BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  ACR 113
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   March 22, 2010

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
                               Bonnie Lowenthal, Chair
                  ACR 113 (Caballero) - As Amended:  March 24, 2010
           
          SUBJECT  :  State Route 101

           SUMMARY  :  Designates a segment of State Route (SR) 101 as the  
          Bracero Memorial Highway.  Specifically,  this bill  :  

          1)Recounts the history of the Bracero program in California  
            during and after World War II and the tragic accidents that  
            took scores of lives of these Mexican laborers.  

          2)Designates the 15-mile segment of SR 101 from exit 302, south  
            of Soledad, to exit 317, south of Chualar, in Monterey County  
            as the Bracero Memorial Highway.  

          3)Requests the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to  
            determine the cost of appropriate signs consistent with the  
            signing requirements for the state highway system showing this  
            special designation and, upon receiving donations from  
            nonstate sources sufficient to cover the cost.  

           EXISTING LAW  :  Assigns Caltrans the responsibility of operating  
          and maintaining state highways.  This includes the installation  
          and maintenance of highway signs.  

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  Unknown

           COMMENTS  :  As noted in this bill, Mexican nationals, known as  
          Braceros, were legally contracted to work mostly in the  
          agricultural and railroad industries in the Salinas Valley, and  
          elsewhere, to alleviate a labor shortage during World War II.   
          This bill describes two tragic, preventable incidents as an  
          illustration of their unsafe working conditions and points out  
          that legal immigrant farmworkers continue to cross the border to  
          work in many parts of California without being provided safe  
          working conditions or being treated with dignity and respect.   
          It therefore seeks to recognize the Braceros' contributions and  
          sacrifice in the Salinas Valley and elsewhere in California by  
          designating a segment of SR 101, between Soledad and Chualar, in  
          Monterey County, as the Bracero Memorial Highway.  









                                                                  ACR 113
                                                                  Page  2

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :   

           Support 
           
          Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles
          Services Immigration Rights & Education Network
          The Bracero Program of Monterey County

           Opposition 
           
          None received
           

          Analysis Prepared by  :   Howard Posner / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093