Existing law, the Joint Exercise of Powers Act, authorizes 2 or more public agencies, if authorized by their legislative or other governing bodies, to enter into an agreement to jointly exercise any power common to the contracting parties, as provided. That act requires, among other things, that the agreement state the purpose of agreement or power to be exercised and provide for the method by which the purpose will be accomplished or the manner in which the power will be exercised. Existing law, operative until July 1, 2029, requires the Office of Emergency Services to enter into a joint powers agreement with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to develop and administer a comprehensive wildfire mitigation program to, among other things, encourage cost-effective structure hardening and retrofitting to create fire-resistant homes, businesses, and public buildings. That law requires the joint powers authority to develop eligibility criteria for property owners, community organizations, and local governments that may receive financial assistance under the wildfire mitigation program. This bill would require, on or before July 1, 2026, the Department of Insurance to be added as an ex officio nonvoting member to the California Wildfire Mitigation Program Board created pursuant to the joint powers agreement.
(1) Existing law, the Real Estate Law, provides for the licensure and regulation of real estate brokers and salespersons. Existing law requires specified language be included in agreements that provide for the amount of compensation to be paid to a real estate licensee for the purchase of specified residential property or a mobilehome. That language states that the amount or rate of real estate commissions is not fixed by law but rather is set by each broker individually and may be negotiable between the seller and the broker. This bill would make a technical correction to the language that must be included in agreements for the purchase of a specified property or mobilehome to clarify that the rate at issue is that paid by a buyer to the broker. (2) Existing law, the Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies Act, defines and regulates consumer credit reports and consumer credit reporting agencies. Existing law prohibits a person from furnishing information regarding a medical debt to a consumer credit reporting agency, and requires a contract creating a medical debt entered into on or after July 1, 2025, to include specified language and provides consequences for failing to include such language. This bill would specify that the requirement that specified language be included in contracts creating medical debt applies only to written contracts. (3) Existing law, the Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, prohibits debt collectors from engaging in unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the collection of covered debts and requires debtors to act fairly in entering into and honoring those debts. Existing law provides that a covered debt includes a covered commercial debt, and defines "covered commercial debt" and "covered commercial credit" to mean money due or owing or alleged to be due or owing from a natural person to a lender, commercial financing provider, or debt buyer, by reason of one or more covered commercial credit transactions, if the total amount of all commercial credit transactions due and owing is no more than $500,000. This bill would specify that commercial debt does not include specified commercial financing transactions of at least $50,000 in which the recipient is a vehicle dealer or an affiliate of a dealer or a trade credit, as defined. (4) Existing law defines and regulates mortgages, including recording notices of default, applications for loan modification, and foreclosure prevention alternatives. Existing law provides that where a borrower submits a timely request for a loan modification, certain types of lien holders may not foreclose on the property during the pendency of that request and provides procedures for the subsequent approval or rejection of that application, as specified. Existing law provides that these lien holders include persons or entities that make or service seven or fewer loans for the purchase of residential property in a year. This bill would specify that the application of this section to persons or entities with seven or fewer loans applies only to such entities that service the loans, and that the loans apply only to properties within the state. The bill also expands the application of this provision to include loans that encumber such property. (5) Existing law requires mortgage servicers to establish a single point of contact when a borrower requests a foreclosure prevention alternative, as specified. Existing law exempts from these provisions entities and persons that, make and service 7 or fewer loans for the purchase of residential real property in a calendar year from those provisions. This bill would instead exempt a person or entity that services seven or fewer loans encumbering real property located in California in a calendar year. (6) Existing law imposes various requirements that must be satisfied before exercising a power of sale under a mortgage or deed of trust. Among those requirements, existing law requires the mortgagee, beneficiary, or authorized agent with respect to residential real property containing no more than 4 dwelling units to provide to the trustee the fair market value of the property, as defined, at least 10 days prior to the initially scheduled date of sale, and prohibits the trustee from selling the property at the initially scheduled date of sale for less than 67% of the amount of that fair market value of the property. If the property remains unsold after the initial trustee's sale, the trustee is required to postpone the sale for at least 7 days, and would authorize the property to be sold thereafter to the highest bidder, as specified. This bill would clarify that the trustee may not sell the property at the first sale at which a bid may be made for less than 67% of the amount of that fair market value of the property. This bill would further clarify that if the property remains unsold after the first sale at which a bid can be made for less than 67% of market value, the trustee is required to postpone the sale for at least 7 days. (7) Existing law specifies personal property of a judgment debtor that is subject to enforcement of a money judgment. Among other things, tangible chattel paper, as defined, of a judgment debtor that is located in the state is subject to enforcement of a money judgment against the judgment debtor. This bill would instead specify that chattel paper, as defined, of a judgment debtor that is located in the state is subject to enforcement of a money judgment against the judgment debtor. The bill would also conform a cross-reference in that provision to existing law. (8) Existing law prescribes procedures for judicial arbitration to facilitate the resolution of small civil cases, and specifies that these procedures are mutually exclusive and independent of another set of procedures relating to the enforcement of arbitration agreements between parties. This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to the provision above by removing an obsolete cross-reference. (9) Existing law authorizes a judgment creditor to apply for the entry of a judgment based on a sister state judgment, as specified. Existing law permits a writ of execution on such a judgment to issue before service of the notice of entry of judgment if the judgment debtor is, among other things, a foreign partnership that has not filed a statement designating an agent for service of process. This bill would conform a cross-reference in that provision to existing law. (10) Existing law, the Civil Discovery Act, governs discovery in civil actions and proceedings of a civil nature. Existing law requires a meet and confer declaration in support of a motion brought pursuant to the act to state facts showing a reasonable and good faith attempt at an informal resolution of each issue presented by the motion. Existing law deems a failure to confer in person, by telephone, or by letter in order to informally resolve a discovery dispute to be a misuse of the discovery process if the law requires that a party show an attempt at informal resolution in support of a motion. This bill would provide that the parties may meet and confer by videoconference, instead of by letter, in order to conform these provisions to other provisions in the act which authorize meeting and conferring by videoconference. (11) The Civil Discovery Act provides that in actions for unlawful detainer, a plaintiff may propound interrogatories, make a demand for inspection, copying, testing, or sampling, and may make requests for admission, all without leave of court any time that is 5 days after service of summons on or appearance in court by that party. This bill would change these timelines for specified discovery in unlawful detainer actions to 10 days after the service of summons on, or appearance by, that party from which discovery is requested. (12) Existing law requires every partnership that is domiciled outside of the state and that has no regular place of business in the state to file a statement with the Secretary of State designating an agent for service of process, except as specified. This bill would conform a cross-reference in that provision to existing law. (13) Existing law, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, provides that when a complaint is filed with the Civil Rights Department, and the department concludes that prompt judicial action is necessary to enforce the act, the director of the department or their authorized representative may bring a civil action for temporary or preliminary relief pending final disposition of the complaint. Existing law requires such an action to be brought in a particular county, depending on whether certain conditions are present. This bill would conform a cross-reference in the provision above, relating to the county in which the judicial action must be brought, to existing law. (14) Existing law makes it a misdemeanor for a person to knowingly post the home address or telephone number of any elected or appointed official, or of their residing spouse or child, on the internet with the intent to cause imminent great bodily harm or threatening to cause imminent great bodily harm, as provided. This bill would recodify this provision in the Penal Code. (15) Existing law prohibits a person, business, or association from publicly posting or publicly displaying on the internet the home address or telephone number of any elected or appointed official if that official has made a written demand of that person, business, or association to not disclose the official's home address or telephone number. Existing law also specifies how an official whose information has been posted in violation of these sections may act to enforce their rights to keep this information private. This bill would repeal these provisions. (16) Existing law prohibits a person, business, or association from soliciting, selling, or trading on the internet the home address or telephone number of an elected or appointed official with the intent to cause imminent great bodily harm to the official or to any person residing at the official's home address. This bill would recodify this provision in the Civil Code. (17) Existing law permits a verified petition to be filed by any beneficially interested person with the county clerk of certain superior courts for an order to judicially establish the fact of, and the time and place of, a birth, death, or marriage that is not registered or for which a certified copy is not obtainable. Existing law provides such petitions are heard by judges who hear probate matters. This bill would specify that petitions to establish such a record for individuals that are otherwise subject to the juvenile courts, as specified, may be made and heard in juvenile courts. The bill would require the court to waive the filing fee for any such petition filed in juvenile court. (18) Existing law requires the general representative of an estate in probate or the estate attorney to give the Director of Health Care Services notice of a decedent's death if the decedent was a recipient of Medi-Cal health care services or was the surviving spouse of a person who received such care in order to provide the director with an opportunity to make a claim against the decedent's estate. This bill would additionally authorize the general representative or the estate attorney to give that notice through the department's official internet website using the online notice of death form. This bill would require the personal representative or estate attorney to provide notice to the to the Director of Child Support Services if the representative or attorney knows or has reason to know that the decedent had a child support obligation, in order to provide the director with an opportunity to assert a claim against the decedent's estate. The bill would make this requirement applicable to all estates for which letters of administration were first issued on or after January 1, 2026. (19) Existing law establishes the grounds for removal of a dependent child from the custody of the child's parents or guardian. Existing law requires the court, at the initial petition hearing, to examine the child's parents, guardians, Indian custodian, or other persons having relevant knowledge and hear the relevant evidence, and order the release of the child from custody unless a prima facie showing has been made that, among other things, whether less disruptive alternatives to removal were considered, and factors related to impact of removal on the child. If the court finds that removal is necessary existing law requires the court's order to state whether its determination complies with placement guidelines for removed Indian children, and less disruptive alternatives. This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to the latter provision.
The Political Reform Act of 1974 provides for the comprehensive regulation of political campaigns, lobbying, and other matters relating to governmental ethics and elections. The act prohibits a foreign government or foreign principal from making any contribution, expenditure, or independent expenditure in connection with the qualification or support of, or opposition to, a state or local ballot measure or an election for a state or local office. The act prohibits a person or committee from soliciting or accepting a contribution from a foreign government or foreign principal for the same purposes. The act makes a violation of these prohibitions a misdemeanor. This bill would expand the prohibitions described above to apply to foreign nationals. The bill would define "foreign national" as a person who is not a citizen of the United States and who is not a lawfully admitted permanent resident. The bill would exclude from this definition a person who has been granted deferred action, and whose deferred action has not expired, under the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, as described in guidelines issued by the United States Department of Homeland Security. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, 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 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 authorizes a school district or county office of education to develop a schoolsite-based oral health assessment program. Existing law authorizes school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to enter into a memorandum of understanding with a nonprofit eye examination provider to provide eye examinations to pupils at any schoolsite within the local educational agency. Existing law authorizes school districts to release pupil directory information, as specified, and defines directory information as one or more prescribed items, including, among others, a pupil's name, address, telephone number, and date of birth. Existing law prohibits the release of directory information of a pupil identified as a homeless child or youth, as defined, unless a parent or eligible pupil has given written consent that the information may be released. This bill, notwithstanding the above provision, would authorize the disclosure of directory information of a pupil identified as a homeless child or youth, as defined, to facilitate an eye examination or an oral health assessment, as described above, unless the parent or a pupil who has been accorded parental rights, as provided, has provided written notice to the school that they do not consent to the physical examination, as specified. The bill would require directory information disclosed pursuant to this authorization to be disclosed only for the purpose of facilitating an eye examination or an oral health assessment, as provided. The bill would provide that reports made to a parent, legal guardian, or caregiver of a pupil experiencing homelessness about a pupil defect identified from an eye examination or an oral health assessment, as described above, should be made by alternative communication channels rather than mail, when possible.
Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to prescribe, by regulation, lighting, insulation, climate control system, and other building design and construction standards, and energy and water conservation design standards, for new residential and new nonresidential buildings to reduce the wasteful, uneconomic, inefficient, or unnecessary consumption of energy, as specified. This bill would require the commission to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of passive house energy efficiency standards by California climate zone, using commission-adopted metrics such as long-term system cost. The bill would require the commission to evaluate the use of the 2 passive house energy models currently required for passive house certification in its analysis and the cost-effectiveness of passive house construction compared to existing construction, as specified. The bill would require the commission, on or before July 1, 2028, to submit a report to the Legislature documenting its findings and recommendations.
Existing law requires the Department of General Services to ensure that all claims that have been approved by the department, and for which there exists no legally available appropriation, are submitted for legislative approval at least once each calendar year. This bill would appropriate $672 to the Department of General Services, as specified, for the payment of claims accepted by the Government Claims Program. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law prohibits requiring a person desiring to use an electric vehicle charging station, as defined, that requires payment of a fee from paying a subscription fee in order to use the station, or requiring the person to obtain membership in any club, association, or organization as a condition of using the station. Existing law authorizes an electric vehicle charging station to offer services on a subscription- or membership-only basis if the station allows nonsubscribers or nonmembers to use the station through a contactless payment method that accepts major credit and debit cards, as specified, and either an automated toll-free telephone number or a short message system (SMS) that provides the customer with the option to initiate a charging session and submit payment. Existing law authorizes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, by regulation that is effective no earlier than January 1, 2028, to add to or subtract from those required payment methods, as specified. This bill would instead authorize the commission to modify, add to, or subtract from those required payment methods, as appropriate in light of changing technologies or cost impacts. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 44268.2 of the Health and Safety Code proposed by SB 533 to be operative only if this bill and SB 533 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.
Existing law requires the State Fire Marshal to specify standards for the design of cigarette lighters using an 80% acceptance criterion with respect to safety features that prevent operation of the lighters by children 5 years of age or younger. Existing law prohibits a person from selling, offering for sale, or distributing a cigarette lighter that does not comply with those standards. This bill would prohibit a person from selling, offering for sale, or distributing a lighter, as defined, or a lighting rod or gas match, that does not comply with specified ASTM International standards, except as specified. The bill would also prohibit a person from selling, offering for sale, or distributing a lighter that infringes on certain intellectual property rights, except as specified.
The State Bar Act provides for the licensure and regulation of attorneys by the State Bar of California (State Bar) , a public corporation governed by a board of trustees. The act sets forth the requirements for a license to practice law in California, including passing the general bar examination. The act requires the board of trustees to contract with the California State Auditor every 2 years to conduct a performance audit of the State Bar's operations. This bill would require the California State Auditor to conduct an audit of the February 2025 bar exam, as specified, and to submit the audit as soon as possible to the board of trustees, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and to the Assembly and Senate Committees on Judiciary. The bill would require the State Bar to provide the California State Auditor with the funding necessary to cover the costs of the audit. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
(1) Existing law, the Teachers' Retirement Law, establishes the State Teachers' Retirement System (STRS) and creates the Defined Benefit Program of the State Teachers' Retirement Plan, which provides a defined benefit to members of the program, based on final compensation, creditable service, and age at retirement, subject to certain variations. STRS is administered by the Teachers' Retirement Board. Existing law requires employers and employees to make contributions to the system based on the member's creditable compensation. Existing law defines terms for the purposes of STRS. Existing law defines "employer" or "employing agency" to mean the state or any agency or political subdivision thereof, including a joint powers authority, as specified. Existing law also defines "membership" under the Teachers' Retirement Law to mean membership in the Defined Benefit Program, except as specified. This bill would provide that the board has final authority for determining an "employer" or "employing agency" for purposes of the Teachers' Retirement Law and related provisions governing teachers' health care benefits. The bill would also provide that the board has final authority for determining membership in STRS, as specified. Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district or community college district to establish regulations, subject to specified requirements, to permit an employee who is a member of the Defined Benefit Plan to reduce their workload from full time to part time and have retirement benefits calculated as if the employee was employed full time. Existing law requires the agreement to reduce a member's workload to be terminated if one of specified actions is taken, including if the member performs less than 12 of the days or hours the employer requires for full time in that position. This bill would revise that provision to instead require the agreement to be terminated if the member earns less than 12 of the annualized pay rate, as defined. Existing law makes a continuous annual appropriation from the General Fund to the Controller for transfer to the Supplemental Benefit Maintenance Account in the Teachers' Retirement Fund, as specified. Existing law requires that transfers made to that account occur on October 15 and April 15 of each fiscal year with each payment to be 50% of the annual appropriation. This bill would provide that if either date falls on a weekend or holiday, the funds will be transferred the next business day. Existing law also makes certain continuous annual appropriations from the General Fund to the Controller for transfer to the Teachers' Retirement Fund, as specified. Existing law requires the total amounts to be divided into 4 equal payments made on July 1, October 1, December 15, and April 15 of each fiscal year, or the following business day after. This bill would delete the above-described reference to "on the following business day after" and would instead specify that if any of these dates fall on a weekend or holiday, the funds shall be transferred the next business day. Existing law establishes procedures governing the recovery of amounts that have been overpaid due to an error by STRS and requires recovery with interest, as specified. Existing law requires a specified amount to be made as a continuous appropriation from the General Fund to the Controller each July 1, for transfer to the Teachers' Retirement Fund. This bill would provide that if July 1 falls on a weekend or holiday, those funds shall be transferred the next business day. (2) Existing law, the State Teachers' Retirement System Cash Balance Plan, prescribes retirement, disability, and death benefits for part-time educational employees and provides for the administration and operation of the plan. Existing law defines "employer" for purposes of those provisions to mean a school district, community college district, or county office of education that has elected to provide the benefits of that law to persons employed to perform creditable service. This bill would provide that the Teachers' Retirement Board has final authority for determining an "employer" for purposes of that law. (3) Existing law, the Public Employees' Retirement Law (PERL) , creates the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) for the purpose of providing pension benefits to state employees and employees of contracting agencies and prescribes the rights and duties of members of the system and their beneficiaries. Existing law vests management and control of PERS in its board of administration. PERS provides a defined benefit to members of the program, based on final compensation, credited service, and age at retirement, subject to certain variations. Existing law, the California Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) , on and after January 1, 2013, requires a public retirement system, as defined, to modify its plan or plans to comply with PEPRA, as specified. Among other things, PEPRA prohibits a public employer from offering a defined benefit pension plan exceeding specified retirement formulas and requires new members of public retirement systems to contribute at least a specified amount of the normal cost, as defined. PEPRA defines "pensionable compensation" for a new member of any public retirement system to mean the normal monthly rate of pay or base pay of the member paid in cash to similarly situated members of the same group or class of employment for services rendered on a full-time basis, as specified. Under PERL, the highest annual average compensation during any consecutive 12- or 36-month period of employment as a member of a retirement system maintained by the University of California is considered compensation earnable by a member of PERS for purposes of computing final compensation for the member providing that member retires concurrently under both systems. This bill would instead specify that the highest annual average compensation in the above-described circumstances shall be considered compensation earnable or pensionable compensation pursuant to PEPRA, whichever is applicable. PERL defines "state service" solely for purposes of qualification for benefits and retirement allowances under PERS to also include service rendered as an officer or employee of a county if the salary for the service constitutes compensation earnable by a member of PERS, as prescribed. This bill would instead provide that "state service" in the above-described circumstances shall be considered compensation earnable or pensionable compensation pursuant to PEPRA, whichever is applicable. PERL also provides that the highest annual compensation during any 12- or 36-month period of employment as a member of a county retirement system is considered compensation earnable by a member of PERS for purposes of computing final compensation, as prescribed. This bill would instead specify that the highest annual average compensation in the above-described circumstances shall be considered compensation earnable or pensionable compensation pursuant to PEPRA, whichever is applicable. Under PERL, the compensation earnable during any period of service as a member of the Judges' Retirement System, the Judges' Retirement System II, the Legislators' Retirement System, or the Defined Benefit Program of the State Teachers' Retirement Plan is considered compensation earnable as a member of PERS for purposes of computing final compensation for the member, if that member retires concurrently under both systems. This bill would instead specify that the compensation during any period of service, as described above, is considered compensation earnable or pensionable compensation under PEPRA, whichever is applicable, for purposes of computing final compensation. (4) Existing law, the County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 (CERL) , authorizes counties to establish retirement systems pursuant to its provisions in order to provide pension benefits to county, city, and district employees and their beneficiaries. Under existing law, CERL provides for a defined retirement benefit based upon credited service, final compensation, and age at retirement subject to specified formulas relating to membership classification. Existing law provides that, for a member who is subject to PEPRA, a specified definition of "final compensation" contained in that law applies for all or any portion of their membership in the county retirement system. Existing law provides that when determining final compensation for a member who does not have 3 consecutive years of earned pensionable compensation due to an absence, the compensation for any absence is based on the pensionable compensation of the position held by the member immediately prior to the absence. This bill would delete that latter provision. The bill would revise the above provision concerning PEPRA to specify that the compensation for any absence is based on the pensionable compensation of the position held by the member at the beginning of the absence. Existing law provides that local prosecutors, local public defenders, and local public defender investigators are eligible to participate in CERL, as specified. Under existing law, past service as a general member is required to be converted to safety service if the past service was rendered in a position that has subsequently been reclassified as a safety position pursuant to that provision. This bill would revise that provision to specify that it applies to service before January 1, 2013. The bill would specify that on and after January 1, 2013, any enhancement to safety service is subject to a provision of PEPRA governing the retirement formulas and benefits of all public employees. Existing law prohibits a person who has been retired under CERL from being employed in any capacity thereafter by a county or district of the retirement system unless the person has first been reinstated from retirement or is authorized under CERL or PEPRA. Existing law provides that if an employer fails to enroll, solely for the administrative recordkeeping purposes of the system, a retired member employed in any capacity, without reinstatement, within 30 days of the effective date of hire, the board may assess the employer a fee of $200 per retired member per month until the retired member is enrolled in those administrative aspects of the system. This bill would instead provide that if an employer fails to report the above-described information, in a format determined by the system, and within the above-described timeframe, the board may assess that $200 fee until the information is reported. Existing law also authorizes the board to assess the employer a fee of $200 per retired member per month if an employer fails to report the pay rate and number of hours worked by a retired member, without reinstatement, within 30 days following the last day of the pay period in which the retired member worked. This bill would delete the 30-day period described above and instead would replace it with "at periods determined by the system." This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 7522.02 of the Government Code proposed by SB 443 to be operative only if this bill and SB 443 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.
(1) Existing law establishes the Board of State and Community Corrections 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. The duties of the board, among others, include establishing standards for local correctional facilities and correctional officers. Under existing law, the board is composed of 15 members, as specified, and 7 members constitutes a quorum. This bill would instead require 8 members to constitute a quorum. (2) Existing law creates within the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation the Prison Industry Authority. This bill would rename the Prison Industry Authority as the California Correctional Training and Rehabilitation Authority, would rename the Prison Industry Board as the California Correctional Training and Rehabilitation Board, would rename the Prison Industries Revolving Fund as the California Correctional Training and Rehabilitation Revolving Fund, and would require that any reference to the Prison Industry Authority be deemed a reference to the California Correctional Training and Rehabilitation Authority. (3) Existing law establishes the jurisdiction of the juvenile court over minors who are between 12 and 17 years of age, who have violated a federal, state, or local law or ordinance, as specified, and over minors under 12 years of age who have been alleged to have committed specified crimes. Existing law authorizes a juvenile court to adjudge a person under these circumstances to be a ward of the court. Existing law authorizes the juvenile court to permit a person adjudged a ward of the juvenile court, or placed on probation by the juvenile court, to reside in a county other than their county of legal residence. Existing law authorizes a ward who is permitted to reside in a county other than their county of legal residence to be supervised by the probation officer of the county of actual residence, with the consent of that probation officer. This bill would clarify that these provisions apply to wards discharged to probation supervision after having been confined in a secure youth treatment facility, or after having been transferred to a less restrictive program from a secure youth treatment facility. (4) Existing law authorizes any county or court to implement a "comprehensive collection program" as a separate revenue collection activity, and requires the program to meet certain criteria, one of which is that the program engages in specified activities in collecting fines or penalties, including, among other things, initiating a driver's license suspension or hold, as specified. This bill would delete initiating suspensions or holds for driver's licenses from the list of activities in which the program may engage. (5) Various provisions of the Health and Safety Code, Penal Code, and Welfare and Institutions Code, among others, refer to training and other requirements related to "deescalation techniques." This bill would revise all references to "deescalation" to "de-escalation." (6) The bill would also make other technical changes, both conforming and nonsubstantive.
Existing law, the Contractors State License Law, provides for the licensure and regulation of contractors by the Contractors State License Board in the Department of Consumer Affairs. Under existing law, willful or deliberate disregard by a licensed contractor of various state building, labor, and safety laws constitutes a cause for disciplinary action by the board. Existing law provides for related disciplinary proceedings and requires the board to promulgate regulations covering the assessment of civil penalties under those disciplinary provisions, as prescribed. Existing law authorizes a civil penalty not less than $200 and not to exceed $15,000 for certain violations relating to unlicensed persons, as specified. Existing law authorizes a civil penalty not to exceed $8,000 or $30,000 for other violations of the Contractors State License Law, as provided. This bill, commencing July 1, 2026, would increase the minimum civil penalties for violations related to unlicensed persons to at least $1,500 and would impose minimum civil penalties of at least $500 or $1,500 for other specified violations, as provided. The bill would also authorize the Contractors State License Board to adjust the amounts of these minimum civil penalties for inflation every 5 years, as provided. Existing law authorizes the board to set specified fees according to a prescribed schedule. Existing law, notwithstanding this fee schedule, authorizes the board to set fees to maintain the amount of the reserve fund at a level not to exceed approximately 6 months of annual authorized board expenditures. This bill would increase the above-described limit on the reserve fund to a level not to exceed approximately 12 months of annual authorized board expenditures. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 7099.2 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by SB 291 to be operative only if this bill and SB 291 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.
