Existing law establishes the Board of State and Community Corrections and declares that the mission of the board is to provide statewide leadership, coordination, and technical assistance to promote effective state and local efforts and partnerships in California's adult and juvenile criminal justice system consistent with the statewide goal of improved public safety through cost-effective, promising, and evidence-based strategies for managing criminal justice populations. Existing law requires the board to establish minimum standards for local correctional facilities, including the safety of incarcerated individuals, and to biennially review and make appropriate revisions to those standards. This bill would require the board to revise those standards during the next regularly scheduled review to require a local detention facility to include a procedure for affirming that an incarcerated individual is alive during a safety check. By imposing additional requirements on local correctional facilities, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law authorizes the Department of Transportation to designate certain lanes for the exclusive or preferential use of high-occupancy vehicles. When those exclusive or preferential use lanes are established and double parallel solid lines are in place to the right thereof, existing law prohibits any person driving a vehicle from crossing over those double lines to enter into or exit from the lanes, and entrance into or exit from those lanes is authorized only in areas designated for these purposes or where a single broken line is in place to the right of the lanes, except as specified. Existing law authorizes a regional transportation agency, in cooperation with the Department of Transportation, to apply to the California Transportation Commission to develop and operate high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes, including administration and operation of a value pricing program and exclusive or preferential lane facilities for public transit. Existing law authorizes a value pricing and transit program involving HOT lanes to be developed and operated on State Highway Route 15 in the County of Riverside by the Riverside County Transportation Commission. Existing law requires the Department of Transportation to report to the transportation policy committees of the Legislature, on or before January 1, 2020, on the feasibility and appropriateness of limiting the use of high-occupancy vehicle lanes to high-occupancy vehicles and eligible vehicles, as defined, only during the hours of heavy commuter traffic on both State Route 91 between Interstate 15 and Interstate 215 in the County of Riverside, and State Route 60 in the County of Riverside. Separate from that report, this bill would require the Transportation Agency, on or before January 1, 2025, to report to the transportation policy committees of the Legislature on that same topic and on the feasibility and appropriateness of removing from high-occupancy vehicle lanes in the County of Riverside, except for certain high-occupancy toll lanes, any double parallel solid lines to restrict the entrance into or exit from those lanes, including the use of the appropriate markings and signage.
Former law, until July 1, 2023, established the Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans, with a Special Consideration for African Americans Who are Descendants of Persons Enslaved in the United States (Task Force) . Former law required the Task Force, among other things, to identify, compile, and synthesize the relevant corpus of evidentiary documentation of the institution of slavery that existed within the United States and the colonies, as specified, and to recommend the form of compensation that should be awarded, the instrumentalities through which it should be awarded, and who should be eligible for this compensation. This bill would establish the California American Freedmen Affairs Agency in state government, under the control of the secretary, who would be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The bill would require the agency to implement the recommendations of the Task Force, as approved by the Legislature and the Governor. The bill would require the agency, as part of its duties, to determine how an individual's status as a descendant would be confirmed. The bill would also require proof of an individual's descendant status to be a qualifying criterion for benefits authorized by the state for descendants. To accomplish these goals, the bill would require the agency to be comprised of a Genealogy Office and an Office of Legal Affairs. The bill would further require the agency to oversee and monitor existing state agencies and departments tasked with engaging in direct implementation of the policies that fall within the scope of the existing state agencies' and departments' authority, including policies related to reparations. Existing law prohibits a state agency, with certain exceptions, from employing any in-house counsel to act on behalf of the state agency or its employees in any judicial or administrative adjudicative proceeding in which the agency is interested, or is a party as a result of office or official duties, or contracting with outside counsel for any purpose. This bill would exempt the California American Freedmen Affairs Agency from the above-described prohibition.
Previously existing law established, until July 1, 2023, the Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans, with a Special Consideration for African Americans Who are Descendants of Persons Enslaved in the United States. Previously existing law required the Task Force to, among other things, identify, compile, and synthesize the relevant corpus of evidentiary documentation of the institution of slavery that existed within the United States and the colonies that became the United States, as specified, and to recommend appropriate remedies in consideration of the Task Force's findings, as specified. Previously existing law required the Task Force to submit a written report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature, as specified. This bill would establish the Fund for Reparations and Reparative Justice in the State Treasury for the purpose of funding policies approved by the Legislature and the Governor that address the harm that the State of California has caused to descendants of an African American chattel enslaved person or descendants of a free Black person living in the United States prior to the end of the 19th century. The bill would authorize the fund to receive moneys from any other federal, state, or local grant, or from any private donation or grant, as specified. The bill would also make related findings and declarations.
Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, authorizes the Governor to declare a state of emergency, and local officials and local governments to declare a local emergency, when specified conditions of disaster or extreme peril to the safety of persons and property exist, and authorizes the Governor or the appropriate local government to exercise certain powers in response to that emergency. Existing law defines the term "state of emergency" and "local emergency" to mean a duly proclaimed existence of conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the state caused by, among other things, fire, storm, riot, or cyberterrorism. This bill would additionally include a landslide among those causes of the conditions constituting a state of emergency or local emergency.
(1) Existing law authorizes a peace officer, as defined, or a regularly employed and salaried employee, who is engaged in directing traffic or enforcing parking laws and regulations, of a city, county, or jurisdiction of a state agency in which a vehicle is located, to remove a vehicle located within the territorial limits in which the officer or employee may act, under designated circumstances, including, but not limited to, when a vehicle is found upon a highway or public land or removed pursuant to the Vehicle Code, and has been issued 5 or more notices of parking violations to which the owner or person in control of the vehicle has not responded within a designated time period. Under existing law, a vehicle that has been removed and impounded under those circumstances that is not released may be subject to a lien sale to compensate for the costs of towage and for caring for and keeping safe the vehicle. This bill would delete the authority of a peace officer or public employee, as appropriate, to remove a vehicle under these circumstances. The bill would delete the related authority to conduct a lien sale to cover towing and storage expenses, except as specified. The bill would make various conforming and technical changes. (2) Existing law authorizes a parking citation processing agency, as defined, to collect an unpaid parking penalty by requesting the Department of Motor Vehicles to place a registration hold on the vehicle to which the citations have been issued, or by obtaining a civil judgment against the registered owner of the vehicle, as specified. Existing law requires a processing agency to offer a payment plan for unpaid parking citations to qualified indigent persons, defined as a person whose monthly income is 200 percent or less of the current federal poverty guidelines. This bill would expand the payment plan option to a person whose monthly income is 300 percent or less of the current poverty guidelines. The bill would modify payment plans for low-income persons by removing the deadline to file a request to participate in a payment plan, allowing automatic payments, and reducing the total amount due for penalties so that it can be paid off within 24 months, as specified. The bill would give a low-income person who falls out of compliance with a payment plan at least 4 extensions to resume payments, as specified. The bill would require a processing agency to establish a process to have an unpaid parking penalty waived for a vehicle if the registered owner was in custody in a juvenile facility, county jail, or state prison when the penalty was pending. The bill would require the processing agency to provide a payment plan option for persons who do not qualify as low income. The bill would require the processing agency to mail a courtesy warning notice to the registered vehicle owner that contains information about the payment program, as specified. Existing law authorizes an issuing officer or agency to make a determination, in the interest of justice, to cancel a notice of parking violation within 21 days of the notice being secured to the vehicle. This bill would remove the 21-day time limitation described above. Existing law authorizes penalties for specified parking violations to be paid in installments if the issuing agency determines the violator is unable to pay the entire amount in one payment. This bill would further authorize an issuing agency to reduce or waive the parking penalty if the violator provides evidence satisfactory to the issuing agency of an inability to pay the parking penalty in full. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 22651 of the Vehicle Code proposed by AB 1978 to be operative only if this bill and AB 1978 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.
The Joint Exercise of Powers Act authorizes 2 or more public agencies, by agreement, to form a joint powers authority to exercise any power common to the contracting parties, as specified. Existing law requires the agreement to set forth its purpose or the power to be exercised, among other things. This bill would authorize any qualified local agency, as defined, to enter into a joint powers agreement with any other qualified local agencies pursuant to the act to create and operate a joint powers agency, named the Sacramento County Partnership on Homelessness, to assist the homeless population, to coordinate homelessness response, and to develop and manage a comprehensive strategic plan to address homelessness within the County of Sacramento. The bill would require the agreement to incorporate, among other things, the composition and membership requirements of the board of directors that governs the partnership, would set forth the composition and voting procedures of the board, and would require the partnership to comply with the regulatory guidelines of each specific state funding source received. The bill would require the board of directors to be made up of, among other members, one elected member from each qualified local agency that is a party to the agreement, would require those members to serve without compensation, and would authorize reimbursement for their actual expenses, as specified. The bill would require the partnership to, within 5 years of the date on which it is established, adopt a comprehensive strategic plan to address homelessness within the County of Sacramento and submit the plan to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature, subject to specified requirements. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Sacramento.
Existing law prohibits the prosecuting attorney, attorney for the defendant, or investigator for either the prosecution or the defendant from interviewing, questioning, or speaking to a victim or witness whose name has been disclosed by the defendant pursuant to existing law without first clearly identifying themself and identifying the full name of the agency by whom they are employed, and identifying whether they represent, or have been retained by, the prosecution or the defendant. Under existing law, if an interview takes place in person, the party is also required to show the victim or witness a business card, official badge, or other form of official identification before commencing the interview or questioning. This bill would require a peace officer, as defined, a prosecuting attorney, or an investigator for the prosecution, prior to interviewing an immediate family member of a person who has been killed or seriously injured by a peace officer, to clearly identify themself, if the interview takes place in person, to show identification, and to clearly state specified information, including that the family member has the right to ask about the status of their family member prior to answering questions, has the right to remain silent, and before speaking with the interviewer, can consult with a trusted person and can have that person with them while they speak to the interviewer. By increasing duties on local law enforcement, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law provides that everyone is responsible not only for the result of their willful acts, but also for an injury occasioned to another by their want of ordinary care or skill in the management of their property or person. This bill would make a social media platform, as defined, liable for specified civil penalties in addition to any other remedy provided by law, if the platform knowingly and willfully fails to exercise ordinary care or skill toward a child. Under the bill, the civil penalties would only be available in an action brought by the Attorney General, a district attorney, or a city attorney. The bill would require no less than 51% of any civil penalties recovered pursuant to the bill to be deposited into the Safe Social Media Fund, which the bill would create. The bill would allow money deposited into the fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to be used by the Office of the Surgeon General to raise awareness about safe social media use. The bill would apply to causes of action arising from conduct occurring on or after January 1, 2026. The bill would declare that its provisions are severable.
The California FAIR Plan Association is a joint reinsurance association in which all insurers licensed to write basic property insurance participate in administering a program for the equitable apportionment of basic property insurance for persons who are unable to obtain that coverage through normal channels. Existing law requires the association's plan of operation and any amendment to the plan to be approved by the Insurance Commissioner. Existing law establishes the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank and authorizes it to issue bonds to provide funds for the payment of costs of a project for a participating party or upon request by a state entity. This bill would authorize the association, if granted prior approval from the commissioner, to request the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank to issue bonds, and would authorize the bank to issue those bonds to finance the costs of claims, to increase liquidity and claims-paying capacity of the association, and to refund bonds previously issued for that purpose. The bill would specify that the association is a participating party and that financing all or any portion of the costs of claims or to increase liquidity and the claims-paying capacity of the association is a project for bond purposes. The bill would authorize the bank to loan the proceeds of issued bonds to the association, and would authorize the association to enter into a loan agreement with the bank and to enter into a line of credit agreement with an institutional lender or broker-dealer. This bill would require the association, if the above-described bonds, loan agreements, or lines of credit received the prior approval of the commissioner, to assess members in the amounts and at the times necessary to timely pay in full all obligations of the association with respect to those bonds, loan agreements, or lines of credit and related agreements, as specified. Existing law establishes the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, for the purpose of implementing the objectives of the bank. To the extent that the bill would result in additional revenues being deposited into the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank Fund, the bill would make an appropriation. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
This measure would urge the Congress of the United States to repeal the state and local tax deduction limitation so that residents of California and married taxpayers are no longer penalized by the federal tax code.
Assembly Concurrent Resolution 120 designates January 2024 as Positive Parenting Awareness Month in California. This measure does not change laws or allocate funding but instead encourages state agencies, communities, and organizations to focus on the importance of positive parenting strategies. The resolution highlights how supportive family environments can improve children's health and well-being while acknowledging the diverse forms families take in the state. It serves as a formal acknowledgment of existing programs and resources rather than creating new mandates or policies.
