Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district or charter school to arrange to pay certificated employees in either 10, 11, or 12 equal payments instead of by the school month, as specified. If the governing board of a school district or charter school arranges to pay persons employed by it in 12 equal payments for the year, existing law authorizes a governing board of a school district or charter school to pay each monthly installment at the end of each calendar month, whether or not the persons are actually engaged in teaching during that month. This bill would require the governing board of a school district and the governing body of a charter school to offer to pay a teacher employed by the school district or charter school in 10, 11, or 12 equal payments. The bill would specify that, to the extent the provisions of the bill conflict with any provision of a collective bargaining agreement entered into before January 1, 2025, by a school district or charter school and an exclusive bargaining representative, the provisions of the bill would not apply to the school district or charter school until the expiration or renewal of that collective bargaining agreement.
The California Constitution exclusively authorizes the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to grant prison inmates credits against their term of imprisonment for good behavior and completion of rehabilitative programs. Existing law authorizes a county sheriff or county director of corrections to grant county jail inmates credits against their term of imprisonment for good behavior and completion of work programs, as specified. Existing law classifies fentanyl as a schedule II controlled substance and prohibits the possession, transportation, and sale of fentanyl, as specified. This bill, subject to the passage and approval by the voters of a constitutional amendment, would prohibit the granting of credits to any inmate serving a sentence for a fentanyl-related offense, as specified. By potentially increasing the period of incarceration for certain county jail inmates, 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 establishes the Department of Justice, and establishes that the department is under the direction and control of the Attorney General. Existing law requires the Department of Justice to perform duties in the investigation, detection, apprehension, prosecution, or suppression of crimes as may be assigned by the Attorney General in the performance of their duties. This bill would make findings and declarations stating that drug cartels, as defined, are foreign terrorist organizations. The bill would require the Attorney General to submit a report to the Legislature with policy recommendations to enhance the ability of the state to prevent criminal activity of drug cartels, as specified.
The California Constitution prohibits the state from levying or collecting a sales or use tax on the sale of, or the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of, food products for human consumption, except as provided by statute as of the effective date of that provision. The Personal Income Tax Law allows a young child tax credit against the net tax, as defined, to a qualified taxpayer who has at least one qualifying child, as prescribed. The law defines "qualifying child" to have the same meaning as defined under the federal earned income tax credit, except that the child is younger than 6 years of age as of the last day of the taxable year. This bill would authorize the state to levy or collect a sales or use tax on the sale of, or the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of, candy and would define "candy" to mean a preparation of sugar, honey, or other natural or artificial sweeteners in combination with chocolate, fruits, nuts, or other ingredients or flavorings in the form of bars, drops, or pieces. The bill would also raise the maximum age of a qualifying child for purposes of the young child tax credit to 18 years of age and would require that any revenues collected pursuant to a sales or use tax levied on the sale of, or on the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of, candy in the state be used only to mitigate the impact on the General Fund of that age increase.
Existing law requires a judge or magistrate, in setting, reducing, or denying bail, to take into consideration the protection of the public, the seriousness of the offense charged, the previous criminal record of the defendant, and the probability of the defendant appearing at trial or at the hearing of the case. This bill would require a court, as a condition of bail, to require a person who has been arrested for a felony offense to waive extradition if the person fails to appear as required and is apprehended outside the State of California.
Existing law establishes the State Air Resources Board as the state agency with primary jurisdiction over the regulation of air pollution. Existing law generally designates air pollution control districts and air quality management districts with the primary responsibility for the control of air pollution from all sources other than vehicular sources. Existing law subjects violators of specified air pollution laws or any rule, regulation, permit, or order of a district or of the state board to specified civil penalties. This bill would require a district to provide a small business, as defined, with a period of not less than 30 days to rectify a violation before the small business may be subject to those civil penalties. By increasing the duties of air pollution control districts and air quality management districts, the 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 prohibits a person from being tried or adjudged to punishment while that person is mentally incompetent. Under existing law, a defendant is mentally incompetent if, as a result of mental disorder or developmental disability, they are unable to understand the nature of the criminal proceedings or to assist counsel in the conduct of a defense in a rational manner. If a person is incompetent as a result of a mental health disorder and charged with a misdemeanor or misdemeanors only, existing law authorizes a court to conduct a hearing to determine if the person is eligible for diversion, as specified, or dismiss the charges against the person. If the person is charged with a felony or alleged to have violated the terms of probation for a felony or mandatory supervision, the court must instead order the person be delivered to a mental health treatment facility, as specified, or make a finding that the person is eligible for diversion, as specified. Existing law, the Sex Offender Registration Act, requires a person convicted of certain crimes to register with law enforcement as a sex offender while residing in California or while attending school or working in California, as specified. This bill would make the incompetence provisions for a person who is mentally incompetent and charged with a misdemeanor that requires registration as a sex offender the same as those for a person who is charged with a felony.
Existing law requires the Department of Housing and Community Development, in consultation with each council of governments, to determine each region's existing and projected housing need, as provided. Existing law requires each council of governments, or the department for cities and counties without a council of governments, to adopt a final regional housing need plan that allocates a share of the regional housing need to each city, county, or city and county and that furthers specified objectives. Existing law requires the planning agency of a city or county to provide an annual report to its legislative body, the Office of Planning and Research, and the Department of Housing and Community Development by April 1 of each year that includes, among other information, the city's or county's progress in meeting its share of regional housing needs, as described. Existing law, the Planning and Zoning Law, authorizes a local agency, by ordinance or ministerial approval, to provide for the creation of accessory dwelling units in areas zoned for residential use, as specified. Existing law authorizes a local agency to impose standards on accessory dwelling units that include, but are not limited to, parking, height, setback, landscape, architectural review, and maximum size of a unit. Existing law prohibits a local agency from establishing height limitations for accessory dwelling units, including height limitations that would prohibit attached accessory dwelling units from attaining a height of 25 feet, as specified. This bill would prohibit a qualifying local agency from imposing height limitations that would prohibit an attached accessory dwelling unit from attaining a height of 16 feet, as specified. The bill would define "qualifying local agency" as a local agency that the Department of Housing and Community Development has determined that the number of housing units that have been entitled by the local agency, as shown on its most recent annual progress report, is greater than the local agency's share of the regional housing need, for the low- and very low income categories, prorated for that annual reporting period.
Existing law generally regulates insurance and creates the Department of Insurance, headed by the Insurance Commissioner. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation relating to insurance.
Existing law, the California Public Records Act, requires public records to be open to inspection at all times during the office hours of the state or local agency that retains those records, and provides that every person has a right to inspect any public record, except as provided. Existing law requires each agency, upon a request for records, to determine within 10 days whether that request, in whole or in part, seeks copies of disclosable public records in the agency's possession and to promptly notify the person making the request of its determination and reasons for that determination. Under existing law, the act generally does not require disclosure of personnel, medical, or similar files, the disclosure of which would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. Existing law requires an agency, if it determines a request seeks disclosable public records, to state the estimated date and time when the records will be made available. Existing law permits the prescribed time limits of the act to be extended in unusual circumstances. In this connection, "unusual circumstances" include, among other reasons, the need to search for and collect the requested records from field facilities or other establishments separate from the office processing the request. This bill would require each agency, upon receipt of a request for a copy of, or the inspection of, any personnel, medical, or similar records of a public agency employee or any record that would disclose a public agency employee's personal identity in connection with the performance of that employee's work duties, to promptly and prior to the release of the records, provide written notice of the request to that public agency employee. By placing new requirements on local agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires local agencies, for the purpose of ensuring public access to the meetings of public bodies and the writings of public officials and agencies, to comply with a statutory enactment that amends or enacts laws relating to public records or open meetings and contains findings demonstrating that the enactment furthers the constitutional requirements relating to this purpose. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. 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 requires the State Air Resources Board to adopt and implement motor vehicle emission standards, in-use performance standards, and motor vehicle fuel specifications for the control of air contaminants and sources of air pollution that the state board has found necessary, cost effective, and technologically feasible. The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 establishes the state board as the state agency responsible for monitoring and regulating sources emitting greenhouse gases and requires the state board to adopt rules and regulations to achieve the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective greenhouse gas emission reductions from those sources. Pursuant to its authority, the state board has adopted the Advanced Clean Fleets Regulation, which imposes various requirements for transitioning local, state, and federal government fleets of medium- and heavy-duty trucks, other high-priority fleets of medium- and heavy-duty trucks, and drayage trucks to zero-emission vehicles. The Advanced Clean Fleets Regulation authorizes entities subject to the regulation to apply for exemptions from its requirements under certain circumstances. This bill would provide that the requirements of the Advanced Clean Fleets Regulation do not apply to the purchase by a local government of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 8,500 pounds if the price of the zero-emission version of a vehicle is more than an unspecified percentage of the price of a comparable internal combustion engine version of that vehicle.
Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services, subject to an appropriation, to provide grants to qualified nonprofit organizations through contracts, in order to provide persons with certain immigration-related legal services. Under existing law, a component of those grants is aimed at legal services to unaccompanied undocumented minors who are transferred to the care and custody of the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement and who are present in the state. This bill would make changes to the criteria for organizations providing legal services to those minors, including adjustments to qualifications based on the organization's history of professional experience. Under existing law, another component of those grants is aimed at services relating to immigration remedies and naturalization, among other processes, to assist persons residing in, or formerly residing in, the state. This bill would expand those qualifying services to persons having an intent to reside in and having a nexus to the state, and would expand the scope of services to include, among other things, legal representation and related services for removal defense. The bill would make changes to the definitions of various terms relating to legal services and immigration remedies. Existing law prohibits use of the grant funds to provide legal services to an individual who has been convicted of, or who is currently appealing a conviction for, a violent or serious felony. This bill would remove that prohibition on the use of funds for those individuals. Existing law requires the department to update the Legislature on specified information relating to the grant program in the course of budget hearings. This bill would expand the scope of reportable information and would instead require the department to update the Legislature through an annual report, and to post the reports on the department's internet website and make them publicly available. The bill would also require the department to update the Legislature through a publicly available report, every 3 years, commencing on July 1, 2026, that provides information and analysis on the costs associated with service provision and that provides recommendations for any program administration updates addressing these costs. The bill would make conforming changes to related provisions. The bill would require the Section Chief of the Immigration Services Bureau, at the department, or their representative, to convene an ongoing advisory committee, with a specified composition, to be established by January 1, 2026. Under the bill, the committee's purpose would be to create voluntary guidance and make recommendations to the department and to the Legislature on policies and procedures to ensure that indigent immigrant Californians receive the vital legal services and other concomitant resources needed to set up immigrants and their families to thrive in the state. Under the bill, personally identifiable information, collected by the department as related to the above-described services, would not be a public record and would be prohibited from disclosure by the department, except where necessary to comply with a court-issued order, warrant, or subpoena. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
