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.
Existing law, beginning on January 1, 2027, prohibits a person or entity from manufacturing, selling, delivering, holding, or offering for sale in commerce any cosmetic product that contains any of several specified intentionally added ingredients, including boric acid, except under specified circumstances. This bill would extend that prohibition to January 1, 2035, for vaginal suppositories containing intentionally added boric acid. The bill would require, beginning on January 1, 2027, any vaginal suppository product containing boric acid to include a product label, as defined, warning consumers that the product should not be used during pregnancy and other specified conditions. The bill would also exempt a vaginal suppository product from the above-mentioned prohibitions if the product becomes regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration. The bill would make related findings and declarations. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 108980 of the Health and Safety Code proposed by AB 60 to be operative only if this bill and AB 60 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law, the Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law, in conformity with federal income tax law, generally defines "gross income" as income from whatever source derived, except as specifically excluded, and provides various exclusions from gross income. Existing federal law authorizes an applicable entity, as defined, to receive a refund for specified environmental credits against the taxes imposed under federal law and excludes a refund payment made pursuant to that law from gross income. Existing federal law also authorizes an eligible taxpayer, as defined, to transfer the value of that refundable credit and exempts from gross income payment received by the transferor as consideration for the transfer. Existing federal law prohibits the transferee from deducting the amount paid as consideration for the transfer. This bill, in conformity with federal law, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, and before January 1, 2031, would exclude from gross income a refund payment made for the specified federal environmental credits described above and any payment received by a transferor as consideration for a transfer, as provided. The bill would also prohibit a transferee from deducting the amount paid as consideration for the transfer, in conformity with federal law. Existing law requires a bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill would include additional information required for any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.
Existing law establishes the Independent Living Program (ILP) , that, among its purposes, provides training in daily living skills, budgeting, locating and maintaining housing, and career planning for foster youth up to 21 years of age. Existing federal law authorizes a state, under certain circumstances, to expand eligibility for the ILP to former foster youth who have not attained 23 years of age. Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services, with the approval of the federal government, to amend the foster care state plan to permit all eligible children to be served by the ILP up to 21 years of age. The Personal Income Tax Law allows a refundable foster youth tax credit for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2022, to a qualified taxpayer in a specified amount multiplied by the earned income tax credit adjustment factor, as provided. This bill, the Foster Outreach and Support for Tax Education Readiness (FOSTER) Act, would require, by no later than July 30, 2026, the department to issue guidance to county welfare departments and juvenile probation departments with information to support best practices for nonminor dependents to file state and federal income tax returns and to access the foster youth tax credit. The bill would require the guidance to be updated as needed and reissued no less than every 2 years. The bill would specify the information to be included in the guidance issued, including, but not limited to, the eligibility requirements for the foster youth tax credit and the maximum credit available, outreach strategies to increase awareness among nonminor dependents and former foster youth about the foster youth tax credit, and resources from the Internal Revenue Service website for identifying local Volunteer Income Tax Assistance providers. The bill would require county welfare departments and juvenile probation departments to annually send by mail to every nonminor dependent information about filing state and federal income tax returns and, among other things, the foster youth tax credit and information about local Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites, as specified. By increasing the duties of county welfare departments and juvenile probation departments, 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, the Child Care and Development Services Act, administered by the State Department of Social Services, establishes a system of childcare and development services for children up to 13 years of age, which includes various programs and services, including, among others, CalWORKs Stage 2 and Stage 3 childcare, migrant childcare, childcare and development services for children with special needs, the alternative payment program, and Head Start programs. Under existing law, for purposes of establishing initial income eligibility for services under the Child Care and Development Services Act, "income eligible" means that a family's adjusted monthly income is at or below 85% of the state median income, adjusted for family size. Existing law requires, to be eligible for the 3rd stage of childcare services, CalWORKs participants to have an income that does not exceed 70% of the state median income, adjusted for family size, as specified. This bill would revise the income eligibility for the 3rd stage of childcare services to also be 85% of the state median income, adjusted for family size. Existing law requires the department, in consultation with the State Department of Education, to establish a fee schedule for families who utilize childcare and development programs and to be assessed in a single monthly flat fee that is based on income, certified family need for full-time or part-time care services, and enrollment. Existing law authorizes that a family with children who are recipients of child protective services, or children who are at risk of being neglected or abused, may be exempt from being charged family fees for up to 12 months. This bill would extend the exemption period to up to 24 months. Existing law requires childcare providers reimbursed through childcare and development programs to submit monthly attendance records for each child under specified circumstances. Existing law defines "attendance" for purposes of the act to mean the number of children present at a childcare and development facility, and includes extended absences due to specified reasons for purposes of reimbursement. This bill would add medical and educational appointments to the list of reasons for extended absences that are included in attendance for purposes of reimbursement, and would also, for purposes of reimbursement, authorize a contractor to claim attendance for days that the contractor or provider is required to hold a space for a child during the period that a family is assumed to have abandoned care or is engaging in the appeal process based on disenrollment for abandoning care.
Existing federal law, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, provides for the negotiation and execution of tribal-state gaming compacts for the purpose of authorizing certain types of gaming on Indian lands within a state. The California Constitution authorizes the Governor to negotiate and conclude those compacts, subject to ratification by the Legislature. Existing law expressly ratifies a number of tribal-state gaming compacts, and amendments to tribal-state gaming compacts, between the State of California and specified Indian tribes. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a project, as defined, that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment, as defined, or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. This bill would ratify the tribal-state gaming compact entered into between the State of California and the Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria, the first amendment to the compact between the State of California and the Pinoleville Pomo Nation, California, and the first amendment to the compact between the State of California and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation. The bill would provide that, in deference to tribal sovereignty, certain actions related to these compacts are not projects for the purposes of CEQA. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
