Existing law makes various references to the terms "autistic children," "developmentally disabled children," "developmentally disabled adults," "disabled adults," "severely disabled children," and "seriously emotionally disturbed children" in provisions of the Health and Safety Code and Welfare and Institutions Code. This bill would make technical changes to those terms to put the person first, and would make other technical, nonsubstantive changes.
Existing law requires, except for public works projects of $1,000 or less, that workers employed on public works be paid not less than the general prevailing rate of per diem wages for work of a similar character in the locality that the public work is performed, and not less than the general prevailing rate of per diem wages for holiday and overtime work fixed, as prescribed. Existing law requires the Director of Industrial Relations to determine the applicable wage rates established by collective bargaining agreements and the rates that may have been predetermined for federal public works, within the locality and in the nearest labor market area. This bill would require the director to use the higher rate when rates arise from collective bargaining agreements that have overlapping crafts or classifications.
Existing law requires the State Water Resources Control Board to establish uniform statewide recycling criteria for each varying type of use of recycled water where the use involves the protection of public health. Existing law requires the board, in consultation with the California Building Standards Commission and the Department of Housing and Community Development, to adopt regulations for risk-based water quality standards for the onsite treatment and reuse of nonpotable water, and requires a local jurisdiction that elects to establish a program for onsite treated nonpotable water systems to establish design criteria, permitting, cross-connection control, and enforcement procedures, as provided. This bill would require those local jurisdictions to ensure their permitting procedures require the approval of a permit for an onsite treated nonpotable water system within 60 days from the date the permit application is submitted if the application demonstrates that the project meets or exceeds the state board's water quality standards for the onsite treatment and reuse of nonpotable water for nonpotable uses in multifamily residential, commercial, and mixed-use buildings.
Existing law generally regulates classes of insurance, including motor vehicle liability insurance. Existing law requires an admitted insurer licensed to issue motor vehicle liability policies or a licensed agent to provide, upon request as specified, a written explanation of a refusal to accept an application for, or refusal to issue, a motor vehicle liability policy. An insurer or agent who willfully violates this provision is guilty of a misdemeanor and is punishable by a fine not exceeding $1,000 for each violation. This bill would increase that maximum penalty to $1,500 and would also make technical, nonsubstantive changes.
Existing law vests the Department of Transportation with full possession and control of all state highways. Existing law, the Government Claims Act, governs tort liability for public entities. The act establishes public entity liability for an injury caused by a dangerous condition of its property, as specified. This bill would, until January 1, 2027, deem the elements of liability for dangerous condition to be met, in an action against the department, seeking compensation for damage to a vehicle's auto glass that is alleged to be caused by the deterioration of the road surface, including, but not limited to, potholes and debris, while traveling on a specified portion of Route 80 during a specified timeframe, if certain conditions are met.
Existing law establishes the Air Quality Improvement Program for the purpose of funding air quality improvement projects relating to fuel and vehicle technologies. Under existing law, the State Air Resources Board is required to administer the program and to provide preference in awarding funding to projects with higher benefit-cost scores that maximize the purposes and goals of the program. Existing law also authorizes the state board to give additional preference in funding awards to projects based on specified criteria, including the ability of the project to promote the use of clean alternative fuels and vehicle technologies, as specified. This bill would establish the Equitable Access to Zero-Emission Vehicles Fund and would make moneys in the fund available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for a new vehicle rebate program and for other specified purposes. The bill would require the state board, by July 1, 2025, to establish a program to offer rebates for the purchase of zero-emission vehicles and other specified vehicles from moneys made available from the fund. The bill would require the state board to submit a biennial report to the Legislature that includes certain information relating to the expenditures from the fund.
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Existing law requires the commission to adopt inspection, maintenance, repair, and replacement standards for the distribution systems of electrical corporations in order to provide high-quality, safe, and reliable service. Existing law requires the commission to conduct a review to determine whether the standards have been met and to perform the review after every major outage. Existing law requires the commission to require each electrical corporation to report annually on its compliance with those standards. This bill would require, if one or more customers served by an electrical distribution circuit experiences 4 or more discrete electrical outages, as defined, during a single calendar year, the electrical corporation that owns and operates that circuit to perform a review of that circuit to determine the cause of the outages and implement system improvements to reduce the anticipated risk of future outages on that circuit below the threshold level of 4 outages per calendar year. The bill would require the electrical corporation to make the findings of the circuit review, the scope of work expected to be performed to reduce the anticipated risk of future outages on that circuit, and the expected reduction in the risk of future outages resulting from that work available to the impacted customers and the city, county, or city and county in which the circuit is located. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because the provisions of this bill would be a part of the act and because a violation of the bill or a commission action implementing its requirements would be a crime, 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 establishes the state flag and the state's emblems, including, among other things, the golden poppy as the official state flower, the California redwood as the official state tree, and the California gray whale as the official state marine mammal. This bill would establish solar energy as the official state energy. The bill would also make related findings and declarations.
Existing law authorizes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to set a maximum gross gasoline refining margin, as provided, and requires the commission, if the commission establishes a maximum gross gasoline refining margin, to establish a penalty for exceeding the maximum gross refining margin, as specified. Existing law establishes the Division of Petroleum Market Oversight in the commission to, among other duties, provide guidance and recommendations to the Governor and the commission on issues related to transportation fuel pricing and transportation decarbonization in California. This bill would require the commission to post and update, on a monthly basis, on its internet website the difference between retail gasoline prices in California and the national average and a calculation of how much that difference has decreased since June 26, 2023, which is the effective date of the above-described provisions, due to the actions taken pursuant to those provisions.
(1) Existing law, the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, enacted as an initiative statute by Proposition 47, as approved by the electors at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election, makes the theft of money, labor, or property petty theft punishable as a misdemeanor whenever the value of the property taken does not exceed $950 and grand theft when the value exceeds $950. Proposition 47 requires shoplifting, defined as entering a commercial establishment with the intent to commit larceny if the value of the property taken does not exceed $950, to be punished as a misdemeanor. The bill would, if a person has one conviction for a specified theft offense, make a second or subsequent conviction punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one year, or 16 months, or 2 or 3 years. (2) Existing law, until January 1, 2026, authorizes a city or county prosecuting authority or county probation department to create a diversion or deferred entry of judgment program for persons who commit a theft offense or repeat theft offenses, as specified. This bill would, commencing January 1, 2026, authorize a city or county prosecuting authority or county probation department to create a diversion program for persons who commit theft or repeat theft offenses, as specified. (3) This bill would provide that the provisions of the bill that amend Proposition 47 would become effective only upon approval of the voters, and would provide for the submission of those provisions to the voters for approval at the next statewide general election.
Existing law creates various memorials to veterans of the United States Armed Forces, including, among others, the memorial to California's Vietnam veterans on the grounds of the State Capitol. Existing law requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to administer the Capitol Park Veterans Memorial Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, for the purpose of the maintenance and rehabilitation of existing memorials in the State Capitol, as specified. This bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs and the California Veterans Board to utilize Capitol Park Veterans Memorial Fund moneys to prioritize adding the flag of the United States Space Force to the Veterans Memorial in Capitol Park. By expanding the purposes for which continuously appropriated fund moneys may be used, the bill would make an appropriation.
Existing law makes each school district and county office of education responsible for the overall development of comprehensive school safety plans for its schools operating kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive. Existing law requires a schoolsite council to write and develop a comprehensive school safety plan relevant to the needs and resources of that particular school, as provided. Existing law authorizes the schoolsite council to delegate this responsibility to a school safety planning committee made up of specified members. Existing law requires these members to serve as the school safety planning committee in the absence of a schoolsite council. This bill would add as a member of a school safety planning committee to which this responsibility may be delegated, or to which that responsibility is assigned in the absence of a schoolsite council, one pupil, if the school enrolls pupils in grades 9 to 12, inclusive. Existing law requires the schoolsite council to consult with a representative from a law enforcement agency, a fire department, and other first responder entities in the writing and development of the comprehensive school safety plan, and requires that the plan and any updates to the plan be shared with those represented entities. This bill would specify that those other first responder entities with which consultation and sharing of the plans and updates are required are those having jurisdiction within the school's boundary. To the extent this bill would impose additional duties on a school district and county office of education in developing of a comprehensive school safety plan, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also update related code references. 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.
