Inventory of the Gerald N. Felando Papers

Processed by Cori Schmidtbauer
California State Archives
1020 "O" Street
Sacramento, California 95814
Phone: (916) 653-2246
Fax: (916) 653-7363
Email: ArchivesWeb@sos.ca.gov
URL: http://www.sos.ca.gov/archives/
© 2012
California Secretary of State. All rights reserved.

Inventory of the Gerald Felando Papers

Collection number: LP439

California State Archives

Office of the Secretary of State

Sacramento, California
Processed by:
Cori Schmidtbauer
Date Completed:
August 2012
Encoded by:
Cori Schmidtbauer
© 2013 California Secretary of State. All rights reserved.

Descriptive Summary

Title: Gerald Felando Papers
Dates: 1979-1992
Collection number: LP439
Creator: Gerald Felando, California Legislator
Collection Size: 21.5 cubic feet
Repository: California State Archives
Sacramento, California
Abstract: Gerald Felando, Republican, served in the California Legislature from 1979 to 1992. He was first elected to the California State Assembly in 1978, representing the 52nd Assembly District through 1982. In 1983, until the end of his term in 1992, Felando represented the 51st Assembly District. The Gerald Felando Papers consist of 21.5 cubic feet of textual records and audio/visual materials and cover the years 1979-1992. The records are organized into four record series: Bill Files, 1979-1992; Medi-Cal Files, 1987-1992; Subject Files, 1983-1992; Fish and Game Meeting Files, 1983-1987.
Physical location: California State Archives
Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English

Administrative Information

Access

While the majority of the records are open for research, any access restrictions are noted in the record series descriptions.

Publication Rights

For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives collections.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Gerald Felando Papers, LP439:[folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.

Acquisition and Custodial History

The California State Archives acquired the Gerald Felando Papers following his final term in the State Legislature.

Biography

Gerald Felando, Republican, served in the California Legislature from 1979 to 1992. He was first elected to the California State Assembly in 1978, representing the 52nd Assembly District through 1982. The district at that time consisted of all of Compton, East Compton, and Paramount, nearly half of Florence-Graham and Willowbrook, and portions of Long Beach and Los Angeles. In 1983, until the end of his term in 1992, Felando represented the 51st Assembly District, which consisted of all of Alondra Park, Del Aire, Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lennox, West Athens, and West Compton, and portions of Ladera Heights, Los Angeles, View Park-Windsor Hills, and Willowbrook.
Gerald Felando was born on December 29, 1934, in San Pedro, California. He studied at University of Southern California, School of Dentistry, earning a Doctor of Dental Surgery and becoming a Forensic Odontologist. He is a member of the American and California Dental Associations; Western Dental Society; Torrance Chamber of Commerce; and San Pedro Yugoslav-American Club. Felando was also a veteran from the U.S. Coast Guard and a Reserve Deputy Sheriff for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
San Pedro supported one of the largest tuna fishing fleets in the world and the area's economy was dependent on the ocean and its natural, unspoiled bounty of resources. Growing up in San Pedro, Felando was a member of one of the oldest and most respected fishing families on the West Coast. Among his many contributions to South Bay citizens during his years in dental practice before he became a State Legislator were: (1) the establishment of free dental clinics to treat children of needy families, (2) financially supporting children's sports programs such as Little League and others; and (3) providing low cost and frequently free dental care to law enforcement officers, fire fighters, and public safety employees who were not then covered by dental insurance.
As a State Legislator, Felando's legislative interests were varied, but his main efforts focused on crime, aging and handicapped, taxes, reducing government spending, and fisheries. In 1983, he was selected as "Legislator of the Year" by the Governor's Committee for the Employment of the Handicapped. As Vice-Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Resources, Felando addressed many important conservation issues, including management of State Parks, wildlife and fish conservation - both commercial and recreational, tidelands management, forest management, and educational programs on the environment provided to California school children.
During his term in the California Legislature, Felando served on the following committees according to the California Legislature at Sacramento (Handbooks) and the California Blue Book:

State Assembly, 1979-1992

  • Standing Committees
  • Aging, 1981-1982 (Chair, 1981-1982)
  • Chair, 1981-1982
  • Education, 1984
  • Elections, Reapportionment, and Constitutional Amendments, 1983
  • Governmental Organizations, 1981-1992 (Vice Chair, 1991-1992)
  • Vice Chair, 1991-1992
  • Health, 1979-1992 (Vice Chair, 1987-1988)
  • Vice Chair, 1987-1988, 1991-1992
  • Judiciary, 1985
  • Labor and Employment, 1983
  • Labor, Employment, and Consumer Affairs, 1979-1980
  • Transportation, 1979-1980
  • Utilities and Commerce, 1985-1987 (Vice Chair, 1985)
  • Vice Chair, 1985
  • Ways and Means, 1989-1992
  • Select Committees
  • Chemical Plant and Refinery Safety, 1990
  • Child Abuse, 1983-1984
  • Hazardous Materials, 1990
  • International Trade Investment and Tourism, 1984
  • Oil Spill Prevention and Response Preparedness, 1990 (Vice Chair, 1990)
  • Vice Chair, 1990
  • Olympic Oversight, 1984
  • Pipeline, 1990
  • Joint Committees
  • Audit Committee, 1983
  • Fisheries and Aquaculture, 1984-1992
  • Legislature Audit, 1984-1992
  • Organized Crime and Gang Violence, 1990

Scope and Content

The Gerald Felando Papers consist of 21.5 cubic feet of textual records and audio/visual materials and cover the years 1979-1992. The records are organized into four record series: Bill Files, 1979-1992; Medi-Cal Files, 1987-1992; Subject Files, 1983-1992; Fish and Game Meeting Files, 1983-1987.
Bill Files are the bulk of the collection and are a strong source of information about legislation that Felando introduced. This series demonstrates Felando's activism for reducing crime, assisting the elderly and handicapped, taxes, reducing government spending, and fisheries.
Medi-Cal Files contain documents with information regarding Medicaid and Medicare policies, particularly for elderly people, pregnant women, and single women. These files also contain information about dental coverage, drug formularies, and pharmaceutical policies and reform.
Researchers looking to review topics about marine life, the fishing industry, and issues surrounding the Pacific Coast will particularly benefit from the Subject Files, which contains information about regulations for the marine environment as well as safety for people, fish, and marine mammals. As part of the Pacific Fisheries Legislative Task Force, Felando promoted fishing regulations and rights, seafood and aquaculture industry safety regulations, and worked with other fishery organizations to resolve interstate disputes. Supplementing the Subject Files about the topics addressed relating to marine and fishing are the Fish and Game Meeting Files, which consist of audio recordings of meetings conducted by the Department of Fish and Game.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Felando, Gerald
California. Legislature. Assembly.
California. Department of Fish and Game


LP439:1-297

Series 1 Bill Files 1979-1992

Physical Description: 297 file folders, 1 VHS

Access Information

Access to audiovisual material requires the production of use copies.

Arrangement

Bill files are arranged chronologically by legislative session and numerically by bill number.

Scope and Content Note

Bill Files were created by Gerald Felando while he served as a state assembly member from 1979-1992. The files may include bill analyses, amendments and resolutions, author's statements, testimony, press releases, newspaper clippings, correspondence, and committee statements that pertain to crime, aging and handicapped, taxes, reducing government spending, and fisheries, marine/ocean environment, Medi-Cal healthcare, education, benefits for individuals who are disabled or handicapped, and rights and benefits for children and juveniles.
As an advocate for elderly individuals, Felando authored legislation to address their rights and concerns such as elder abuse (AB1805, 1981-1982). He also promoted services for the elderly such as insurance, housing, and retirement (AB2997 and AB3076, 1981-1982 and AB60, AB102, and AB314, 1983-1984). To help the developmentally disabled to obtain sustainability services, Felando authored AB1165 AB3115, and AB3116 during the 1979-1980 legislative session in addition to AB1417 and AB2152 (1979-1980) to help obtain services for the visually handicapped. AB3503, AB3661, and ACR78 (1981-1982); AB455, AB456, and AB2841 (1983-1984); AB72 (1985-1986); AB3849 (1989-1990); and AB274 and AB2289 (1991-1992) address issues regarding the physically handicapped such as handicapped parking spaces, and access, license plates, and handicapped awareness.
Felando was also a major supporter for juvenile law and rights for juveniles (AB1374, 1979-1980; AB22, 1981-1982; and AB2740, 1983-1984). Additionally, during the 1991-1992 legislative session, Felando emphasized the smoking ban in AB402, AB2262, and AB3627.
1979-1980 AB 547-AB2152; ACR142; AJR20, AJR93; HR22, HR55 (26ff) LP439:1-26
1981-1982 AB5-AB3795; ACR10-ACR128 (38ff) LP439:27-64
1983-1984 AB102-AB4032 (44ff) LP439:65-108
1985-1986 AB57-AB3569; AJR48 (67ff) LP439:109-175
1987-1988 AB174-AB4688; ACR7, ACR48; AJR39, AJR57 (50ff) LP439:176-225
1989-1990 AB162-AB4360 (29ff) LP439:226-254
1991-1992 AB51-AB3628 (43ff) LP439:255-297
LP439:298-318

Series 2 Medi-Cal Files 1987-1992

Physical Description: 21 file folders

Arrangement

Medi-Cal Files are arranged chronologically by date.

Scope and Content Note

Medi-Cal Files include analyses of programs for Medicare and Medicaid, reports presented by the Little Hoover Commission and the Department of Health Services, newspaper articles, meeting agendas, correspondences, and memorandum. Felando was an advocate for the elderly and health issues relating to the developmentally disabled and handicapped. Other documents within the Medi-Cal files contain more specific information about policies particularly for elderly people, pregnant women, and single women. These files also contain information about dental coverage, drug formularies, and pharmaceutical policies and reform.
LP439:319-433

Series 3 Subject Files 1983-1992

Physical Description: 105 file folders

Arrangement

Subject Files are arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Scope and Content Note

Subject Files include press and news clippings, correspondence, support letters, committee analyses, and interest group memoranda regarding certain subject files at the local, state and federal levels. Felando was a primary supporter of marine life conservation, fisherman's rights, fisheries, and food safety. Subject Files include further documentation of his support in these areas outside the bill files. Some issues are localized to the 51st and 52nd Assembly districts, but also range throughout California and even the entire Pacific coast. While the majority of topics pertain to marine issues (commercial fishing, oil spills, ocean mining and pollution, sea otters, and gill nets), other topics include non-marine issues such as the Tobacco Control Act and State Bar reform.
See Appendix A at the California State Archives for a complete list of folder titles in the Subject Files.
LP439:434-480

Series 4 Department of Fish and Game Meeting Files 1983-1987

Physical Description: 47 file folders, 146 audiocassette tapes

Access Information

Access to audiovisual material requires the production of use copies.

Arrangement

Department of Fish and Game Meeting Files are arranged chronologically by meeting date.

Scope and Content Note

Department of Fish and Game Meeting Files consist of audiocassette tapes containing recordings of meetings conducted by the Department of Fish and Game and the Fish and Game Commission. As part of the Pacific Fisheries Legislative Task Force, Felando promoted fishing regulations and rights, seafood and aquaculture industry safety regulations, and worked with other fishery organizations to resolve interstate disputes. Felando was a primary supporter of marine life conservation, fisherman's rights, and fisheries. The Department of Fish and Game meetings took place in San Diego, Sacramento, Monterey, San Rafael, Long Beach, Redding, San Francisco, Avalon, and South Lake Tahoe. Some topics discussed at the meetings include marine resources, wetlands, presence of gill nets, and sea otter translocation.
See Appendix B at the California State Archives for a complete list of meeting dates and locations in the Department of Fish and Game Meeting Files.