California Bills

(1) Existing law establishes within state government the Transportation Agency, which consists of the Department of the California Highway Patrol, the California Transportation Commission, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Transportation, the High-Speed Rail Authority, and the Board of Pilot Commissioners for the Bays of San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun. The agency is under the supervision of the Secretary of Transportation, who has the power of general supervision over each department within the agency. The secretary, among other duties, is charged with developing and reporting to the Governor on legislative, budgetary, and administrative programs to accomplish coordinated planning and policy formulation in matters of public interest, including transportation projects. On and after January 1, 2025, and to the extent applicable, feasible, and cost effective, this bill would require the agency, the Department of Transportation, and the California Transportation Commission to incorporate specified goals into program funding guidelines and processes. (2) Existing law requires the Department of Transportation to prepare the California Transportation Plan for submission to the Governor and the Legislature, to complete the 3rd update to the plan by December 31, 2025, and to update the plan every 5 years thereafter, as a long-range planning document that incorporates various elements and is consistent with specified expressions of legislative intent. This bill would require the California Transportation plan to include a financial element, as specified, and, to the extent applicable and feasible, an analysis of how certain entities are achieving principles outlined in the Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure, the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, and the federal Justice40 initiative, as provided.

Existing law defines a motorized scooter as any 2-wheeled device that has handlebars, either a floorboard that is designed to be stood upon when riding or a seat and footrests in place of the floorboard, and is powered by an electric motor. Existing law prohibits a person from operating a motorized scooter in excess of 15 miles per hour. Existing law prohibits an operator of a motorized scooter under 18 years of age from operating a motorized scooter without a specified bicycle helmet and requires a manufacturer of a motorized scooter to provide a disclosure to buyers that existing insurance policies may not provide coverage for a motorized scooter. Under existing law, a violation or failure to comply with a provision of the Vehicle Code constitutes an infraction. This bill would change the definition of a motorized scooter by including 3-wheeled devices, limiting its maximum weight to 200 pounds and width to 3 feet, and specifying that it is powered by a motor that ceases to provide power at 20 miles per hour. The bill would require a manufacturer of a motorized scooter to apply a sticker to certain motorized scooters certifying the scooter is capable of achieving braking requirements, as specified, and would prohibit a person from operating a motorized scooter that does not have that certifying sticker and, if the scooter is capable of exceeding 15 miles per hour, a speedometer in good working order. The bill would prohibit a person from operating a motorized scooter in excess of 15 miles per hour while standing up or in excess of 20 miles per hour while sitting down. Existing law, the Three Feet for Safety Act, requires the driver of a motor vehicle overtaking and passing a bicycle that is proceeding in the same direction on a highway to pass in compliance with specified requirements applicable to overtaking and passing a vehicle, and to do so at a safe distance that does not interfere with the safe operation of the overtaken bicycle, having due regard for the size and speed of the motor vehicle and the bicycle, traffic conditions, weather, and the surface and width of the highway. Existing law prohibits, with specified exceptions, the driver of the motor vehicle that is overtaking or passing a bicycle proceeding in the same direction on a highway from passing at a distance of less than 3 feet between any part of the motor vehicle and any part of the bicycle or its operator. Existing law establishes a violation of these provisions as an infraction punishable by a $35 fine. This bill would make the above provisions applicable to a driver of a motor vehicle overtaking a motorized scooter. Because the bill would broaden the scope of an infraction and create new infractions, it creates 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.

Under existing law, the governing board of a school district may grant leaves of absences, with or without pay, to persons employed in the classified service of the school district. Existing law establishes the California Classified School Employee Teacher Credentialing Program for the purpose of recruiting classified school employees to participate in a program designed to encourage them to enroll in teacher training programs, as defined, and to provide instructional service as teachers in the public schools. Existing law requires the commission, subject to an appropriation for these purposes in the annual Budget Act or other statute, to issue a request for proposals to all school districts, charter schools, and county offices of education in the state in order to solicit applications for funding. Existing law requires the criteria adopted by the commission for the selection of those local educational agencies to participate in the program to include, among other things, the extent to which the applicant demonstrates the capacity and willingness to accommodate the participation of classified school employees in teacher training programs conducted at institutions of higher education or a local educational agency. Existing law requires an applicant to require participants to provide information, meet requirements, and commit to accomplishing criteria, as provided. This bill would add wage replacement as one of the criteria that the commission is required to include in its selection of school districts, charter schools, or county offices of education for the program. The bill would require participating classified employees who participate in the program on or after January 1, 2024, to be entitled to a leave of absence from a participating local educational agency of up to 600 hours for the purpose of completing a student teaching requirement as required by a teacher training program. The bill would require a participating local educational agency, upon a classified employee participant's request, to provide the participant with a stipend during a leave of absence for student teaching that is equal to the participant's regular wages and would require that local educational agency to continue to pay for any benefits during the leave. The bill would require the commission to increase the individual participant award amount to cover those additional costs relating to the leave of absence, including stipend costs. The bill would require a classified employee participant, under specified circumstances, to reimburse the participating local educational agency the amount of grant funding provided to the employee for assistance and would authorize the participating local educational agency to recover that amount, as provided. The bill would make the implementation of these provisions contingent upon an appropriation in the annual Budget Act or another statute for these purposes.

Existing law, the Unruh Act, requires a retail installment contract to be dated and in writing. Existing law also requires the printed portion of the contract to be in 8-point type. A violation of the act is a crime. This bill, beginning July 1, 2024, would require the printed portion of the contract to be in 12-point font. By expanding the scope of a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated 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.

This measure would proclaim the week of August 6, 2023, to August 12, 2023, inclusive, as National Health Center Week, and would encourage Californians to take part in this week by visiting their local community health center and celebrating the important partnership between California's community health centers and the communities they serve.

This measure would declare August 1, 2023, as Gold Star Children's Day.

This measure would proclaim the month of October 2023 as Republic of Vietnam Month in commemoration of the 67th anniversary of the adoption of the first Constitution of the Republic of Vietnam, in honor of the lives lost for freedom and democracy during the Vietnam War, and in recognition of the positive contributions of Vietnamese Americans to the State of California.

Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits. Existing law requires the commission to adopt standards for the accreditation of postsecondary teacher preparation programs. Existing law prescribes "clinical practice" as one of the commission-adopted standards and requires that teaching credential candidates perform 600 hours of clinical practice throughout the candidate's teacher preparation program, including, as a component of those hours, unpaid student teaching. This bill would express the intent of the Legislature, to improve teacher retention and recruitment in California's public school system, to create a grant program to compensate student teachers to help alleviate financial stress at an important time in the teacher preparation process. The bill would, contingent upon an appropriation of one-time funding by the Legislature, establish the California Student Teacher Support Grant Program, under the administration of the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, to award grants of an unspecified amount to teaching credential candidates to compensate the candidates while they perform the required student teaching. The bill would require stipends for each student teacher to be equal to the daily substitute teacher rate for the applicant local educational agency, as defined. In administering the California Student Teacher Support Grant Program, the bill would require the commission to issue a request for applications to all local educational agencies in the state in order to solicit applications for funding. The bill would require the commission to adopt criteria for the selection of local educational agencies to participate in the California Student Teacher Support Grant Program, including that the applicant local educational agency requires participating teaching credential candidates to pass a criminal background check before participating in the program and commit to accomplishing certain criteria, including completing their 600 hours of clinical practice that is required as part of the participant's teacher preparation program, as provided. The bill would require the commission to annually report to the education and policy committees of both houses of the Legislature certain information regarding the California Student Teacher Support Grant Program, as provided.

This measure would proclaim November 7 of each year as Victims of Communism Day in memory of the 100 million people who have fallen victim to communist regimes across the world.

Existing law, the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) , an initiative measure enacted by the voters as Proposition 63 at the November 2, 2004, statewide general election, establishes the Mental Health Oversight and Accountability Commission to oversee the implementation of the MHSA. Existing law specifies the composition of the 16-member commission, including the Attorney General or their designee, the Superintendent of Public Instruction or their designee, specified members of the Legislature, and 12 members appointed by the Governor, as prescribed. Existing law authorizes the MHSA to be amended by a 23 vote of the Legislature if the amendments are consistent with, and further the purposes of, the MHSA, or by a majority vote to clarify procedures and terms. This bill would urge the Governor, in making appointments, to consider ensuring geographic representation among the 10 regions of California defined by the 2020 census.

The Water Conservation in Landscaping Act provides for a Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance that is adopted and updated at least every 3 years by the Department of Water Resources, unless the department makes a specified finding. Existing law requires a local agency to adopt the model ordinance or to adopt a water efficient landscape ordinance that is at least as effective in conserving water as the updated model ordinance, except as specified. Existing law specifies the provisions of the updated model ordinance, as provided. Existing law includes a related statement of legislative findings and declarations. This bill would require the updated model ordinance to include provisions that require that plants included in a landscape design plan be selected based on their adaptability to climatic, geological, and topographical conditions of the project site, as specified. The bill would also exempt landscaping that is part of a culturally specific project, as defined, ecological restoration projects that do not require a permanent irrigation system, mined-land reclamation projects that do not require a permanent irrigation system, and existing plant collections, as part of botanical gardens and arboretums open to the public, from the model ordinance. The bill would require the updated model ordinance to include provisions that, among other changes, prohibit the use of traditional overhead sprinklers on all new and rehabilitated landscapes and require that new and rehabilitated landscapes use only water efficient irrigation devices. The bill would also require the model ordinance, at the next update initiated after January 1, 2029, to require that all new or renovated nonresidential areas install in the project footprint not less than 10% California native plants, as provided, and to prohibit the inclusion of nonfunctional turf in nonresidential landscape projects. The bill would make other clarifying changes to the updated model ordinance. The bill would also revise the legislative findings and declarations to state, among other things, that the model ordinance furthers the state's goal to conserve biodiversity and provide for climate resilience consistent with state drought efforts to eliminate the use of irrigation of nonfunctional turf. Because the bill would revise requirements imposed on certain local agencies in connection with water efficient landscape ordinances, 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.