Accomplishments

Since he launched his career as a worker’s rights attorney standing up for employees taking on big corporations, Alberto Torrico has been fighting for equal justice for all Californians. Time and again Torrico has stood up for rank and file police officers, firefighters and first responders to make sure they have had the tools they need to keep Californians safe. He is working to reform California’s failing prison system. Torrico has fought to protect seniors when the governor tried to rob their pensions.  He is working to safeguard children and infants with his safe surrender and other new laws. And he is fighting for a stronger economy by funding the number one engine of California economic growth – the state’s community colleges, state universities and the UC campuses.

Most recent accomplishments:

• Awarded 2009 Legislator of the Year by State Coalition of Probation Officers
• Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Prison and Rehabilitation Reform
• California Professional Firefighters Endorsement - the largest statewide organization dedicated exclusively to serving the needs of career firefighters
• Chairs an Assembly hearing exploring loan modifications
• Dominates San Mateo Straw Poll in Democratic Primary for Attorney General
• Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC) Endorsement - California’s largest law enforcement group

Click here to view a partial list of endorsements

Alberto Torrico has been recognized by a variety of organizations for his work:

• California State Firefighters Association - Legislator of the Year
• Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC) - Legislator of the Year
• American Electronics Association (AEA) - Legislator of the Year
• California Association of Independent Grocers and Convenience Stores (CAIGCS) - Chairman's Award
• California Association of Bilingual Educators Legislative Award
• Asian Pacific Islanders Community Action Network - Legislator of the Year
• Sprinkler Fitters Association of California - Legislator of the Year
• California Partnership to End Domestic Violence - Special Appreciation
• East Bay Economic Development Alliance - Certificate of Appreciation
• California Natural Gas Producers Association - Sentinel Award
• SIREN - Champion of Immigrants Rights Award
• California Civil Rights Alliance - Distinguished Public Service Awards
• California Association of Human Relations Organizations - Courage Award
• Equality California - Building a State of Equality Award

Legislation introduced by Alberto Torrico includes:

AB 656: Fair Share for Fair Tuition

AB 457: Railroad Safety

This bill is intended to promote railroad safety by requiring local police to investigate rail-pedestrian collisions and improving rail safety educational programs in public schools.

AB 527: Energy Efficiency

The bill would ensure that state facilities utilize newly developed technology. The Department of General Services (DGS) in partnership with the California Energy Commission, shall develop and adopt by 2009 a state plan to implement energy efficient technology into state operated facilities. It would also establish the California Energy Efficient Technology Pooled Investment Fund that is continuously appropriated 3% of every agency's annual utility.

AB 529: Home Owner Protection Bill

The mortgage rate crisis has hit Californians hard. Too many of our residents have lost their homes because they did not know that huge increases in their payments were imminent. AB 529 seeks to remedy this problem by requiring mortgage providers to notify home owners at least 90 days in advance of any changes to their mortgage terms.

AB 1112: Teacher Housing: Education Bond

This bill will allow school districts to place before the voters a bond measure requiring a 2/3 vote of the public that would allow them to use the proceeds to construct or acquire rental housing for their employees. Not only will this project supply housing to its teachers, but it can provide much needed revenue for the school maintenance and can also allow the district to direct more funding to the classroom.

AB 1131: Hospital Asset Transfers

This bill keeps the 50% threshold for hospital asset transfers, moves the sunset date to January 1, 2011, and requires for a hospital to report to the Attorney General’s office when there has been a transfer or lease to one or more corporations.

AB 1169: Sixty Day Notice of No Fault Eviction

The bill requires that an owner of a residential dwelling give at least 60 days’ notice prior to no-fault evictions or 30 days’ notice prior to no-fault evictions if the tenant has resided in the dwelling for less than one year, or if other circumstances were satisfied.

AB 1195: Re-refined Oil

This bill ensures that all California used oil transported to facilities, either in or out of state, is handled, processed, and recycled under the most preferred environmental standards. It ensures that the current financial incentive for recycling used oil is given only to those generators that send their used oil to facilities that comply with high environmental standards. The bill also requires that used oil is tested to ensure that it is not contaminated and that it meets California’s definition of used oil.

AB 1512: Foster Youth Health Care

This bill would ensure a smooth transfer of medical care for foster youth leaving a County Organized Health System (COHS) county by requiring immediate disenrollment upon notice of the child's new placement.

AB 1914: Take Back the Initiative Process

This bill would invalidate the signatures on a petition if a signature gatherer is found guilty of misleading a voter to sign the petition. Furthermore, this bill would impose the civil penalty on the initiative's proponents and require them to notify and explain the situation to each voter who signed the petition.

AB 2262: Child Protection - Safe Surrender

Over the past five years, literally hundreds of unwanted babies have been dropped off at emergency rooms throughout California. Tragically, many other newborns have been abandoned in trash cans, open fields, motel rooms, or other unsafe places. AB 2262 will save babies lives by allowing mothers up to 7 days after the birth of the baby to “safely surrender” a baby to an emergency room or fire station with no questions asked.

AB 2518: Northern California Cancer Center

This bill would allow taxpayers to designate on their tax returns, that a specified amount in excess of their tax liability be transferred to the Northern California Cancer Research Fund, which would be created by this bill.

AB 2714: Internet Ammunition Purchases

The bill prohibits the shipment of ammunition unless the purchaser has provided clear evidence of age and identity in person to the seller of that ammunition. Any violation is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed six months, or by a fine not to exceed $1,000, or both. A second or subsequent violation is punishable by up to one year in prison, or a fine up to $2,000, or both.

AB 2865: Pesticides at Day Care Centers

The bill includes licensed day care centers as school sites under the Healthy Schools Act of 2000 and would require these facilities to notify parents about pesticide applications and to post notices in areas treated with pesticides. Day care providers will also be able to participate in trainings offered by the Department of Pesticide Regulation on least-toxic Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques to help them create a safer environment in which to care for our most vulnerable population.

ACA 16: College Access for All

Every year, higher education becomes less and less affordable for California's working families. In addition, the State of California is on pace to spend more money on prisons than higher education in two to three years. ACA 16 would avoid this aberration by requiring that funding for higher education be adjusted, yearly, based on California's population growth and inflation.