Existing law, the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act of 2020, establishes certain procedural requirements and limitations on evictions for nonpayment of rent due to COVID-19 rental debt, as defined. The act prohibits a tenant that delivers a declaration of COVID-19-related financial distress from being deemed in default with regard to the COVID-19 rental debt, as specified. Existing law defines COVID-19 rental debt as unpaid rent or any other unpaid financial obligation of a tenant that came due between March 1, 2020, and January 31, 2021. Existing law repeals the act on February 1, 2025. This bill would establish the Tenant, Small Landlord, and Affordable Housing Provider Stabilization Program. The bill would authorize the Director of Housing and Community Development to direct an existing office or program within the Department of Housing and Community Development to implement the program. The bill would establish in the State Treasury the COVID-19 Tenant, Small Landlord, and Affordable Housing Provider Stabilization Fund, and, upon appropriation by the Legislature, distribute all moneys in the fund to the department to carry out the purposes of the program. The bill would require the program be implemented only to the extent that funding is made available through the Budget Act. The bill would specify that it is the intent of the Legislature to prioritize the use of available federal funds before using General Fund moneys for the program.
Existing law creates the Department of Insurance, headed by the Insurance Commissioner, and generally regulates the business of insurance in the state. Existing law requires the Insurance Commissioner to develop a pamphlet to provide specified information to small business owners and others on the key features of, and suggested ways of, purchasing commercial property insurance. Existing law requires the pamphlet, to the extent feasible, to be made available to persons operating small businesses, business groups, chambers of commerce, and other persons and groups. Commencing on July 1, 2023, and at least every five years thereafter, this bill would require the Insurance Commissioner to complete a revision of that pamphlet. The bill would also make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.
Existing law governs the operation of animal shelters by, among other things, setting a minimum holding period for stray dogs and cats and requiring animal shelters to ensure that dogs and cats, if adopted, are spayed or neutered. Existing law requires the word "VETERAN" to be printed on the face of a driver's license or identification card at the applicant's request, subject to certain requirements, including, among others, the verification of the applicant's veteran status, as specified, and payment of a fee. Existing law prohibits a public animal shelter from charging an adoption fee for a dog or cat if the person adopting the dog or cat presents to the public animal shelter a current and valid driver's license or identification card with the word "VETERAN" printed on its face pursuant to the above-described provision. Existing law authorizes a public animal shelter to limit the number of dogs and cats adopted from that public animal shelter by an eligible veteran to one dog and cat each 6-month period. This bill would further prohibit a public animal shelter from charging an adoption fee for a dog or cat if the person adopting the dog or cat is an active duty military service member who presents to the public animal shelter a current military identification card.
Existing law, the Bronzan-McCorquodale Act, contains provisions governing the operation and financing of community mental health services for the mentally disordered in every county through locally administered and locally controlled community mental health programs. 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 continuously appropriated Mental Health Services Fund to fund various county mental health programs. The MHSA also establishes the Mental Health Oversight and Accountability Commission and requires counties to engage in specified planning activities, including creating and updating a 3-year program and expenditure plan through a stakeholder process. This bill would establish the California Youth Mental Health Board (state board) within the California Health and Human Services Agency to advise the Governor and Legislature on the challenges facing youth with mental health needs and determine opportunities for improvement. The state board would be comprised of 15 members who are between 15 and 23 years of age, appointed as specified, at least half of whom are youth mental health consumers who are receiving, or have received, mental health services, or siblings or immediate family members of mental health consumers. The bill would specify the powers and duties of the state board, including reviewing program performance in the delivery of mental health and substance use disorder services for youth. This bill would require each community mental health service to have a local youth mental health board (board) , appointed as specified, consisting of members between 15 and 23 years of age, at least half of whom are, to the extent possible, mental health consumers who are receiving, or have received, mental health services, or siblings or close family members of mental health consumers and half of whom are, to the extent possible, enrolled in schools in the county. The bill would require the board, among other duties, to advise the county mental health programs, school districts, and other entities on issues relating to youth mental health and to review and advise on the procedures used to ensure youth involvement at all stages of the mental health planning process for the county's 3-year program and expenditure plan. The bill would require the board to be involved in the program and expenditure plan planning process. The bill would require the county to provide a budget for the board, as specified. By increasing the duties of local governments, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, on or before December 30, 2024, and once every 5 years thereafter, to assess the extent to which the local youth boards have been established and to make recommendations on ways to strengthen the youth voice to support appropriate behavioral health services. 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 establishes the California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Program to address the special needs of disabled veterans seeking rehabilitation and training through entrepreneurship and to recognize the sacrifices of Californians disabled during military service. Existing law requires that contracts awarded by a state agency, department, officer, or other state governmental entity for specified services have statewide participation goals of not less than 3% for disabled veteran business enterprises. Existing law defines a disabled veteran for purposes of this program as a veteran of the military, naval, or air service of the United States, as specified, who has at least a 10% service-connected disability and who is domiciled in the state. This bill would expand the definition of a disabled veteran for purposes of this program by additionally including a veteran who is doing business in the state, as specified.
(1) Existing law requires the Department of Food and Agriculture to periodically publish and make available a list of reportable conditions that pose or may pose significant threats to public health, animal health, the environment, or the food supply. Existing law, the California Meat and Poultry Inspection Act, requires the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to provide for the inspection and regulation of livestock and poultry products. The act provides that any person that violates these provisions is subject to civil penalties, as specified. Existing law, the California Meat and Poultry Supplemental Inspection Act, also authorizes the secretary to adopt, by regulation, standards and requirements relating to inspection, sanitation, facilities, equipment, reinspection, preparation, processing, buying, selling, and transporting, among other acts, of livestock and poultry. This bill would require the secretary to appoint, and to consult with, a poultry health advisory committee, as described, for purposes of advising the secretary on the control and management of poultry diseases and evaluating the effectiveness of programs established pursuant to these provisions. The bill would authorize the secretary to adopt regulations to control or eradicate poultry diseases by requiring, among other things, permits before entry of, and limitations on the importation of, poultry and other animals or materials that might act as a cause or a vector of a disease or condition that is infectious or contagious to poultry. The bill would provide that a person who willfully and knowingly violates any regulation adopted pursuant to these provisions is guilty of a misdemeanor. The bill would authorize the secretary, at the secretary's discretion, to prosecute civilly or seek civil penalties, as provided. The bill would expressly require that nothing in its provisions shall be construed to limit or restrict the State Veterinarian's quarantine powers. By creating a new crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) 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 requires each pupil completing grade 12 to satisfy certain requirements as a condition of receiving a diploma of graduation from high school. These requirements include the completion of designated coursework in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, including, among others, a one-semester course in economics. Existing law authorizes a governing board of a school district to adopt other coursework requirements. This bill, commencing with the 2022–23 school year, would authorize a school district or charter school to incorporate a financial literacy program into an economics course offered by the local educational agency, and would authorize the curriculum for the financial literacy program to include specified topics. The bill would authorize a local educational agency that chooses to establish the financial literacy program to collaborate with a financial institution, as defined, at no cost to the local educational agency.
Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations. Existing law requires the commission to develop, implement, and maintain a suitable, competitively neutral, and broad-based program to establish a fair and equitable local rate support structure aided by universal service rate support to telephone corporations serving areas where the cost of providing services exceeds rates charged by providers, which is known as the California High-Cost Fund-B Administrative Committee Fund program. Under existing law, the purpose of the program is to promote the goals of universal telephone service and to reduce any disparity in the rates charged by those companies. Existing law requires revenues collected through surcharges authorized by the commission to fund the program to be deposited in the California High-Cost Fund-B Administrative Committee Fund. This bill would revise the program to instead ensure universal service rate support to providers serving high-cost areas, and would revise the program's purpose to instead promote affordability and widespread availability of safe and reliable voice communications services and advanced services, including broadband internet access service. The bill would specify that the changes made by the bill do not authorize the levy of a charge or an increase in the amount collected pursuant to any existing charge, and do not authorize the expansion of the applicability of an existing charge to other ratepayers.
(1) Existing law authorizes any public agency providing water for fire protection purposes to, by ordinance or resolution, fix and collect a charge to pay the costs of operation, installation, capital, maintenance, repair, alteration, or replacement of facilities and equipment related to supplying water for fire protection purposes. Existing law authorizes specified local jurisdictions and fire protection districts to make changes or modifications that are more stringent than specified state standards, as provided. Existing law neither authorizes nor prohibits a local jurisdiction or a fire protection district from mandating the installation of residential fire sprinkler systems within newly constructed or existing dwelling units. This bill, among other things, would, as provided, prohibit water-related fees imposed on the owner of residential property from being affected by the installation of a residential fire sprinkler system on that residential property, including those residential fire sprinkler systems mandated by a local jurisdiction or a fire protection district. The bill would provide that homes with residential fire sprinklers installed before January 1, 2022, may have their water meter rates reassessed to comply with this prohibition. For purposes of the rate reassessment, the bill would require the local agency that establishes water meter size to reassess the property owner's water meter size. The bill would authorize the local agency to impose a reasonable fee on the property owner to recover the cost of the reassessment. The bill would require the local agency to develop a reassessment application and provide this application and other information to the local public agency that provides water service to residential property. By requiring a local agency to perform new duties, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) 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 expresses the policy of the state to promote safety for persons and property in and connected with the use and equipment of vessels. Existing law requires every for-hire vessel company to procure adequate liability protection for the payment of damages for personal bodily injuries, including death, and property damage as a result of an accident. This bill would require a vessel used for commercial purposes to have a minimum of $1,000,000 of protection and indemnity insurance to cover wreck removal costs of the vessel. The bill would authorize the Division of Boating and Waterways to adopt regulations to implement that requirement and would subject the operator of a vessel who violates that requirement or those regulations to a civil penalty not exceeding an unspecified amount per day per violation.
Existing law, as amended by the Californians Against Sexual Exploitation Act, an initiative measure enacted by the approval of Proposition 35 at the November 6, 2012, statewide general election (CASE Act) , proscribes the crime of human trafficking, a felony. The CASE Act makes a person who causes, induces, or persuades, or attempts to cause, induce, or persuade, a person who is a minor at the time of commission of the offense to engage in a commercial sex act with the intent to effect or maintain a violation of specified other offenses, including child pornography and extortion, guilty of human trafficking, a felony. Existing law makes that crime punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for 5, 8, or 12 years and a fine of not more than $500,000, or, if the offense involves force, fear, fraud, deceit, coercion, violence, duress, menace, or threat of unlawful injury to the victim or another person, 15 years to life and a fine of not more than $500,000. The Legislature may amend the CASE Act by a statute passed in each house by a majority vote. This bill would expand the scope of that crime by making a person who causes, induces, or persuades, or attempts to cause, induce, or persuade, an adult, whom the person reasonably believes to be a minor at the time of commission of the offense, to engage in a commercial sex act with the intent to effect or maintain a violation of specified other offenses, including child pornography and extortion, guilty of human trafficking and subject to the penalties described above. By changing the definition of a 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 bill would declare that its provisions further the objectives of the CASE Act.
Existing state law, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, grants a consumer various rights with respect to personal information, as defined, that is collected or sold by a business, as defined. This bill would authorize an unmanned aircraft system, as defined, that is used by a business to deliver consumer products to a person in this state to be used by a business to collect, use, and retain audio, geolocation, and visual information only when reasonably necessary and proportionate to achieve the delivery purposes for which the information was collected or processed. Except as provided, the bill would require the business to destroy that information upon completion or realization of those purposes. The bill would define terms for its purposes.
