Senate Approves Pass Legislator's Bill on Indicted Officials, Sends to Governor

A bill proposed by a Pass area legislator that would require indicted public officials to step down from committees receiving federal funding was passed unanimously by the state senate Tuesday.

The legislation, AB 301, now goes to Governor Jerry Brown, said a spokesman for Assemblyman Paul Cook, R-Yucca Valley. The bill was passed unanimously by the assembly in April, said John Sobel, a member of Cook's staff.

"When you have Democrats and Republicans agreeing on a bill, you know this is not partisan," Cook said in a phone interview Tuesday. "This legislation is important to ensure the flow of federal funds will not be interrupted in cities where we're trying to get jobs going."

Boards or commissions that have members suspended when they are indicted risk being barred from receiving federal funds for projects such as highway improvements, Cook said in a statement.

"This includes the Riverside County Transportation Commission and San Bernardino Association of Governments," Cook said. "Under current law, there is no mechanism to allow a board or commission to remove indicted members who refuse to step down. AB 309 would require those officials to step down from appointed boards or commissions following their indictment.

"While it was inspired by a 2010 Riverside County case involving San Jacinto city council members, this bill would also apply to county officials recently convicted in San Bernardino County," Cook's statement said.

The bill is important for communities in Cook's 65th District and statewide "because without it they could lose millions of dollars in funding from the federal government," Cook said.

"In these hard economic times, we can't afford to lose these funds due to a loophole in California law," Cook said. "Corruption is a serious and continuing problem in the Inland Empire that won't go away on its own. To continue fighting corruption, we need this bill signed into law."

The bill does not affect any official's elected office, only relevant committees and commissions, Cook said. Once a case against an elected official is adjudicated, the official could request to rejoin any committees he or she stepped down from, Cook said.