This week, lawmakers in the House and Senate introduced nine bills, including one that would allow regulation of rideshare companies working with public entities or nonprofits. The House is also looking to repeal a provision that allows defendants to be awarded reasonable attorney fees in torts if a case is dismissed prior to trial. Also introduced this week is a bill that would establish more rights for persons under protection by a legal guardian or conservatorship.
House Bill 1271 — Rights Of Persons Protected By Legal Guardian
Description: Rights Of Persons Protected By Legal Guardian
Sponsors: K. Ransom
Summary: The bill would establish certain rights for a person protected through legal guardianship or conservatorship. With certain exceptions, a guardian would be required within seven days to notify one or more of the protected person's close family members and any person designated by the protected person when the protected person: changes residence, resides at a location other than the protected person's residence for more than 48 hours, is admitted to a medical facility for acute care or emergency care or if the protected person dies. The bill establishes other provisions too like annually updating an initial care plan for a protected person and states what needs to be included in the care plan.
House Bill 1272 — Repeal Of Attorney Fees On Motions To Dismiss
Description: Repeal Of Attorney Fees On Motions To Dismiss
Sponsors: S. Gonzales-Gutierrez, A. Benavidez, J. Gonzales and R. Rodriguez
Summary: Under current law, a defendant may be awarded reasonable attorney fees in tort actions if the case is dismissed on motion of the defendant prior to trial. The bill would eliminate this provision.
House Bill 1273 — Protections For Elections Officials
Description: Protections For Elections Officials
Sponsors: M. Duran, E. Sirota, S. Fenberg and B. Pettersen
Summary: The bill would make it unlawful for a person to threaten, coerce or intimidate or attempt to threaten, coerce or intimidate an election official with the intent to interfere with the performance of the official's duties or with the intent to retaliate against the official for the performance of their duties. The prohibition wouldn’t apply to an enforcement action taken by the secretary of state to enforce state election laws. The bill would also prohibit a person from making the personal information of an election official or an election official's immediate family publicly available on the internet if that person knows doing so may cause harm to the official or their immediate family.
Senate Bill 144 — Public And Nonprofit Entities Rideshare Contracts
Description: Public And Nonprofit Entities Rideshare Contracts
Sponsors: R. Zenzinger
Summary: Current law regulates ridesharing companies and the services they provide, but it exempts services provided under a contract between a ridesharing company and a school, a school district, the federal government, a state, a political subdivision of a state or a tax-exempt entity. The bill would remove these exemptions, so that ridesharing companies that contract with these entities will be regulated in the same way as other types of ridesharing companies and services.
