be adopted by the SSTP before the board may join on behalf of California. The SSTP is exploring methods to capture tax on Internet and remote sales. Staff: Jean Korinke, Status: SenRevTax; Hrg -3/26, Position: Support. EMPLOYEE RELATIONS AB 136 (Kehoe). Workers' Compensation. Disability, Leave of Absence. AB 136 extends temporary disability (Labor Code 4850) for safety officers to two years. This bill would have dra- matically adverse effects on our local agency budgets in a time where layoffs, local service cutbacks and an enormous state budget deficit is a part of our reality. Under current law, firefighters and police officers are entitled to up to one year of temporary disability time off while receiving tax - free payments of their full salary. Because the benefit is full salary, but tax free, the amount received by the injured officer significantly ex- ceeds their normal take -home compensation. This results in little or no incentive to return to work. Staff: Amy Brown, Status: Aslns, Position: Oppose. SB 100 (Dunn). Public Employees' Retire- ment. Local Safety Member Benefits. SB 100 increases the service retirement benefits for local safety members from 90% to 100% of final com- pensation. This is an unnecessary mandate on local agencies at a time when we are faced with declining revenues, service cutbacks and employ- ment layoffs. Service retirement benefits for local safety members was increased to 90% just one year ago. It is unreasonable not to allow the cities and counties to "adjust" to this last increase before adding another 10% onto their costs. The message that this bill represents is contradictory to recent local safety retirement. Safety retirement plans were to encourage local safety officers to retire early. SB 100 encourages public safety officers to delay retirement until their retirement benefit reaches 100% of their final compensation. SB 100 is a clear mandate, one that cannot be negotiated. Staff: Amy Brown, Status: SenPE &Ret, Position: Oppose. AB 359 (Koretz). Public Safety Officers. Off -Duty Employment. AB 359 prohibits cities and counties from enforcing "unreasonable" off-duty PAGE 8 /PRIORITY FOCUS Visit the League's Official Web Site-- www.cacities.org