Existing law establishes the State Department of Public Health to implement various programs throughout the state relating to public health. The department administers the CDPH Wastewater Surveillance Network Dashboard that provides an overview of wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in California. The dashboard includes wastewater samples collected and analyzed by the department, wastewater utilities, and academic, laboratory, and other partners across the state. This bill would require the department, in consultation with participating wastewater treatment facilities, local public health agencies, and other subject matter experts, to create a pilot program to test for high-risk substances and related treatment medications in wastewater. Under the bill, the goal of the program would be to determine how wastewater data can be used by state and local public health programs to address substance abuse in California. The bill would require the department to develop a list of target substances to be analyzed during the program that may include cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, xylazine, methadone, buprenorphine, and naloxone. The bill would require the department, on or before July 1, 2025, to solicit voluntary participation from local public health agencies and wastewater treatment facilities, as specified. The bill would require the department to work with the participating agencies and facilities to collect samples and to arrange for those samples to be tested by qualified laboratories. The bill would require the department, in consultation with public health agencies and subject matter experts, to analyze test results to determine possible public health interventions. This bill would authorize the department to utilize external funding sources to complete the pilot program. The bill would create the Wastewater Testing for Illicit Substances Pilot Program Fund for the purpose of receiving moneys from grants or voluntary donations. The bill would require the department, on or before December 31, 2027, to report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature, as specified. This bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2028.
Existing law authorizes an individual to contribute amounts in excess of personal income tax liability for the support of specified funds, and sets forth administrative provisions applicable to voluntary contributions. This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2024, would allow an individual to designate on their tax return that a specified amount in excess of the taxpayer's personal income tax liability be transferred to the California K–12 Climate Change Education Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund. The bill would continuously appropriate the fund to the Franchise Tax Board and the Controller for administrative costs, and to the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery's Office of Environmental Justice, Tribal Relations, Education and Outreach to award grants to school districts, county offices of education, resource conservation districts, district and county office of education partnerships with higher education institutions, and community-based nongovernmental organizations focused on environmental and climate change education, as specified. The bill would repeal these provisions on December 1, 2031, or on December 1 of the year that the minimum contribution amount of $250,000 is not met, whichever is earlier, as specified. By continuously appropriating these funds, the bill would make an appropriation.
Existing law establishes various programs for the enforcement of environmental protection. Existing law defines environmental justice, for certain purposes, as the fair treatment of people of all races, cultures, and incomes with respect to the development, adoption, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Existing law makes legislative findings and declarations that it is in the public interest to provide the people of the state through the Attorney General with adequate remedy to protect the natural resources of the state from pollution, impairment, or destruction. Existing law authorizes the Attorney General to intervene in any judicial or administrative proceeding in which facts are alleged concerning pollution or adverse environmental effects that could affect the public generally. This bill would continue in existence, within the Department of Justice, the Bureau of Environmental Justice for the purpose of protecting people and communities that endure a disproportionate share of environmental pollution and public health hazards. The bill would require the bureau to ensure fair treatment of people of all races, cultures, and incomes with respect to the development, adoption, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies, pursuant to the existing authority of the Attorney General, as specified. The bill would require the Attorney General to ensure the bureau is staffed with a minimum of 12 attorneys and an appropriate number of support staff.
Existing law defines murder as the unlawful killing of a human being, or a fetus, with malice aforethought. Various law enforcement agencies and district attorney offices throughout California have established cold case units to investigate unsolved murders. This bill would require an applicable law enforcement agency to review the casefile regarding an open unsolved murder upon written application by a designated person to determine if a reinvestigation would result in probative investigative leads, as specified. The bill would define an open unsolved murder as a murder committed more than one year prior to the date of the application for case review, that was investigated by a law enforcement agency, was committed after January 1, 1990, where all probative investigative leads have been exhausted, and for which no suspect has been identified. If the review determines a reinvestigation would result in probative investigative leads, this bill would require a reinvestigation, as specified. The bill would prohibit a reinvestigation from being conducted by a person who previously investigated the homicide at issue, as specified, and would allow only one reinvestigation from being undertaken at any one time with respect to the same victim. By imposing new duties on local law enforcement agencies, 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, 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 authorizes the Department of Parks and Recreation to offer to a veteran, as defined, or current active duty or reserve military personnel for the United States Armed Forces or the National Guard of any state a reduced fee or free day use of California state parks, as provided, on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, if proper proof of military service is provided, as specified. This bill would authorize the department to also offer to a veteran or current active duty or reserve military personnel for the United States Armed Forces or the National Guard of any state a reduced fee or free day use of California state parks on any day the department finds appropriate, if proper proof of military service is provided.
Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to establish the California Legacy License Plate Program, and to create and issue a series of specialized license plates, consisting of one or more of 3 specified designs that replicate license plates from the state's past. Existing law requires the department to collect and hold paid applications for the plates, as specified, and prohibits the department from issuing a specialized license plate until it has received not less than 7,500 paid applications for any one of the particular plates on or before January 1, 2015. This bill would extend the deadline for receipt of the required number of paid applications to January 1, 2026, for plate designs that did not receive the required number of applications by January 1, 2015. This bill would also add an additional plate design to the program, as specified.
Existing law, the California Financing Law, prohibits a person from engaging in the business of a finance lender or broker without obtaining a license from the Commissioner of Financial Protection and Innovation. This bill would deem a lender to be a licensed finance lender or broker without obtaining a license if the lender does not make or broker residential mortgage loans or consumer loans, makes 5 or fewer commercial loans annually, and the principal amount of all loans made by the lender in the preceding and current calendar year have each exceeded $350,000.
Existing law, the Barbering and Cosmetology Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of barbers and cosmetologists by the State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology in the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law requires the board to establish a Health and Safety Advisory Committee to provide the board with advice and recommendations on health and safety issues before the board that impact licensees, including how to ensure licensees are aware of basic labor laws and how to ensure licensees have awareness about physical and sexual abuse their clients may be experiencing. Existing law defines "basic labor laws" for this purpose, and the definition includes the wage and hour rights of an hourly employee. This bill would add to the definition of "basic labor laws" the right to sick pay. Existing law, relating to licenses for activities licensed under existing law, establishes requirements for application for licensure or renewal of licensure, including informational materials on basic labor law being included with the application or renewal form. This bill would require that the informational materials on basic labor law be provided in the application and renewal forms themselves instead of alongside them, and would require the informational materials to include information relating to specified law. Existing law, relating to licenses for establishments where activities licensed under existing law are practiced, establishes requirements for application for licensure or license renewal for any person, firm, or corporation desiring to operate an establishment, including informational materials on basic labor law being included with the application or renewal form. This bill would require that the informational materials on basic labor law be provided in the application and renewal forms themselves instead of alongside them, and would require the informational materials to include information relating to specified law. Existing law requires the board to develop or adopt a health and safety course to be taught in schools approved by the board on, among other topics, basic labor laws. This bill would require the Department of Industrial Relations, to develop and, by July 1, 2025, disseminate, a notification to all board-licensed establishments and licensed manicurists that includes specified statements to inform those licensees of a change in the law relating to the employment classification of manicurists and of the legal consequences of employment classification as an employee or misclassification of a worker. This bill would also require the board, in consultation with the Department of Industrial Relations and community-based organizations, to develop a language-appropriate and culturally-appropriate posts on basic labor laws, as prescribed, on the board's internet website or other accessible platform.
Existing law allows a person who has suffered an arrest that did not result in a conviction, or resulted in a conviction that was subsequently vacated or reversed on appeal, to petition the court to have their arrest and related records sealed. Existing law allows a person who has fulfilled the conditions of probation, or was convicted of a misdemeanor and not granted probation, to set the conviction aside and dismiss the accusation or information against them. This bill would allow a person who has had their conviction set aside and dismissed to petition to have their arrest and related records sealed. Because this bill would result in additional duties on local law enforcement agencies to seal these arrest records, 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, 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 creates the Office of Farm to Fork within the Department of Food and Agriculture, and requires the office, to the extent that resources are available, to work with various entities to increase the amount of agricultural products available to underserved communities and schools in the state. Existing law requires the office, among other things, to identify distribution barriers that affect limited food access and work to overcome those barriers through various actions and to coordinate with school districts and representatives to, among other things, increase the nutritional profile of foods provided in schools. This bill would require the office to also work with transportation agencies to increase the amount of agricultural products available to underserved communities and schools in the state, and to prioritize the department's efforts in food deserts, as defined, throughout the state, especially cities and counties that are most impacted by food insecurity, as defined. The bill would require the office to work to overcome those identified distribution barriers by also facilitating partnerships between statewide, regional, and local transportation agencies to address inadequate public transportation lines in urban and rural communities, with the aim of connecting all communities to adequate and nutritional food access, as provided. The bill would require the office to coordinate with school districts and representatives to assess access to school breakfast and lunch programs during scheduled academic calendar breaks and school closures.
The Small Business Procurement and Contract Act permits a state agency to award a contract for goods, services, or information technology with a value of between $5,000 and $250,000 to a certified small business, including a microbusiness and a disabled veteran business enterprise, without complying with specified competitive bidding requirements. This bill would increase the maximum amount of a contract awarded pursuant to the act from $250,000 to $500,000.
Existing law defines the duties of the Treasurer, which includes, but is not limited to, keeping an account of all money received and disbursed. Existing law required the Treasurer to, as soon as April 1, 2022, but no later than specified, in consultation with the California Housing Finance Agency and other specified state agencies, develop a framework for the California Dream For All Program in accordance with the goals and intent of the program, including, among other things, making home ownership more affordable by reducing the cost of home ownership by up to 45 percent for lower and moderate-income Californians, and submit a report, as specified, outlining the program framework to the Legislature. This bill would require the Treasurer, on or before December 31, 2025, and in consultation with the California Housing Finance Agency, the Department of Housing and Community Development, and other stakeholders deemed relevant by those state bodies, to develop a framework for the Building Home Ownership for All Program in accordance with the goals and elements of the program, including, among other things, expanding access to homeownership by making it affordable for lower and moderate-income Californians, and submit a report, as specified, outlining the program framework to the Legislature. The bill would also make findings and declarations related to the program.
