The California Land Conservation Act of 1965 (act) , otherwise known as the Williamson Act, authorizes a city or county to contract with a landowner to limit the use of agricultural land to agricultural use if the land is located in an agricultural preserve designated by the city or county, as specified. Existing law authorizes the county or city to cancel a contract under certain circumstances and conditions. Existing law requires the city or county to determine the amount of the cancellation fee, based on the assessor's determination of the fair market value of the land as though it were free of the contractual restriction, that the landowner shall pay if the city and county approves a cancellation of a contract, as specified. Existing law authorizes the city or county to waive the payment or extend the time for making payment if the cancellation is caused by an involuntary transfer or change in the use which may be made of land, the county or city has determined that it is in the best interest of the program to conserve agricultural land use that the payment be either deferred or not required, and the extension is approved by the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, as provided. This bill would remove the ability of a city or county to waive payment or extend the time for making payment, as described above. The bill would instead authorize the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, upon application by the landowner, to waive payment or extend the time for making payment, as described above, if either the cancellation is caused by an involuntary transfer or change in the use which may be made of the land, as described above, or the cancellation is to facilitate a photovoltaic solar facility that meets specified conditions. The bill, until January 1, 2037, would require the secretary to approve a completed application for extension of making the payment by a landowner if it includes certain items, as provided, and would require the secretary to waive payment if the landowner attests and provides proof to the secretary that a solar project has been constructed on the property. The act deems a contract null and void upon acquisition of the land subject to the contract in an eminent domain action or upon acquisition of land in lieu of eminent domain, as provided. The Jobs and Economic Improvement Through Environmental Leadership Act of 2021 authorizes the Governor, until January 1, 2032, to certify, among other projects, a clean renewable energy project that generates electricity exclusively through wind or solar, as specified, for certain streamlining benefits. This bill would additionally deem a contract null and void when that land is approved for use as a photovoltaic solar facility certified under the Jobs and Economic Improvement Through Environmental Leadership Act of 2021, as provided.
Existing law requires the State Air Resources Board, by July 1, 2022, consistent with federal law, to adopt cost-effective and technologically feasible regulations to prohibit engine exhaust and evaporative emissions from new small off-road engines, as defined by the state board. Existing law requires those regulations to apply to engines produced on or after January 1, 2024, or as soon as the state board determines is feasible, whichever is later, and requires the state board to identify, and, to the extent feasible, make available, funding for commercial rebates or similar incentive funding, as specified. This bill would require, to the extent that funding is appropriated by the Legislature, each large and medium air pollution control and air quality management district, no later than January 1, 2028, to implement and maintain a commercial voucher program to support the transition to zero-emission small off-road equipment consistent with specified requirements. By requiring districts to establish a new program, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also require a small rural district or local government that chooses to adopt such a program to comply with specified requirements in administering the program. This bill would prohibit the punishment of a violation of an ordinance adopted by a local government governing the use of any small off-road engine landscaping equipment as an infraction or misdemeanor, and would provide that the ordinance is only punishable by an administrative fine imposed in accordance with specified requirements. 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. 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. 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.
(1) Existing law authorizes the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to engage in management of state forests and defines "management" for purposes of the state forests as a means of handling forest crop and forest soil to achieve maximum sustained production of high-quality forest products while giving consideration to values relating to, among other values, recreation, watershed, and wildlife, as provided. This bill would redefine "management" for purposes of state forests as the handling of forest vegetation, water, and soils within the demonstration state forest system for public benefits, as described to include, among other things, watershed health and wildfire resilience. (2) Existing law declares it is in the interest of the welfare of the people of the state and their industries and other activities involving the use of wood, lumber, poles, piling, wood pulp, and other forest products that desirable cutover forest lands be made fully productive and that the holding and reforestation of such lands is a necessary measure predicated on waning supplies of original old growth timber, as provided. Existing law further declares it is in the interest of the welfare of the people of the state that the state retain the existing land base of state forests in timber production for research and demonstration. Existing law requires the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, in consultation with the Secretary for Environmental Protection, to, on or before January 10 of each year, submit to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee a report on the activities of all state departments, agencies, and boards relating to forest and timberland regulation. Existing law requires this report to include, among other things, the number of timber harvest plans reviewed in the most recent fiscal year, as specified, and the average time for plan review. This bill would repeal these provisions and instead declare, among other things, that the purpose of the demonstration state forest system is to acquire lands, the reforestation or restoration of which is not assured under private ownership, to achieve the public benefits as described in paragraph (1) through means that include, but are not limited to, multibenefit forest management. The bill would authorize the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to enter into, and would require the secretary to make good faith efforts to collaboratively develop, comanagement agreements with California Native American tribes, as defined, to incorporate local traditional ecological knowledge and local indigenous knowledge into the management direction of a forest in the demonstration state forest system, as provided. The bill would require the annual report submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee to also include the number of timber harvest plans approved in the most recent fiscal year and the median time for plan review and would make other nonsubstantive changes relating to the report. The bill would require research to be allowed on land in the demonstration state forest system that informs forest management strategies, science-based decisionmaking, biodiversity, durable onsite carbon storage or sequestration, habitat, water and soil quality, watershed health, tribal stewardship, or other goals that further healthy and resilient ecosystems. The bill would authorize timber harvesting within the demonstration state forest system if in furtherance of specified objectives. (3) Existing law requires the management of state forests and the cutting and sale of timber and other forest products from state forests to conform with regulations prepared by the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection and approved by the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection. Existing law requires the regulations to conform with forest management practices designed to achieve maximum sustained production of high-quality forest products while giving consideration to values relating to, among other values, recreation, watershed, and wildlife, as specified. Existing law authorizes state forest lands to be used for grazing and mining purposes pursuant to regulations established by the board. Under existing law, a person who violates the rules and regulations pertaining to the state forests established by the board is guilty of a misdemeanor. The bill would instead require the management of demonstration state forests and the cutting and sale of timber and other forest products from demonstration state forests to conform with regulations prepared by the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection and approved by the board. The bill would repeal the authorization for state forest lands to be used for mining purposes, except as provided. The bill would require the regulations permitting prescribed herbivory, recreation concession, and surface mining for forest-related work and restoration purposes, including, but not limited to, the construction of watercourse crossings, on state forest lands to be updated to reflect the redefinition of management. Because a violation of these regulations would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires the department to prepare a map and data relating to the forest conditions, as provided. Existing law requires the department, in preparing the map and data, to be guided by a specified report. This bill would require the department to be guided by consultation with the board instead of by the specified report. Existing law declares that it is the policy of the state to establish and preserve an intensively managed, multifaceted research forest, known as the Soquel Demonstration State Forest, which is representative of forest activities as a living forest in the County of Santa Cruz, as provided. Existing law establishes the Legislature's intent relating to the demonstration state forest. Existing law requires that income from the demonstration state forest property sustain all costs of operation and provide income for research and educational purposes. Existing law requires the department to adopt a general plan for the demonstration state forest, as provided. This bill would instead declare that it is the policy of the state to establish and conserve the Soquel Demonstration State Forest and would revise the Legislature's intent relating to the demonstration state forest, as provided. The bill would require that income from the demonstration state forest property to additionally provide income for recreation. The bill would require the board, instead of the department, to adopt a forest management plan for the demonstration state forest, as specified. (4) Existing law authorizes the department to collect recreational user fees for overnight camping and reserved group activities in a demonstration state forest. Existing law prohibits the department from charging a fee that exceeds the amount necessary to reimburse the department's costs for maintenance and improvement of campground facilities, associated recreational facilities, natural environment, and access thereto. Existing law requires all user fees collected by the department to be deposited into the Forest Resources Improvement Fund and requires the fees to be used, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to reimburse the department's cost of maintaining and improving the campground facilities, associated recreational facilities, natural environment, and access thereto. Under existing law, the Forest Resources Improvement Fund is the depository for all revenue derived from the receipts from the sale of forest products, as defined, from state forests to support specified operations. Existing law authorizes money in the Forest Resource Improvement Fund to only be expended, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the cost of operations associated with management of lands held in trust by the state and operated as demonstration state forests, as specified. This bill would repeal the prohibition on the department regarding charging a fee that exceeds the amount necessary to reimburse the department's costs for maintenance and improvement, as provided. The bill would require any other funds generated by a demonstration state forest to be deposited into the Forest Resources Improvement Fund. (5) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Sections 4629.6 and 4629.8 of the Public Resources Code proposed by AB 706 to be operative only if this bill and AB 706 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. (6) 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.
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 certain projects from its requirements and authorizes a lead agency, if it determines a certain project is exempt from CEQA, to file a notice of exemption, as provided. This bill would exempt from CEQA the closure of a railroad grade crossing by order of the Public Utilities Commission if the commission finds the crossing to present a threat to public safety. The bill would provide that the exemption is inapplicable to any crossing for high-speed rail or any crossing for a project carried out by the High-Speed Rail Authority. The bill would require the lead agency to file the notice of exemption with specified public entities, as provided. Because the bill would impose additional duties on a lead agency with regard to the filing of the notice of exemption, 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. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Under existing law, the State Water Resources Control Board and the 9 California regional water quality control boards prescribe waste discharge requirements for the discharge of stormwater by municipalities and industries in accordance with the federal national pollutant discharge elimination system (NPDES) permit program, established by the federal Clean Water Act and the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act. Under existing law, the state board and the 9 regional water quality control boards issue permits for the discharge of stormwater from municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) . For purposes of issuing permits for the discharge of stormwater from MS4s, this bill define "commercial, industrial, or institutional site" or "CII site" as a privately owned parcel or contiguous parcels of land that are commercial, industrial, or institutional based on the appropriate county tax assessor land use codes, as specified.
Existing law prohibits juvenile products, textile articles, and food packaging that contain specified levels of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from being distributed, sold, or offered for sale in the state, as provided. Existing law establishes the Toxic Substances Control Account in the General Fund to be administered by the Director of Toxic Substances Control. This bill would require, on or before January 1, 2029, the manufacturer of children's diapers sold, distributed, or manufactured in the state to display on a dedicated web page on the manufacturer's internet website, and would authorize display on the product details page where the children's diapers are sold, a list of all of the children's diaper's intentionally added ingredients, as defined, in order of chemical or raw material weight, including the chemical or raw material name, the Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) number, and all specific functions or purposes for use in the children's diapers. The bill would require, on or before January 1, 2029, all children's diapers distributed or manufactured in the state, and, on or before July 1, 2029, all children's diapers sold in the state, to include on the outermost package an internet website address for a dedicated web page on the manufacturer's internet website that provides all of that information and a list of all of the intentionally added ingredients in order of chemical or raw material weight in the children's diapers. The bill would authorize the Department of Toxic Substances Control to enforce these requirements. The bill would require a person who violates these requirements to be liable for an administrative penalty not to exceed $5,000 for the first violation and not to exceed $10,000 for each subsequent violation, as provided. The bill would authorize the department to adopt regulations to implement, enforce, interpret, or make specific these requirements. The bill would authorize, upon appropriation by the Legislature, funds in the Toxic Substances Control Account to be used by the department to implement these requirements. The bill would require penalties collected to be deposited in the Toxic Substances Control Account. The bill would prohibit the sale, distribution, or manufacture of children's diapers in the state that do not comply with these requirements. The bill would make these provisions severable.
Under existing law, it is unlawful for any person to make any untruthful, deceptive, or misleading environmental marketing claim, whether explicit or implied. A violation of this requirement is a misdemeanor. This bill would make it unlawful for a person to represent in advertising or on the label or container of any sunscreen product, as specified, sold in the state, that the product is "reef safe," "reef friendly," "ocean safe," "marine safe," "ocean friendly," "marine conscious," "reef conscious," or a similar term or phrase likely to cause a reasonable consumer to believe that the product does not harm marine ecosystems unless the product is free of chemical ultraviolet filters, as specified. A violation of the bill would be a misdemeanor. By creating a new 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 Seal of Civic Engagement to recognize pupils who have demonstrated excellence in civics education and participation and have demonstrated an understanding of the United States Constitution, the California Constitution, and the democratic system of government, as provided, and establishes the State Seal of Biliteracy to recognize high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in one or more languages in addition to English. Commencing January 1, 2027, existing law vests all executive and administrative functions of the State Department of Education in an Education Commissioner. This bill would establish the State Seal of Climate Literacy for the purpose of giving high school pupils personal agency to help them and their communities understand and adapt to the effects of climate change. The bill would require the Education Commissioner, on or before December 31, 2027, to recommend to the State Board of Education criteria for awarding a State Seal of Climate Literacy to pupils who have demonstrated mastery in climate literacy disciplines, green skills or technical green skills, as defined, and any and all other best practices for climate literacy. The bill would require the Commissioner, in developing the criteria, to consider including (1) the successful completion of at least 2 approved courses in the area of climate literacy and (2) the successful completion and presentation of a climate literacy final experiential learning project, as provided. The bill would require the state board, on or before January 31, 2029, to adopt, or adopt with modifications, the criteria recommended by the Commissioner. The bill would require the Commissioner to, among other things, prepare and deliver to participating local educational agencies an appropriate insignia to be affixed to the diploma or transcript of the pupil indicating that the pupil has been awarded a State Seal of Climate Literacy by the Commissioner. The bill would make a local educational agency's participation in awarding the State Seal of Climate Literacy voluntary. For a local educational agency that chooses to participate, the bill would require the local educational agency, on or after the date that the state board adopts criteria, to, among other things, establish a process for determining if a pupil has met the criteria necessary to earn a State Seal of Climate Literacy.
(1) Existing law requires the Secretary for Environmental Protection to implement a unified hazardous waste and hazardous materials management regulatory program, known as the unified program. Existing law requires every county to apply to the secretary to be certified to implement the unified program, and authorizes a city or local agency that meets specified requirements to apply to the secretary to be certified to implement the unified program, as a certified unified program agency. Existing law authorizes a state or local agency that has a written agreement with a certified unified program agency, and is approved by the secretary, to implement or enforce one or more of the unified program elements as a participating agency. Existing law requires the certified unified program agency in each jurisdiction, in conjunction with participating agencies, to develop and implement a single, unified inspection and enforcement program to ensure coordinated, efficient, and effective enforcement of the unified program and any local ordinance or regulation pertaining to the handling of hazardous waste or hazardous materials. Existing law requires the secretary to establish a statewide information management system capable of receiving all data collected by the unified program agencies and reported by regulated businesses and to make all nonconfidential data available on the internet. This bill would prohibit a city or county, or city and county, from approving a building permit for a new reactive chemical storage facility, as defined, with the potential for an explosion, including, but not limited to, due to thermal runaway reaction, that may cause injury or death, unless the proposed facility has a backup cooling system or other contingency system approved by the unified program agency and is not adjacent to a home. The bill would require a city council or county board of supervisors, before approving a building permit for that purpose, to provide the public with notice and the opportunity to comment. If a city or county, or city and county, approves a building permit for that purpose, the bill would require the city or county, or city and county, to notify the Office of Emergency Services and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. The bill would make the approval of a building permit for certain reactive chemical storage facilities ineligible for a specified exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act. The bill would require a city, county, or city and county to include in the next revision of its emergency operations plan a specific designation for which emergency response department will serve as the lead agency for responding to hazardous materials incidents. By imposing additional requirements on cities and counties, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to consider reactive chemical storage facilities as a factor in identifying disadvantaged communities for various purposes under existing law. This bill would revise the requirement for the secretary to make available on the internet all nonconfidential data collected by the unified program agencies and reported by regulated businesses to specifically authorize the secretary to determine the form and manner of making that data available on the internet. This bill would require the unified program agency in each jurisdiction to routinely conduct an inspection of each reactive chemical storage facility in its jurisdiction no less than once every 3 years. The bill would require the unified program agency to report the results of the inspection to the California Environmental Protection Agency, the Office of the State Fire Marshal, and the Office of Emergency Services. By imposing additional requirements on unified program agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law requires the California Environmental Protection Agency to obtain and maintain state delegation of, and to implement, the federal accidental release prevention program, with certain amendments specific to the state. Pursuant to these provisions, a stationary source, as defined, with a process that has a regulated substance present in more than a threshold quantity is required to prepare and submit to the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the unified program agency a risk management plan, unless the unified program agency makes a specified determination to exempt the stationary source from the program. Existing law imposes criminal penalties upon a stationary source that knowingly violates the requirements of the program. This bill would expand the program's definition of "regulated substance" to include methyl methacrylate and would require the California Environmental Protection Agency to adopt a state threshold quantity applicable to methyl methacrylate through regulation. By adding an additional substance to the program, the bill would expand the scope of a crime and impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would provide that a stationary source that stores or uses methyl methacrylate is not eligible for exemption from the program. Because the bill would make changes to provisions enforced by unified program agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) 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. (4) 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for specified reasons. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law, the Farmer Equity Act of 2017, requires the Department of Food and Agriculture to ensure the inclusion of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, as defined, in the development, adoption, implementation, and enforcement of food and agriculture laws, regulations, and policies and programs, as specified. This bill would authorize the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to establish 2 advisory committees, known as the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Producer Advisory Committee and the Small-Scale Producer Advisory Committee, for the purpose of advising the secretary and the department with respect to their responsibilities under the Farmer Equity Act of 2017. The bill would authorize the advisory committees to advise the secretary and the department on programs, policies, education, outreach, technical assistance, and general needs for small-scale producers, medium-scale producers, and socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers in California. The bill would require the members of the advisory committees to be small-scale or medium-scale socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers, as provided.
