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d.� -�� 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.orq/ issuesandadvocacv) — a one-stop location to access information about legislation, policy issues and related developments. You can track information on bills (www.cacities.org/legtracking), 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 more. PUBLIC SAFETY AB 1907 (Pacheco). Arson. AB 1907 would AB 1814 (Oropeza). Grand Theft. AB 1814 remove the sunset clause on California's aggra- provides that every person who feloniously vated arson statute, thereby making the law steals, takes, or carries away cargo of another permanent. Arson continues to be a major is guilty of grand theft. AB 1814 also defines problem in California, which severely impacts "cargo" as "any goods, wares, products, or the safety of our communities, including law manufactured merchandise that has been enforcement, firefighters and other emergency loaded into a trailer, rail car, or cargo container, responder personnel. AB 1907 ensures that awaiting or in transit, valued at more than $400." arson suspects will be prosecuted, thus send- In California, cargo theft is estimated to account ing a clear message that engaging in arson will for between $1 million to $2 million in losses result in severe penalties and restitution. Staff: every business day, an amount much higher Natasha Fooman; Status: SenPubSfty, Hrg.6/1; than any other state. AB 1814 will help affected position: Support. law enforcement agencies accurately track this type of grand theft, and will assist in providing the necessary resources to the law enforce- ment agencies that protect our ports. Staff: Natasha Fooman; Status: SenPubSfty, Hrg. 6/ For legislators' phone numbers, 1; Position: Support. addresses and e-mail please see the League's website ( www.cacities.orq/ AB 1884 (Spitzer). Privacy Offenses. Immu- advocacvicenterl. nity. AB 1884 adds city attorney prosecutors to the designated list of law enforcement officers permitted to record or overhear communications for investigative purposes. Currently, city attorneys are allowed to record confidential communications, but must receive approval from the Attorney General or District Attorney to do so on a case-by-case basis. The ability to record confidential communications is an invalu- able tool. Delays in investigations can be lost opportunities to conduct and gather important evidence, unnecessarily jeopardizing public safety. Staff: Natasha Fooman; Status: SenPubSfty Hrg. 6/1; Position: Support. Visit the League's Official Web Site--www.cacities.org PRIORITY FOCUS/PAGE 5