Inventory of the Rebecca Cohn Papers
Processed by Eric Wagner
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/
© 2016
California Secretary of State. All rights reserved.
Inventory of the Rebecca Cohn Papers
Collection number: LP472
California State Archives
Office of the Secretary of State
Sacramento, California
- Processed by:
- Eric Wagner
- Date Completed:
- July 2016
- Encoded by:
- Paul Rendes
© 2016 California Secretary of State. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Rebecca Cohn Papers
Dates: 2001-2006
Collection number: LP472
Creator:
Rebecca Cohn, California Legislator
Collection Size:
7.75 cubic feet
Repository:
California State Archives
Abstract: Rebecca Cohn was a member of the State Assembly from 2001-2006. The Rebecca Cohn Papers consist of four series: Administrative
Files, 2001 to 2004, Bill Files, 2001-2006, Subject Files, 1998-2006, and Hearing Files, 2000-2004. The records document her
legislative activity during her term as a member of the California State Legislature.
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], Rebecca Cohn papers, LP472:[folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of
State, Sacramento, California.
Acquisition and Custodial History
California State Archives acquired the Rebecca Cohn papers, in a single transfer (Accession Number 2006-286), in 2006.
Biography
Rebecca Cohn, a Democrat, served as a State Assembly Member from 2001 to 2006. She represented the 24th District, which included
the cities of Campbell, Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Gatos, Monte Soreno, San Jose, Saratoga and Sunnyvale within Santa Clara
County. After redistricting in 2002, her 24th District consisted of the cities of Campbell, San Jose, Santa Clara and Saratoga
within Santa Clara County.
Cohn was born on March 30th, 1954 in Vallejo, California. Shortly after her birth, her family moved to Texas, where she attended
University of Texas at Austin and University of Texas in Galveston and received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1976. After
graduation, she practiced as a licensed physical therapist for twenty years before becoming a Management Consultant for Business
Design Associates in Alameda, where she stayed for nearly ten years before being elected to the Assembly. Together, she and
her husband, Ron, have one son named Andrew.
Prior to her service in the Assembly, Cohn had been a legislative appointee to the California Industrial Medical Council,
a former member and chair of the American Physical Therapy Association’s Advisory Panel on Women, and a participant on the
Diversity Task Force of Joint Venture Silicon Valley.
Rebecca Cohn was elected to the State Assembly in 2000 and served as the Assistant Minority Floor Leader from 2005 to 2006.
Chronology
| 1954 |
Born in Vallejo |
| 2000 |
Elected to California State Assembly |
| 2001 |
Began term in the State Assembly representing the 24th District |
| 2001-2002 |
Chair of Standing Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism, and Internet Media |
| 2001-2006 |
Chair of Select Committee on Domestic Violence |
| 2001-2002 |
Chair of Select Committee on the Future of Health Care in California |
| 2001-2002 |
Chair of Select Committee on Transportation Congestion Relief |
| 2003-2004 |
Chair of Standing Committee on Health |
| 2003-2004 |
Chair of Select Committee on Broadband |
| 2003-2004 |
Chair of Standing Committee on Future of California’s Information and Advanced Technology Infrastructure |
| 2003-2004 |
Chair of Select Committee on the Future of California’s Health |
| 2006 |
Ended service in the State Assembly |
Scope and Content
The Rebecca Cohn papers consist of five records series: Administrative Files, 2001 to 2004, Bill Files, 2001-2006, Subject
Files, 1998-2006, and Hearing Files, 2000-2004. The records document her legislative activity during her term as a member
of the California State Legislature. The bills introduced by Cohn include a wide array of subjects, with a focus on domestic
violence. Cohn was particularly concerned with victims of domestic violence, authoring bills that allowed victims of sexual
felonies to testify only once in cases that crossed county lines and which enhanced penalties for abusers if children were
present. Cohn was also active in early efforts to combat online piracy, and encouraged police and firefighters to live in
their communities by offering incentives to landlords who leased to them.
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
Related Material at the California State Archives
Assembly Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism and Internet Media Committee Records
Assembly Health Committee Records
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
Cohn, Rebecca
California Commission on the Status of Women
Housing development-California
Assembly Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism, and Internet Media
Family Violence
LP472:1-3
Series 1
Administrative Files
2001-2004
Physical Description: 3 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically by date.
Scope and Content Note
Administrative files created by Rebecca Cohn consist of records relevant to her work as an Assembly Member. They include Legislative
overviews of pending legislation, and thank you notes addressed to Cohn for supporting certain pieces of legislation.
2001-2002: Legislative Papers LP472:1
2003-2004: Legislative Package, Thank You Notes LP472:2-3
LP472:4-77
Series 2
Bill Files
2001-2006
Physical Description: 74 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically by legislative session, then numerically by bill number.
Access Information
Certain records in file folders LP427:14, LP427:15, LP427:127 and LP427:159 are restricted under the California Public Records
Act (Government Code section 7927.700 (formerly section 6254(c)).
Scope and Content Note
Bill files created by Rebecca Cohn may include bill analyses, amendments, resolutions, author statements, testimonies, press
releases, editorials and newspaper clippings, correspondence, committee statements, and other information. Of particular interest
are those bills relating to domestic violence (AB469 and AB1909, 2001-2002; AB134, AB141, AB143, AB383 and AB1813, 2003-2004;
and AB59 and AB2051, 2005-2006), healthcare (AB215, AB829 and AB2179, 2001-2002) and piracy (AB1277, 2005-2006).
2001-2002: AB160-AB2781; ACR3-ACR11; HR5 (21ff) LP472:4-24
2003-2004: AB6-AB2828; ACR2-ACR225 (36ff) LP472:25-60
2005-2006: AB59-AB1300; AJR3 (17ff) LP472: 61-77
See Appendix A for LP numbers
Series 3
Subject Files
1998-2006
Physical Description: 75 file folders, 15 videocassettes (VHS)
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by subject title.
Access Information
Access to audiovisual material requires the production of use copies.
Scope and Content Note
The subject files created by Rebecca Cohn reflect various projects, interests and appearances by Cohn during her tenure in
the State Assembly. Subject files may contain reports, newspaper articles, program proposals, meeting notes, news stories,
ads, and video recordings of various programs and information. Cohn’s subject files focus on various topics and issues considered
by the Assembly Committees she chaired, or of which she was a member. The subject files also reflect Cohn's special interests
such as domestic violence, the state budget, and the energy crisis of 2001.
Additional Series Information
See Appendix B for LP numbers
Series 4
Hearing Files
2000-2004
Physical Description: 13 videocassettes (VHS)
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically by date of hearing.
Access Information
Access to audiovisual material requires the production of use copies.
Scope and Content Note
Hearing files contain video and audio recordings of regular session hearings and floor sessions of the Assembly. A significant
number of video recordings are floor sessions. The remaining are largely committee hearings on a variety of topics. Of note
is the May 8, 2003 hearing of the Assembly Select Committee on Domestic Violence, regarding the possibility of providing habeas
relief to women in prison (LP472:173-174).
Additional Series Information
