Existing law establishes the Office of Education and the Environment in the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) to implement the statewide environmental educational program and requires the office, in cooperation with the State Department of Education and the State Board of Education, to develop and implement a unified education strategy on the environment for elementary and secondary schools in the state. Existing law requires the office to develop a model environmental curriculum incorporating certain environmental principles and to submit the model curriculum for consideration and approval, as prescribed. This bill would expressly authorize the office to revise the model curriculum, as needed, and would provide for the review of and comment on a revision. Existing law requires the State Department of Education to make the curriculum available electronically and requires the California Environmental Protection Agency to assume the costs associated with the printing of the approved model curriculum. This bill would instead require CalRecycle to make the curriculum available electronically and would delete the requirement with regard to the assumption of those costs. The bill would require CalRecycle to coordinate with specified state agencies to facilitate use of the model environmental curriculum and would authorize CalRecycle and those state agencies to collaborate with other specified entities to implement the program. Existing law establishes the Environmental Education Account in the State Treasury and authorizes the California Environmental Protection Agency to expend the moneys in the account, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for purposes of the program. Existing law authorizes the California Environmental Protection Agency to enter into an agreement with an external fiscal agent with regard to contributions received for the purpose of the program, until January 1, 2013, and requires an annual report to the Legislature in this regard. This bill would instead authorize CalRecycle to expend the funds in the account and would repeal the authorization for the agreement with an external fiscal agent.
Existing law establishes, until January 1, 2013, the Salton Sea Restoration Council as a state agency in the Natural Resources Agency to oversee the restoration of the Salton Sea. This bill would require the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, in consultation and coordination with the Salton Sea Authority, as defined, to lead Salton Sea restoration efforts. This bill would require the secretary, in consultation and coordination with the authority, to form a technical advisory group, as prescribed, to provide guidance about evaluating, developing, or proposing future restoration or economic development activities. This bill would also require the secretary to seek input from the authority with regard to specified components of restoration of the Salton Sea. By imposing duties on a local joint powers authority, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would authorize the authority to lead a restoration funding and feasibility review, as prescribed. If the authority undertakes the study, this bill would require the Department of Fish and Game to enter into a funding agreement with the authority for the purposes of this study. 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 bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. The state board is required to adopt a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit equivalent to the statewide greenhouse gas emissions level in 1990 to be achieved by 2020, and to adopt rules and regulations in an open public process to achieve the maximum, technologically feasible, and cost-effective greenhouse gas emissions reductions. The act authorizes the state board to include use of market-based compliance mechanisms. Existing law requires all moneys, except for fines and penalties, collected by the state board from the auction or sale of allowances as part of a market-based compliance mechanism to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and to be available upon appropriation by the Legislature. Under the Public Utilities Act, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory jurisdiction over public utilities, including electrical corporations. A violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. This bill would require the commission to credit directly, in proportion to the increase in electricity cost, to all retail delivery customers of an electrical corporation all revenues, as specified, the electrical corporation receives as a direct result of the direct allocation of greenhouse gas allowances in proportion to the increase in electricity costs those customers incur as a result of the state board adopting a market-based compliance mechanism. Because a violation of this requirement is a 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.
Existing law imposes an oil spill prevention and administration fee in an amount determined by the administrator to implement oil spill prevention activities, but not to exceed, until January 1, 2015, $0.065 per barrel of crude oil or petroleum products, on persons owning crude oil or petroleum products at a marine terminal. The fee is deposited into the Oil Spill Prevention and Administration Fund in the State Treasury. Upon appropriation by the Legislature, moneys in the fund are available for specified purposes, including to cover the costs incurred by the Oiled Wildlife Care Network for training and field collection, and search and rescue activities. This bill would, until January 1, 2015, increase the maximum annual assessment from $0.065 to $0.068 per barrel of crude oil or petroleum products. The bill would subsequently decrease the annual assessment, beginning January 1, 2015, to a maximum of $0.050 per barrel of crude oil or petroleum products. Existing law permits the administrator to charge a nontank vessel owner or operator a reasonable fee, to be collected with each application to obtain a certificate of financial responsibility, in an amount that is based upon the administrator's costs in implementing oil spill prevention relating to nontank vessels. This bill would, until January 1, 2015, require the fee to be at least $3,500 per nontank vessel but would give the administrator discretion to reduce the fee for nontank vessels that pose a reduced risk of pollution. Existing law requires the administrator to submit for each fiscal year, as a part of the Governor's Budget, a proposed appropriation from interest earned on moneys deposited into the Oil Spill Response Trust Fund, in an amount not to exceed $2,000,000, for the purposes of equipping, operating, and maintaining the network of oiled wildlife rescue and rehabilitation stations, proactive oiled wildlife search and collection rescue efforts, and supporting technology development and research related to oiled wildlife care. Existing law requires that any remaining interest earned be deposited into the Oil Spill Prevention and Administration Fund. This bill would, until January 1, 2015, transfer 3 mills of the per barrel of crude oil or petroleum products fee collected, and $250 of the per nontank vessel fee collected, to fund specified activities the Oiled Wildlife Care Network. The bill would also allow another additional amount, not to exceed the difference between the interest earned and $2,000,000, to be included in the proposed appropriation from funds deposited into the Oil Spill Response Trust Fund if this proposed appropriation exceeds the interest earned on the funds deposited into the Oil Spill Response Trust Fund available for the fiscal year for which the appropriation is proposed.
(1) Existing law requires the state to have the primary financial responsibility for preventing and suppressing fires in areas that the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection has determined are state responsibility areas. Existing law requires the board to adopt emergency regulations to establish a fire prevention fee in an amount not to exceed $150 to be charged on each structure on a parcel that is within a state responsibility area. The board is required to adjust the fire prevention fee annually using prescribed methods. Existing law requires the State Board of Equalization to collect the fire prevention fees, as prescribed. Existing law requires the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to annually transmit to the State Board of Equalization the appropriate names and addresses of persons who are liable for the fire prevention fee and the amount of the fire prevention fee to be assessed by the State Board of Equalization. Existing law establishes the State Responsibility Area Fire Prevention Fund and requires the fire prevention fees collected, except that portion retained by the State Board of Equalization, to be deposited into the fund and to be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for specified fire prevention activities, which would benefit the owners of structures in state responsibility areas who are subject to the fire prevention fee, including, but not limited to, covering startup costs, and for the costs of administration, as specified. Existing law requires the State Board of Equalization to retain and expend, upon appropriation by the Legislature, the funds necessary to pay refunds and for its expenses incurred in collection. Existing law permits a person from whom a fire prevention fee is determined to be due to use an appeals process and, if applicable, a refund process. This bill would repeal the above provisions. (2) The bill would provide that its provisions take effect only upon the enactment of AB 1500 of the 2011–12 Regular Session. (3) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
(1) Provisions of law that became inoperative on July 1, 2003, and that were repealed on January 1, 2004, established the Governor's Scholarship Programs under the administration of the Scholarshare Investment Board. Existing law expresses the intent of the Legislature to provide explicit authority to the board to continue to administer accounts for, and to make awards to, persons who qualified for awards under the provisions of the Governor's Scholarship Programs as those provisions existed on January 1, 2003, and to provide for the management and disbursement of funds previously set aside for the Governor's Scholarship Programs. Existing law provides that the amount remaining in the Golden State Scholarshare Trust following a specified transfer is available as a reserve for funding claims for awards. Existing law additionally states the intent of the Legislature to provide a guarantee should additional funds be needed to cover awards authorized and made pursuant to the program. Existing law also requires the board to negotiate with the current manager of the program to execute an amended or new management and funding agreement, which would be required to include specified terms, including, but not limited to, terms that provide for the return to the General Fund of specified moneys appropriated to the Governor's Scholarship Programs. Of those funds transferred to the General Fund, this bill would appropriate $5,000,000 to the Chancellor of the California State University, without regard to fiscal years, to fund specified purposes relating to open education resources pursuant to legislation enacted in the 2011—12 Regular Session of the Legislature. The bill would prohibit all, or a portion, of that $5,000,000 from being encumbered unless at least 100% of that amount encumbered is matched by private funds, and would require the amount of the $5,000,000 that is not matched by private funds to revert to the Golden State Scholarshare Trust for purposes of the Governor's Scholarship Programs. (2) Existing law makes the vote by mail ballot available to any registered voter. Existing law requires that those vote by mail ballots be received by the elections officials from whom they were obtained or by the precinct boards before the polls close on election day in order to be counted. Existing law authorizes certain local, special, or consolidated elections to be conducted wholly by mail, so long as specified conditions are satisfied. Existing law requires ballots cast in these vote by mail elections to be returned to the elections official from whom they were obtained no later than 8 p.m. on election day. This bill would, notwithstanding the above provisions, provide that any vote by mail ballot is timely cast if it is received by the voter's elections official no later than 3 days after election day, and either the ballot is postmarked on or before election day or the voter has executed a declaration under penalty of perjury stating that the ballot was voted and mailed prior to 8 p.m. on election day. Because the bill would expand the duties of local elections officials, it would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) Existing law requires the elections official to prepare a certified statement of the results of the election and submit it to the governing body within 28 days of the election, except for specified elections. This bill would instead require the elections official to submit the certified statement of the results of the election to the governing body within 31 days of the election. (4) 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 these statutory provisions. (5) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.
The Budget Act of 2012 made appropriations for the support of state government for the 2012–13 fiscal year. This bill would amend the Budget Act of 2012 by revising an item of appropriation relating to the California State Library. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a Budget Bill.
Existing law, the Contractors' State License Law, provides for the licensure and regulation of contractors by the Contractors' State License Board. Under existing law, the installation of a fire protection system is required to be performed by a contractor holding a fire protection contractor classification or by a specified owner-builder if certain requirements are met. This bill would authorize the installation of a residential fire protection system for new construction of single-family or 2-family dwellings to be performed by a contractor holding a fire protection contractor classification, a general building contractor, or a plumbing contractor. Existing law requires the Office of the State Fire Marshal to be administered by the State Fire Marshal. Existing law authorizes the State Fire Marshal to adopt regulations in specified circumstances and requires the State Fire Marshal to aid in the enforcement of building standards adopted by the State Fire Marshal and published in the State Building Standards Code relating to fires or to fire prevention and protection. This bill would provide the State Fire Marshal with the authority to adopt and administer the regulations and building standards, for all occupancy buildings, that he or she deems necessary in order to ensure fire safety in buildings and structures and would specify that those building standards are subject to certain requirements.
Existing law establishes the Seismic Safety Commission to perform specified duties relating to earthquake hazard reduction and other seismic safety issues. Existing law also provides for the Seismic Safety Account within the Insurance Fund. Money in the account may be appropriated by the Legislature to fund the Seismic Safety Commission and certain administrative costs incurred by the Department of Insurance. Existing law provides for assessments levied against certain insurers to be deposited in the Seismic Safety Account. Under existing law, the provisions establishing the Seismic Safety Account and authorizing these assessments expire on July 1, 2012. This bill would require the department, instead, to calculate an annual assessment to be charged to each commercial and residential property exposure in an amount set annually by the department based on specified factors, including the amount required for the support of the Seismic Safety Commission and the collection and administrative costs of the department, not to exceed $0.15 per property exposure. The bill would require the insurer to collect the assessment and remit it to the department unless the insurer elects to pay the assessment on the insured's behalf. The bill would extend the operation of these provisions indefinitely. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law authorizes the Department of Fish and Game to enter into contracts for fish and wildlife habitat preservation, restoration, and enhancement with public and private entities whenever the department finds that the contracts will assist in meeting the department's duty to preserve, protect, and restore fish and wildlife. Former law, repealed by its own provisions on January 1, 2011, adopted and authorized a fisheries management program described in the Kings River Fisheries Management Program Framework Agreement. That former law authorized the department to contribute up to 50% of any capital costs incurred by local agencies for the recreation and fish and wildlife features of the program. This bill would reenact those provisions, to be operative indefinitely, and would require that expenditures made pursuant to those provisions only be funded, upon appropriation by the Legislature, from moneys that are not from a General Fund or general obligation bond source.
Under the Public Utilities Act (the act) , the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. The act requires the commission to review and adopt a procurement plan for each electrical corporation in accordance with specified elements, incentive mechanisms, and objectives. The act requires that an electrical corporation's proposed procurement plan include certain elements, including a showing that the electrical corporation will first meet its unmet needs through all available energy efficiency and demand reduction resources that are cost effective, reliable, and feasible. Existing law requires the PUC, in consultation with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, to identify all potentially achievable cost‑effective electricity efficiency savings and establish efficiency targets. A violation of the act is a crime. This bill would require an electrical corporation, as defined, as part of the above-described energy efficiency targets, to replace with high-efficiency light bulbs up to 100 low-efficiency light bulbs in any street light poles, as defined, that the electrical corporation owns, at the same rate as the city, county, or city and county in which any of the electrical corporation's street light poles are located. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature that this program be funded through existing collection mechanisms, and that the implementation of this program not result in an increase in any amount collected. This bill would also require an electrical corporation, for purposes of the state's investment in cost-effective energy efficiency programs and energy efficiency targets, to post on its Internet Web site specified information related to the electrical corporation's energy efficiency programs, including a description of the programs and their costs and benefits, the sources of funding, expenditures and investments, and eligibility information. By placing new requirements on electrical corporations, this bill would expand the definition of a crime and therefore create 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 provides that the county boards of supervisors may establish and maintain, within their respective counties, county free libraries pursuant to specified provisions of law. Existing law provides that the board of trustees, common council, or other legislative body of any city or the board of trustees of any library district may, on or before January 1 of any year, notify the county board of supervisors that the city or library district no longer desires to be a part of the county free library system, as specified. Existing law imposes specified requirements on the board of trustees, common council, or other legislative body of a city or the board of trustees of a library district that intends to withdraw from the county free library system and operate the city's or library district's library or libraries with a private contractor that will employ library staff to achieve cost savings, subject to specified exceptions. These requirements, until January 1, 2019, include, but are not limited to, clearly demonstrating that the contract will result in actual overall cost savings to the city or library district for the duration of the entire contract, and prohibiting the contract from causing existing city or library district employees to incur a loss of employment or specified benefits or an involuntary transfer. This bill would instead provide, until January 1, 2019, that a board of trustees, common council, or other legislative body of a city or the board of trustees of a library district in which a withdrawal from the county free library system becomes effective on or after January 1, 2012, shall comply with the above-described requirements before entering into a contract to operate the city's or library district's library or libraries with a private contractor that will employ library staff to achieve cost savings. The bill would make conforming and nonsubstantive changes.
