The Planning and Zoning Law requires each county and city to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan for its physical development and the development of any land outside its boundaries that, in the planning agency's judgment, bears relation to its planning, as provided. After the legislative body has adopted a general plan, that law also authorizes, or if so directed by the legislative body, requires, the planning agency to prepare specific plans for the systematic implementation of the general plan for all or part of the area covered by the general plan, as provided. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA limits the review of a project under its provisions if the parcel is zoned or designated in a community plan to accommodate a particular density of development, an environmental impact report was certified for that zoning or planning action, and the project is consistent with the zoning or community plan, as specified. CEQA requires a court, if it finds that any determination, finding, or decision of a public agency has been made without compliance with CEQA, to enter an order that includes one or more specified mandates, including a mandate to void the determination, finding, or decision of the public agency. Previous law, until January 1, 2025, notwithstanding the above-described requirement for a court to enter an order under CEQA, prohibited a court in an action or proceeding to attack, review, set aside, void, or annul the acts or decisions of the local agency, including a charter city, in adopting an update to a community plan on the grounds of noncompliance with CEQA from, on the basis of that noncompliance, invalidating, reviewing, voiding, or setting aside the approval of a development project that meets certain requirements. Previous law specified that those provisions did not affect or alter the obligation for the approval of a development project that was consistent with an approved community plan update to comply with CEQA or, except as expressly provided, preclude or limit an action to attack, review, set aside, void, or annul the approval of a development project that was consistent with an approved community plan pursuant to specified law. Previous law provided that the repeal of those provisions does not affect any right or immunity granted by those provisions to a development project that meets specified requirements before January 1, 2025. This bill would reenact those provisions, with certain changes. The bill would specify that its provisions would apply to an update to a community plan adopted on or after January 1, 2025, and would apply to a development project for which an application has been filed with, and accepted as complete by, the local jurisdiction on or before January 1, 2036. The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, prohibits various forms of employment and housing discrimination, including various types of discrimination because of national origin. Existing law empowers the Civil Rights Department to investigate and prosecute complaints alleging unlawful practices. This bill would provide that an employee's assessment, testing, admission, or acknowledgment of their own personal bias that was made in good faith and solicited or required as part of a bias mitigation training does not constitute unlawful discrimination, as prescribed.
(1) Existing law authorizes a county board of supervisors, by resolution, to authorize the use of a facsimile signature of the chairperson of the board on all papers, documents, or instruments requiring the signature of the chairperson, as provided, if certain requirements are met relating to the personal signature of the chairperson. Under existing law, if those requirements are met, the papers, documents, or instruments bearing the facsimile signature are accorded the same force and effect as though personally signed by the chairperson. This bill would remove the requirement for that authorization to occur by resolution of the board. The bill would authorize the board, in addition to authorizing a facsimile signature, to authorize the use of an electronic or digital signature of the chairperson on all papers, documents, or instruments requiring the signature of the chairperson. Under the bill, a document bearing the electronic or digital signature of the chairperson would have the same force and effect as if personally signed by the chairperson. Existing law also requires ordinances enacted by a county board of supervisors to be signed by the chairperson of the board and attested by the clerk. Existing law requires city ordinances passed by a city council to be signed by the mayor and attested by the city clerk. Existing law specifies that, when attesting to a digital signature, a county clerk or a city clerk may presume that the signature is genuine and attributable to the signatory if the digital signature complies with specified requirements. This bill would additionally apply the above-described presumption to electronic signatures, as provided. (2) Existing law authorizes a county board of supervisors to authorize the use of photographs, microphotographs, electronic data processing records, optical disks, or any other medium that is a trusted system and that does not permit additions, deletions, or changes to the original document, or photocopies of all records, books, and minutes of the board. Under existing law, if the documents are signed using a digital signature, the reproduced documents are considered authenticated if the reproduced documents are created by a trusted system, as defined in pertinent digital signature regulations. This bill would provide that if the documents are signed using an electronic or digital signature, the reproduced documents are considered authenticated if the reproduced documents are created by a trusted system, as defined in pertinent digital signature regulations, or in compliance with the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act. (3) Existing law authorizes a registrar of voters to be appointed by the board of supervisors in specified counties to discharge all duties vested by law in the county clerk that relate to and are a part of election procedure. This bill would include the Counties of Kern and Nevada among those counties in which the board of supervisors is authorized to appoint a registrar of voters. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Counties of Kern and Nevada. (4) Existing law regulates the investment of public funds by local agencies, as defined. Existing law authorizes the legislative body of a local agency, as specified, that has money in a sinking fund or in its treasury not required for immediate needs to invest the money as it deems wise or expedient in certain securities and financial instruments. In this regard, existing law authorizes investment in prime quality commercial paper issued by entities meeting certain criteria, if the eligible commercial paper has a maximum maturity of 270 days or less. This bill would revise the maximum maturity periods for the investments in prime quality commercial paper to 397 days. (5) Existing law, the Vallejo Flood and Wastewater District Act, provides for contracting by the Vallejo Flood and Wastewater District. Existing law requires the district, in all work of improvement or repair of any of the works or property of the district and in the furnishing of materials or supplies, when the expenditures exceed $4,000, to do the work by contract let to the lowest responsible bidder, after prescribed notice, as specified. This bill would specify that "furnishing of materials and supplies" referenced in the above-described provision is for work of improvement or repair of any of the works or property of the district. The bill would also make a nonsubstantive change with respect to the act. Existing law further authorizes the board of trustees of the district to declare a state of emergency and take prescribed actions. Existing law requires the board of trustees to comply with certain emergency contracting procedures, if, with regard to actions taken during the emergency, notice for bids to let contracts will not be given. This bill would delete the authorization for the board of trustees to declare a state of emergency and take prescribed actions and would delete the above-described requirement. (6) Existing law, the Municipal Utility District Act, governs the formation and governance of municipal utility districts. The act provides that the government of every district is vested in a board of 5 or 7 directors and specifies procedures for filling a vacancy on a board. Those procedures authorize the remaining board members to fill a vacancy by appointment until the next district general election that is scheduled 90 or more days after the effective date of the vacancy, as provided. This bill would require the person appointed to fill a vacancy to hold office until the person elected at the next district general election that is scheduled 90 or more days after the effective date of the vacancy has been qualified and takes office. (7) The bill would also correct various cross-references, as provided.
The Civic Center Act authorizes, and in some instances requires, the governing board of a school district to allow the use of school facilities or grounds as a civic center, for specified purposes. The act authorizes or requires, as applicable, the governing board of a school district to charge a fee, not to exceed the school district's direct costs, as defined, for use of its school facilities or grounds. Existing law, for these purposes, defines "direct costs" to mean the costs of supplies, utilities, janitorial services, services of school district employees, and salaries paid to school district employees directly associated with the administration of this section necessitated by the entity's use of the school facilities or grounds. Existing law, until January 1, 2025, expanded the definition of direct costs to include a specified share of the operating and maintenance costs proportional to the entity's use of the school facilities or grounds and a share of the costs for maintenance, repair, restoration, and refurbishment of the school facilities or grounds proportional to that entity's use of the school facilities or grounds, as specified. This bill would restore, indefinitely, the above-described expanded definition of direct costs that was repealed as of January 1, 2025. The bill would require funds collected relating to maintenance, repair, restoration, and refurbishment to be deposited into a special fund and to be used only for certain purposes. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law authorizes airports to require rental companies to collect a customer facility charge or an alternative customer facility charge for purposes that include financing, designing, and constructing airport vehicle rental facilities and common-use transportation systems. Existing law requires the aggregate amount of charges collected to not exceed, among other things, the reasonable costs to finance, design, and construct those facilities. Existing law authorizes a rental company to collect a customer facility charge under specified circumstances, including that revenues collected from the fee do not exceed the reasonable costs of financing, designing, and constructing the facility. Existing law authorizes an airport to require rental companies to collect an alternative customer facility charge under specified conditions, including that the airport finds that the reasonable cost of the project requires the additional amount of revenue that would be generated by the proposed daily rate, and prohibits the daily rate of the alternative customer facility charge from exceeding $9 per day. Existing law limits use of proceeds of any bonds backed by alternative customer facility charges to construction and design of the consolidated rental vehicle facility, terminal modifications, and operating costs of the common-use transportation system. This bill would require that the aggregate amount of charges collected also not exceed the reasonable costs of performance of major maintenance on airport vehicle rental facilities, as provided. The bill would increase the daily maximum alternative customer facility charge an airport is authorized to require rental companies to collect to $12 per day. The bill would also authorize proceeds of any bonds backed by, or revenues from, alternative customer facility charges to be used for major maintenance of a consolidated rental vehicle facility and would remove the authorization for the proceeds of those bonds to be used for terminal modifications.
Existing law prohibits a court from ordering a civil action into mediation when the amount in controversy exceeds $50,000, as specified. This bill would, as of January 1, 2027, increase the dollar amount of the above-described amount in controversy limitation to $75,000 and impose additional requirements, such as there being no ongoing discovery disputes and at least one party notifying the court of an interest in mediation, to be met before a court may order a civil action into mediation. If the parties do not stipulate to a mutually agreeable mediator, the bill would require the court to select a mediator, at no cost to the parties. Court-ordered mediation would be required to conclude with a mutually acceptable statement of agreement or nonagreement, as specified.
Existing law authorizes the Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol to issue authorized emergency vehicle permits for certain vehicles, including any vehicle owned and operated by a public utility and any vehicle owned and operated by a fire company, as specified, upon a finding that the vehicle is used in responding to emergency calls for fire or law enforcement, the immediate preservation of life or property, or the apprehension of law violators. This bill would authorize the commissioner to issue an emergency vehicle permit to any vehicle owned by a county, city, or city and county office of emergency services only while that vehicle is being used by a public employee who is employed by the office in responding to any disaster.
(1) Existing law requires the Instructional Quality Commission to recommend curriculum frameworks and instructional materials for adoption to the State Board of Education. Existing law requires, at the next regularly scheduled revision of the curriculum framework in English Language Arts and English Language Development, the commission to consider including content designed to provide teachers with resources to meet the unique academic and English language development needs of newcomer pupils at all grade levels. Existing law also requires the commission to ensure that the instructional materials for pupils in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 8, inclusive, that it recommends to the State Board of Education for adoption include resources to help teachers meet the needs of newcomer pupils. This bill would instead require, at the next adoption or followup adoption of instructional materials for use in kindergarten and grades 1 to 8, inclusive, in English Language Arts and English Language Development, the commission to consider including resources to help teachers meet the unique academic and English language development needs of newcomer pupils. (2) Existing law requires the State Board of Education to adopt a state master plan for services to migrant children, as provided. Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction, in implementing the state master plan for services to migrant children, to establish the service regional system as the primary method for the delivery of services to migrant children. Existing law requires the Superintendent to review and approve plans for the establishment of service regions and to incorporate specified criteria in the approval of regional plans, as provided. Existing law defines "migrant region," for purposes of this law pertaining to services for migrant children, as an operating agency comprised of a county or a combination of counties, or a public or private nonprofit agency not controlled in whole or part by a school district, or a combination of counties and agencies, meeting specified criteria. This bill would revise the definition of "migrant region" to instead mean an operating agency meeting the specified criteria comprised of a county office of education or a combination of county offices of education, a combination of school districts within a county, a public or private nonprofit agency not controlled in whole or part by a school district, or a combination of county offices of education and public or private nonprofit agencies. (3) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law authorizes the formation of reclamation districts by owners of swamp and overflowed lands, salt-marsh, or tidelands, or other lands subject to flood or overflow, and by owners of land already reclaimed, or in progress of reclamation, and not included in a reclamation district. Existing law authorizes Reclamation District No. 1004, in conjunction with the County of Colusa, to construct, maintain, and operate a plant, transmission lines, and other necessary or appropriate facilities for the generation of hydroelectric power, as prescribed. Existing law requires proceeds from the sale of electricity to be used to retire any time warrants issued for construction of the facilities and otherwise for the powers and purposes for which the district was formed. Existing law authorizes Reclamation District No. 108 to exercise this hydroelectric power authority until January 1, 2026. This bill would authorize Reclamation District No. 108 to continue to exercise the above-described hydroelectric power authority after January 1, 2026. The bill would require Reclamation District No. 108 to submit a report to the Assembly and Senate Committees on Local Government on or before January 1, 2031, and between January 1, 2035, and January 1, 2036, containing certain information, including, among other things, whether the district has obtained permission from the Colusa Local Agency Formation Commission to enact its hydroelectric authority. The bill would also require the report to include the reasons the district is currently not exercising its hydroelectric authority and an estimated date by which the district expects to begin exercising that authority. 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.
The California Constitution entitles the victim of a crime to restitution. Existing law requires the court in each criminal case to order a convicted defendant to pay full restitution to the victim and a separate restitution fine, as specified. Existing law makes a restitution order in a case in which a victim suffered economic loss as a result of the defendant's conduct, as specified, enforceable as if it were a civil judgment. This bill, the Restitution First Act, would also require that a restitution order be paid before all fines, restitution fines, penalty assessments, and other fees, as specified. The bill would also make nonsubstantive, conforming changes.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. CEQA exempts from its requirements various projects, including, but not limited to, housing projects that meet certain requirements and activities and approvals related to certain prison facilities. This bill would exempt from the requirements of CEQA any activity or approval necessary for the completion of the Gypsum Canyon Veterans Cemetery in the County of Orange if specified conditions are met. To the extent that a local agency would be required to determine whether an activity or approval qualifies for this exemption, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would repeal this provision on January 1, 2030. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Gypsum Canyon Veterans Cemetery in the County of Orange. 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.
Existing law provides for the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District to have a governing board of 11 members, including 2 members representing the board of supervisors of the County of San Diego, the mayor or a city council member of the City of San Diego, a city council member from each of the 5 supervisorial districts of the county, and 3 public members who are appointed by the other members representing those local governments. Existing law requires the 5 city council members to be selected by city selection committees representing the cities of that supervisorial district. Existing law provides for the members of the governing board to receive compensation while attending meetings of the district governing board or while on official business of the district and to receive the actual and necessary expenses incurred in performing the member's official duties, as specified. This bill would provide that the members selected by the city selection committee members may be either a mayor or city council member from the applicable supervisorial district. The bill would authorize each appointing authority to designate an alternate member to serve in place of the regular member when the regular member is absent or disqualified from participating and would require the alternate member to meet the same qualifications applicable to the regular member. When serving in place of the appointed member, the bill would authorize the alternate member to vote and to receive compensation and expenses, as specified. Existing law requires each member of the district to serve a 4-year term, as specified. The bill would. require, on the first board meeting in the 2029 calendar year, the governing board clerk to conduct a random drawing to select 2 members appointed by city selection committee members and 2 public members to serve a 2-year term and until that member's successor is appointed. Existing law requires governing board of the district to designate one member representing the board of supervisors to serve as the liaison to the United States Navy, the United States Marine Corps, and the United States Coast Guard. This bill would eliminate the restriction that the member serving as the liaison be a member representing the board of supervisors and would require that member to be appointed as the liaison after consultation with the United States Armed Forces.
