Existing law establishes the Milton Marks "Little Hoover" Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy (the commission) for the purpose of securing assistance for the Governor and itself in promoting economy, efficiency, and improved service in the transaction of the public business, as specified, and in making the operation of all state departments, agencies, and instrumentalities, and all expenditures of public funds, more directly responsive to the wishes of the people as expressed by their elected representatives through various means. Existing law requires the commission to review final reports and make recommendations to the Legislature and the Governor concerning the results of state audits and the revenues and expenditures of the state, its departments, subdivisions, and agencies, and other public entities. Existing law authorizes the commission to meet at any time and place as it may deem proper. Existing law declares that the availability of housing is of vital statewide importance. Existing law declares that the provision of housing affordable to low- and moderate-income households requires the cooperation of all levels of government. Existing law declares that housing prices in California have risen dramatically in all parts of the state in the past decade, while the wealth gap, especially the racial wealth gap, continues to be a growing problem in California. This bill would require the commission to study the causes and effects of the rising cost of living in California and develop solutions toward making California a more affordable place to live, as specified. The bill would require the commission to meet quarterly, as specified. The bill would require the commission to complete 2 reports describing the commission's findings and recommendations, as specified. The bill would repeal these provisions as of January 1, 2027.
The federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 establishes the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program to provide funding for each fiscal year until fiscal year 2026 to the states to strategically deploy electric vehicle charging stations and to establish an interconnected network to facilitate data collection, access, and reliability. Existing law establishes the Clean Transportation Program, which is administered by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, to provide financial assistance to certain entities to develop and deploy innovative technologies to transform California's fuel and vehicle types to help attain the state's climate change goals. Existing law requires the commission to develop and adopt an investment plan to determine priorities and opportunities for the Clean Transportation Program and to submit to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and all relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature a draft update to the investment plan each January concurrent with the submittal of the Governor's Budget. This bill would require the commission and the Department of Transportation, on or before June 30, 2024, to jointly develop a California National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program Roadmap that is consistent with federal requirements and guidance provided by the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program and that only includes projects receiving funding under that federal program. The bill would require the commission and the department to update the roadmap each January thereafter. The bill would require the roadmap and the updates to be submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and all relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature. The bill would authorize the commission and the department to submit the updates to the roadmap in conjunction with, or as a part of, the draft investment plan for the Clean Transportation Program. The bill would be inoperative on a specified date and would be repealed on January 1 of the year thereafter.
Existing law requires the Department of General Services to distribute the laws, resolutions, and journals of the Legislature to specified entities, and to sell copies of the laws, resolutions, and journals of the Legislature at such price as it may fix. This bill would limit the price that the Department of General Services may fix to its actual and reasonable costs for producing those copies.
Existing law requires the State Department of Health Care Services to license and regulate alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facilities serving adults. Existing law authorizes the department to certify qualified alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment programs, as prescribed. Under existing law, the department regulates the quality of these programs, taking into consideration the significance of community-based programs to alcohol and other drug abuse recovery and the need to encourage opportunities for low-income and special needs populations to receive alcohol and other drug abuse recovery or treatment services. This bill would require the department to establish and maintain a 3-digit, statewide, nonemergency telephone system for substance use disorder treatment referrals.
Existing law requires the Joint Sunset Review Committee to review eligible agencies and prepare a report that is made available to the public and the Legislature on whether the agency should be terminated, or continued, or whether its functions should be revised or consolidated with those of another agency, as specified. This bill would require the report prepared by the committee to be made available to the public online.
Existing law establishes the State Air Resources Board as the state agency responsible for monitoring and regulating sources emitting greenhouse gases. Existing law, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, requires the state board to ensure that statewide greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to at least 40% below the 1990 level by 2030. Existing law declares the policy of the state to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible, but no later than 2045, and to achieve and maintain net negative greenhouse gas emissions thereafter. This bill would establish the California Climate Cashback Program to be administered by the Franchise Tax Board for the purpose of mitigating the costs of transitioning to a low-carbon economy. The bill would require the Franchise Tax Board to develop and implement the program to deliver quarterly per capita cashback payments to all residents of the state and to maximize the ease with which residents of the state may enroll in the program, as specified. The bill would require moneys in the California Climate Cashback Fund, which the bill would create, to be allocated for this purpose, upon appropriation by the Legislature.
Existing law, the Model State Trademark Law, provides for the registration of trademarks and service marks with the Secretary of State. Existing law provides that if a person, either for themselves or on behalf of another, procures the filing or registration of any mark pursuant to the law by knowingly making any false or fraudulent representation or declaration, as specified, or by any fraudulent means then that person is liable to pay all damages sustained as a consequence of the filing or registration, in accordance with certain requirements. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to that provision.
(1) The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 establishes the State Air Resources Board as the state agency responsible for monitoring and regulating sources emitting greenhouse gases. The act requires the state board to adopt rules and regulations to achieve the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective greenhouse gas emissions reductions to ensure that the statewide greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to at least 40% below the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit, as defined, no later than December 31, 2030. Pursuant to the act, the state board has adopted the Low Carbon Fuel Standard regulations. The act authorizes the state board to include in its regulation of those emissions the 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. This bill would suspend the Low Carbon Fuel Standard regulations for one year. The bill would also exempt suppliers of transportation fuels from regulations for the use of market-based compliance mechanisms for one year. This bill would direct the Controller to transfer a specified amount from the General Fund to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. By transferring General Fund moneys to a partially continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation. (2) Existing law, the Motor Vehicle Fuel Tax Law, imposes a tax upon each gallon of motor vehicle fuel removed from a refinery or terminal rack in this state, entered into this state, or sold in this state, at a specified rate per gallon. This bill would suspend the imposition of the tax on motor vehicle fuels for one year. The bill would require a seller of motor vehicle fuels to provide a receipt to a purchaser that indicates the amount of tax that would have otherwise applied to the transaction. This bill would also direct the Controller to transfer a specified amount from the General Fund to the Motor Vehicle Fuel Account in the Transportation Tax Fund. By transferring General Fund moneys to a continuously appropriated account, this bill would make an appropriation. (3) Existing unfair competition laws establish a statutory cause of action for unfair competition, including any unlawful, unfair, or fraudulent business act or practice and unfair, deceptive, untrue, or misleading advertising and acts prohibited by false advertisement laws. This bill would require that all savings realized based on the suspension of the motor vehicle fuels tax, the suspension of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard regulations, and the exemption of suppliers of transportation fuels from regulations for use of market-based compliance mechanisms by a person other than an end consumer, as defined, be passed on to the end consumer, and would make the violation of this requirement an unfair business practice, in violation of unfair competition laws, as provided. (4) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law requires a health care service plan contract or disability insurance policy issued, amended, delivered, or renewed on or after January 1, 2000, that covers prescription benefits to include coverage for insulin if it is determined to be medically necessary. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to lower the cost of insulin for Californians.
Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to implement a single statewide Child Welfare Services Case Management System to administer and evaluate the state's child welfare services and foster care programs. Existing law states the intent of the Legislature for the department to enhance the statewide child welfare information system to include information concerning the level of care required, educational accomplishments, and health history of children placed in foster care. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to that provision.
The Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law allow various credits against the taxes imposed by those laws. This bill would allow a credit against those taxes for each taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2024, and before January 1, 2029, in an amount equal to 25% of the value of qualified land or property donated to a qualified nonprofit organization by an employer during the taxable year for the construction of affordable housing, as defined. The bill would limit the amount of credits allocated to an aggregate of $10,000,000, and the credits would be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. 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.
The Personal Income Tax Law, in modified conformity with federal income tax law, generally defines "gross income" as income from whatever source derived, except as specifically excluded, including an exclusion for the amount of student loan indebtedness repaid or canceled pursuant to a specified federal law. This bill would exclude from an individual's gross income, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2021, and before January 1, 2026, the amount of certain student loans discharged, in whole or in part, after December 31, 2020, and before January 1, 2026, in conformity with federal law. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives that the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to comply with those provisions. This bill would make findings and declarations related to a gift of public funds.
