New Regulations on Burials Approved by the Legislature

A bill to require caskets to be buried under at least 18 inches of dirt and to require permission to bury more than one casket in the same grave has been passed by the Legislature.

A 46-15 vote sent the legislation (AB 1981) by Assemblyman Dave Elder (D-San Pedro) to Gov. Pete Wilson’ for his action. It had passed the Senate by a 28-3 margin.

The measure was sparked by a Wilmington cemetery case in which 190 caskets were exhumed and reinterred after it was discovered that they were buried under as little as four inches of dirt or placed in occupied graves.

GOVERNOR

Bills Signed

Prison Deaths: AB 2302 by Assemblyman John Burton (D-San Francisco) to allow the public to review state reports that explain the circumstances surrounding the deaths of state prison inmates.

Speed Traps: AB 3659 by Assemblyman Paul Horcher (R-Hacienda Heights) to prohibit evidence collected by speed traps from being admitted at traffic speeding violation trials.

ASSEMBLY

Floor Action

Drunk Driving: Passed and sent to the governor on a 51-0 vote a bill (AB 2851) by Assemblyman Terry B. Friedman (D-Los Angeles) to require the courts to prohibit any person convicted of two drunk driving offenses from operating a motor vehicle unless it is equipped with an ignition lock device. These devices prevent a car from starting if the driver’s breath shows an unsafe alcohol level.

Roadside Rests: Passed and sent to the governor on a 61-0 vote a bill (AB 1067) by Assemblyman Richard C. Frazee (R-Carlsbad) to prohibit the solicitation of money from motorists at state roadside rest stops and give law enforcement officers the authority to remove people deemed to be nuisances from rest stop areas.

Check Cashing: Passed and sent to the governor on a 44-32 vote a bill (AB 2400) by Assemblyman Steve Peace (D-Rancho San Diego) to implement state regulation of check cashing services, including a cap on fees that can be charged.

Elevated Billboards: Passed and sent to the governor on a 50-8 vote a bill (AB 2795) by Assemblyman Richard E. Floyd (D-Carson) to allow owners of billboards to elevate them to be visible from the highway when sound wall barriers are erected.

Universities and Colleges: Passed and sent to the governor on a 48-22 vote a bill (AB 2258) by Assemblyman Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica) to make it a misdemeanor to designate a business or other organization as a “university” or “college” unless it meets specified criteria.

Out-of-State Contracts: Passed and sent to the governor on a 46-25 vote a bill (AB 2829) by Assemblyman Phillip Isenberg (D-Sacramento) to require state agencies to report annually on the number of contracts given to out-of-state based firms.

Women’s Business Council: Passed and sent to the governor on a 41-27 vote a bill (AB 1488) by Assemblywoman Jackie Speier (D-South San Francisco) to create a state Council to Promote Business Ownership by Women to hold public hearings and make recommendations to the Legislature.

SENATE

Floor Action

Criminal Penalties: Passed and returned to the Assembly for concurrence in amendments on a 37-0 vote a bill (AB 1611) by Assemblywoman Bev Hansen (R-Santa Rosa) to increase potential penalties for the conviction of violent crimes committed against elderly and handicapped persons and children.

Jazz Institute: Passed and returned to the Assembly for concurrence in amendments on a 21-8 vote a bill (AB 3061) by Assemblyman Willard H. Murray Jr. (D-Paramount) to authorize establishment of an Institute for the Preservation of Jazz at Cal State Long Beach.