The Political Reform Act of 1974 regulates mass mailings, known as slate mailers, that support or oppose multiple candidates or ballot measures for an election. The act requires that each slate mailer identify the slate mailer organization or committee primarily formed to support or oppose one or more ballot measures that is sending the slate mailer, and to contain other specified information in specified formatting. The act requires that each candidate and each ballot measure that has paid to appear in the slate mailer be designated by an asterisk. The act limits the required type size of the asterisk to no more than 10-point boldface type. If a slate mailer organization appears to be affiliated with or represent any organization, group, or class of individuals, as defined, this bill would require the slate mailer to disclose the number of members the slate mailer organization or committee represents from that organization, group, or class, based on specified criteria. The bill would also require the total amount paid to appear on the slate mailer to be disclosed for each candidate and ballot measure that is required to be designated by an asterisk, immediately below the name or ballot measure, in no less than 9-point roman type and in a color or print that contrasts with the background so as to be easily legible. The bill would also delete the provision limiting the required type size of the asterisk to no more than 10-point boldface type. The act makes a knowing or willful violation of its provisions a misdemeanor and subjects offenders to criminal penalties. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, 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. The Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure, provides that the Legislature may amend the act to further the act's purposes upon a 23 vote of each house of the Legislature and compliance with specified procedural requirements. This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.
Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to establish a list of reportable communicable and noncommunicable diseases and conditions and to specify the timeliness requirements related to the reporting of each disease and condition, and the mechanisms required for, and the contents to be included in, a report. Existing law requires a health facility, which includes a hospital, to designate an infection control officer who is responsible for implementing testing and reporting of infections and other hospital infection control efforts. Under existing law, a violation of this provision and provisions regulating health facilities is a crime. It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to require hospitals to submit an annual report to the Legislature commencing in 2022 that includes the number of patient deaths from COVID-19 in the hospital, the reimbursement that the hospital has received from treating COVID-19 patients from 2020 to 2021, inclusive, and the gender demographic data for patients who have died due to COVID-19.
Existing law provides for the granting of franchises to provide utility service by a city, county, or city and county. This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to a statute authorizing the governing body of a city, county, or city and county to require a bond as a condition for the award of a utility franchise.
(1) Existing law establishes the California State University, the California Community Colleges, and the University of California as the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law requires the California State University and each community college district, and requests the University of California, with respect to each campus in their respective jurisdictions that administers a priority enrollment system, to grant priority in that system to certain foster youth or former foster youth whose dependency was established or continued by the court on or after the youth's 16th birthday and to certain homeless youth and former homeless youth. This bill would extend this requirement and request for enrollment priority for certain foster youth or former foster youth to those whose dependency was established or continued by a court of competent jurisdiction, including a tribal court, on or after the youth's 13th birthday. The bill would authorize a representative of a tribe or tribal organization to verify the homeless status of an American Indian student who is a homeless youth or former homeless youth, as specified. To the extent that the bill would impose duties on community college districts, it would constitute a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law, the Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program, authorizes the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to enter into agreements with up to 20 community college districts to provide additional funds for services in support of postsecondary education for foster youth. Existing law provides that these services include, when appropriate, but are not necessarily limited to, outreach and recruitment, consultation and eligibility verification, consultation and referrals for students deemed ineligible, service coordination, counseling, book and supply grants, tutoring, independent living and financial literacy skills support, frequent in-person contact, career guidance, transfer counseling, childcare and transportation assistance, and referrals to health services, mental health services, housing assistance, and other related services. This bill would authorize the program to provide all of these services, and direct financial support, to enrolled students who meet all eligibility requirements but whose courses have not yet commenced, and who have completed required matriculation activities as described, if those services are deemed necessary to enable the student to be successful upon the commencement of the academic term. (3) Existing law requires a student participant in the Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program to be a current or former foster youth in California whose dependency was established or continued by the court on or after the youth's 16th birthday. This bill would instead require a student participant in the program to be a current or former foster youth in California whose dependency was established or continued by a court of competent jurisdiction, including a tribal court, on or after the youth's 13th birthday. (4) Existing law requires the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, in consultation with the State Department of Social Services, to adopt regulations for the program and to be responsible for the administration of funds for the program. This bill would further require regulations adopted by the board of governors to ensure that program application and enrollment processes implemented by community college districts are streamlined, do not impose barriers to entry, and allow programs to exercise professional judgment to waive any income criteria specified in the regulations as a condition of eligibility, as specified. (5) 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 requires each school district or county superintendent of schools maintaining kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to provide for each needy pupil one nutritionally adequate free or reduced-price meal during each schoolday, as specified, and authorizes a school district or county office of education to use funds available through any federal or state program for those purposes, as specified. Existing law also authorizes school district funds to be used for the purchase of those school meals for pupils. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to the provision authorizing school district funds to be used for that purpose.
Existing law requires a county superintendent of schools to enforce the use of state textbooks and instructional materials and of high school textbooks and instructional materials regularly adopted by the proper authority. This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation related to the purchase of textbooks for pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive.
The Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act of 2016 (AUMA) , an initiative measure approved as Proposition 64 at the November 8, 2016, statewide general election, authorizes a person who obtains a state license under AUMA to engage in commercial adult-use cannabis activity pursuant to that license and applicable local ordinances. The Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA) , among other things, consolidates the licensure and regulation of commercial medicinal and adult-use cannabis activities. Existing law establishes in state government a Cannabis Control Appeals Panel that consists of 5 members, appointed as specified. This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to the provision establishing the Cannabis Control Appeals Panel.
Existing law, the Veterans' Homes Bond Act of 2000, requires the proceeds from the sale of bonds issued under the act to be deposited in the Veterans' Home Fund. Existing law requires money in the fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to be used by the Department of Veterans Affairs for the purpose of designing and constructing veterans' homes, as specified. Under existing law, an amount not to exceed $31,000,000 is continuously appropriated to the department, as specified, for the funding of the state's matching requirement for the design, equipping, and construction of specified veterans' homes. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to this provision.
Under existing law, murder in the first degree is punishable by death, imprisonment in the state prison for life without the possibility of parole, or imprisonment in the state prison for a term of 25 years to life. Existing law provides for various specified special circumstances, including the murder of a peace officer, firefighter, or witness, which, if found true as specified, require a defendant found guilty of murder in the first degree to be sentenced to death or imprisonment for life without the possibility of parole. Existing law authorizes a judge to, in furtherance of justice, order an action to be dismissed. Existing law, added by Proposition 115 of the June 5, 1990, statewide primary election, prohibits a judge from striking or dismissing any special circumstance admitted by plea or found true by a jury or court, as specified. Existing law provides for amendment of these provisions by a 23 vote of each house of the Legislature. This bill would amend Proposition 115 by repealing the provision prohibiting a judge from striking a special circumstance. The bill would also authorize a judge, on the judge's own motion, upon the application of either party, or upon an application of a person who has been incarcerated 15 years or longer, and in the furtherance of justice, to order the dismissal of a special circumstance finding or admission in cases in which the sentence is life imprisonment without the possibility of parole and in which the person was 25 years of age or younger at the time of the offense that was the basis of the special circumstance finding or admission, as specified. The bill would require a judge, when exercising this discretion, to consider and put great weight on specified factors. The bill would prohibit the court from striking or dismissing a special circumstance if it would result in a sentence that does not require a determination that the person does not pose an unreasonable risk to public safety by the Board of Parole Hearings prior to release and the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the person would pose an immediate threat to public safety. The bill would require the court, upon dismissal of a special circumstance, to offer the survivor or survivors and surviving family members information about services to address their needs as related to the crime and case process, as specified. This bill would state that its provisions are severable.
Existing law makes it a crime to possess for sale or purchase for purpose of sale, transport, sell, furnish, administer, give away, manufacture, compound, convert, produce, derive, process, or prepare various controlled substances, including, among others, fentanyl, peyote, and various other opiates and narcotics. This bill would require a person who is convicted of, or who pleads guilty or no contest to, the above crimes to receive a written advisory of the danger of manufacturing or distribution of controlled substances and that, if a person dies as a result of that action, the manufacturer or distributor can be charged with voluntary manslaughter or murder. The bill would require that the fact the advisory was given be on the record and recorded on the abstract of conviction.
Under existing law, the diversion or use of water other than as authorized by specified provisions of law is a trespass, subject to specified civil liability. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.
The State Housing Law establishes statewide construction and occupancy standards for buildings used for human habitation. That law requires the building department of every city or county to enforce within its jurisdiction the provisions of the State Building Standards Code, the provisions of the State Housing Law, and specified other rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to that law. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to the provision naming the State Housing Law.
