Existing law authorizes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to prescribe, by regulation, lighting, insulation, climate control system, and other building design and construction standards that increase efficiency in the use of energy and water for new residential and new nonresidential buildings, and energy and water conservation design standards for new residential and new nonresidential buildings. Pursuant to this authority, the commission has established regulations requiring solar-ready buildings and for the installation of photovoltaic systems meeting certain requirements for low-rise residential buildings built on or after January 1, 2020. This bill, until January 1, 2027, would require residential construction intended to repair, restore, or replace a residential building damaged or destroyed as a result of a disaster in an area in which a state of emergency has been proclaimed by the Governor to comply only with requirements regarding photovoltaic systems pursuant to the regulations, if any, that were in effect at the time the damaged or destroyed residential building was originally constructed and would not require that construction to comply with any additional or conflicting photovoltaic system requirements in effect at the time of repair, restoration, or replacement. This provision would apply only if certain conditions are met with respect to the building owner's income, insurance coverage, and the location and square footage of the construction. Until January 1, 2027, the bill would also require the commission to collect data on the use and application of the exemption from local permitting agencies and, on or before March 1, 2025, and on or before March 1, 2026, to prepare and submit a report to the relevant policy committees of the Legislature concerning the exemption, as provided. Because a local agency would be required to determine whether any older applicable photovoltaic requirements are met, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law generally requires a health care service plan contract or large group health insurance policy to provide an enrollee or insured with basic health care services, which include emergency health care services. Existing law prohibits a health care service plan that provides basic health care services from requiring prior authorization or refusing to pay for an ambulance or ambulance transport services if the request was made for an emergency medical condition and the services were required or if an enrollee reasonably believed the medical condition was an emergency that required ambulance transport services. Existing law requires a policy of disability insurance issued, amended, delivered, or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 1999, that provides hospital, medical, or surgical coverage with coverage for emergency health care services to include coverage for emergency medical transportation services without regard to whether or not the emergency provider contracts with the insurer or to prior authorization. Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law establishes a schedule of benefits under the Medi-Cal program, including various emergency medical services. This bill would require a physician, upon an individual's arrival to an emergency department of a hospital, to certify in the treatment record whether an emergency medical condition existed, or was reasonably believed to have existed, and required emergency medical transportation services, as specified. This bill would, if a physician has certified that emergency medical transportation services according to these provisions, require a health care service plan, disability insurance policy, and Medi-Cal managed care plan, to provide coverage for emergency medical transport, consistent with an individual's plan or policy. The bill would specify that the indication by a physician pursuant to these provisions is limited to an assessment of the medical necessity of the emergency medical transport services, and does not apply or otherwise impact provisions regarding coverage for care provided following completion of the emergency medical transport. The bill would specify for Medi-Cal benefits, these provisions do not apply to various specified provisions relating to nonemergency transport services or any other law or regulation related to reimbursement or authorization requirements for services provided for emergency services and care. 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law requires the governing board of each community college district to charge students a fee of $46 per unit per semester, and requires or authorizes, as provided, the governing board to waive that fee for certain students. This bill would require community college districts to waive the fees for specified courses for students who are employed as childcare providers, as defined, at the time of enrollment. To the extent the bill would impose additional duties on community college districts, the 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.
The Confidentiality of Medical Information Act, among other things, prohibits a health care provider, a contractor, or a health care service plan from disclosing medical information, as defined, regarding a patient of the provider or an enrollee or subscriber of the health care service plan without first obtaining an authorization, except as specified. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to the title provision of the act.
Existing law requires a landlord of a residential dwelling to give notice at least a specified number of days, either 30 or 90, before the effective date of the change based upon the percentage increase in the amount of rent charged to the tenant at any time during the 12 months before the effective date of the increase, either in and of itself or when combined with any other rent increases for the 12 months before the effective date of the increase. Existing law authorizes a landlord of a residential dwelling to give notice either by personal service or mail, as specified. This bill would additionally authorize a landlord of a residential dwelling to give notice by electronic mail, as defined.
Existing law authorizes the operation of an autonomous vehicle on public roads for testing purposes by a driver who possesses the proper class of license for the type of vehicle operated if specified requirements are satisfied. Existing law prohibits the operation of an autonomous vehicle on public roads until the manufacturer submits an application to the Department of Motor Vehicles, as specified, and that application is approved. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.
The Charter Schools Act of 1992 authorizes the establishment, operation, and governance of charter schools. Existing law authorizes a charter school that has an approved charter to receive funding for nonclassroom-based instruction only if a determination for funding is made by the State Board of Education, as specified. This bill would replace the term "nonclassroom-based instruction" with "flex-based instruction" and define a "flex-based charter school" as a charter school that receives a determination for funding from the state board, as described above.. The bill would also make numerous nonsubstantive and conforming changes.
The Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law, in modified conformity with federal income tax laws, generally allow various deductions in computing the income that is subject to tax imposed under those laws. This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2024, and before January 1, 2029, would allow a deduction in computing income for any cost paid or incurred by a taxpayer for qualified childcare provided by the taxpayer to a dependent, under 6 years of age, of the taxpayer's employee, not to exceed $5,000 per taxable year per qualified dependent. The bill would define qualified childcare for these purposes as a licensed childcare facility or program that is owned or operated by the taxpayer and is intended to be used primarily by dependents of employees of the taxpayer. Existing law requires a bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill would include additional information required for any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.
Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles, upon proper application, to issue driver's licenses and identification cards. The federal Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 and the federal Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 facilitate travel within the western hemisphere by authorizing the use of enhanced driver's licenses and identification cards meeting specified requirements as travel documents. This bill would authorize the Department of Motor Vehicles to enter into a memorandum of understanding with a federal agency for the purpose of facilitating travel within the western hemisphere pursuant to the federal Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 and the federal Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 through the issuance of enhanced driver's licenses, provisional licenses, or identification cards. The bill would authorize the department to issue or renew, upon request, an enhanced driver's license, provisional license, or identification card for specified persons. The bill would require a person applying for the initial issuance or renewal of an enhanced driver's license, provisional license, or identification card to submit, under the penalty of perjury, additional proof of identity, residency, and citizenship that satisfies the requirements of the federal Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 and the federal Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. By expanding the scope of the crime of perjury, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the department to provide a protective shield and to take other specified security measures for the enhanced driver's license, provisional license, or identification card. The bill would prohibit specified information submitted by an applicant for an enhanced driver's license, provisional license, or identification card from being disclosed by the department, as specified. The bill would make all laws related to the privacy or security of a driver's license, provisional license, or identification document, or a similar document, or regulating the use, access, or sharing of information applicable to enhanced driver's licenses, provisional licenses, and identification cards. The bill also would require a person applying for an enhanced driver's license, provisional license, or identification card to submit an additional application fee. The bill would require the department to set the application fee, by regulation, in an amount not to exceed the reasonable regulatory cost of issuing or renewing the license or identification card or $55, whichever is less, and to provide specified information to the applicant. The bill would require the fees to be deposited into the Motor Vehicle Account. The bill would, upon appropriation by the Legislature, require those fees to be expended by the department in implementing the above provisions. The bill would require the department to submit an annual report to specified committees of the Legislature on the implementation of the enhanced driver's license, provisional license, and identification card. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
The Personal Income Tax Law, in modified conformity with federal income tax law, excludes from the gross income of a beneficiary of, or contributor to, a qualified tuition program, which includes a Golden State Scholarshare College Savings Trust, distributions or earnings under that program, as specified. This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2024, and before January 1, 2028, would allow under that law a deduction against gross income in the amount equal to the monetary contribution made by a qualified taxpayer, as defined, to the California qualified tuition program established pursuant to the Golden State Scholarshare Trust Act not to exceed either $1,000 or $2,000, per beneficiary, as provided. The bill would require, with exceptions, in the case of any distribution in excess of qualified higher education expenses, as defined, that the aggregate amount of the deduction allowed that reduced the qualified taxpayer's gross income in any taxable year be added to the gross income of the qualified taxpayer in the taxable year of the distribution, as provided. The bill would provide that the deduction is only operative for taxable years for which an appropriation is made for its purposes in the annual Budget Act or other statute. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill would also include additional information required for any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.
Existing law, the Plastic Microbeads Nuisance Prevention Law, prohibits a person from selling or offering for promotional purposes in the state any personal care products containing plastic microbeads that are used to exfoliate or cleanse in a rinse-off product, including, but not limited to, toothpaste. This bill would enact the Synthetic Polymer Microparticles in Cosmetic and Cleaning Products Prevention Act. The bill would prohibit a synthetic polymer microparticle from being placed on the market in this state as a substance on its own or, where the synthetic polymer microparticles are present to confer a sought-after characteristic, in mixtures in a concentration equal to or greater than 0.01% by weight. The restriction would apply on and after specified dates depending on the type of product, as described, except as otherwise provided. The bill would specify the screening tests and pass criteria to be used for purposes of determining compliance with this prohibition. The bill would make a person who violates this prohibition liable for a civil penalty not to exceed $5,000 per day for each violation, in addition to any other penalty established by law. The bill would authorize the civil penalty to be assessed and recovered in a civil action brought by a city attorney, a district attorney, a county counsel, or the Attorney General in any court of competent jurisdiction.
Existing law establishes the California Environmental Protection Agency, under the supervision of the Secretary for Environmental Protection, consisting of various departments, boards, and offices, and vests the agency with authority over various environmental matters. This bill would require the California Environmental Protection Agency, until January 1, 2028, to hold at least 4 public meetings per year, with the first meeting occurring on or before March 31, 2024, to, among other things, provide members of the public with current information on the agency's efforts to study and mitigate DDT and other chemical waste located at Dumpsite-1 and Dumpsite-2 off the coast of Los Angeles. The bill would require the agency, on or before June 30, 2026, to report to the Legislature with policy recommendations on how to further mitigate the negative impacts of anthropogenic chemical waste deposits at or from the dumpsites, as provided.
