Senator
Issa this year sponsored a package of bills to benefit those who have served or
are currently serving in the armed forces. One of the most significant pieces,
which was signed into law by the Governor on July 6, 2004, requires that public
employees who leave their positions to serve in the military maintain eligible
for family medical benefits throughout the duration of their service. Another
piece, also signed into law by the Governor, makes veterans of the war in Iraq
eligible for a veterans’ motor vehicle registration plate. A third piece
of legislation sponsored by Sen. Issa that became law recently is a measure exempting
100 percent disabled veterans from motor vehicle license and registration fees.
Senator Issa also sponsored a measure that amends the requirements of school safety plans to include a requirement that policies be in place to notify the subject of a threat of violence or harm when the student, or school employee, is the subject of such a threat. Additionally, the act requires that policies and procedures be in place regarding the disclosure of a students’ conduct to school administrators, including notifying teachers and staff if they have a legitimate need for the information in order to fulfill their professional responsibilities. The Governor signed the act into law on June 9, 2004.
Sen. Issa won passage this year of legislation that increases by $50,000 -- to $200,000 -- homeowners' protection from legal judgments that could otherwise cost them their homes or inhibit their ability to sell their property. Senator Issa sponsored the original legislation in 1998 that established the homestead estate exemption, then with a limit of $100,000. It was amended three years ago by virtue of an Issa bill to $150,000. Prior to enactment of the law, someone who had been involved in an auto accident, for example, and whose insurance policy was insufficient to cover the full amount of the settlement could be the subject of a lawsuit that attached the individual's home.
In this term of the Senate, Sen. Issa has also sponsored successful legislation that sets standards and a timetable for the implementation of driver education course requirements, as well as legislation that provides for the regulation of athlete agents.
Senator Issa, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, has also co-sponsored
victorious legislation this year that would:
o Establish a community-based long-term care entry system;
o Strengthen the “No Child Left Behind” act;
o Establish a commission to study people with disabilities in the criminal justice
system.
Last year, Sen. Issa sponsored important legislation to help consumers take advantage of discounts that are sometimes offered with prescription drugs. The measure, which was signed into law by the Governor, provides that discounts and limited-time free supplies made available through mail-in coupons and rebates be permitted for use on pharmaceuticals, lowering their cost to the consumer.
Sen. Issa has sponsored legislation to increase the homestead property tax exemption in Central Falls from $15,000 to $25,000, as well as a measure that places a bond referendum on the Central Falls ballot to finance capital improvement in public buildings to bring them into compliance with the state’s fire code. He has also brought home numerous grants to community organizations.