Asm. Alyson Huber

This measure would request that the Department of Transportation erect informational signs on State Highway Route 60 in the County of Los Angeles directing motorists to the Armenian Genocide Martyrs Monument, consistent with the signing requirements for the state highway system and upon receiving donations from nonstate sources sufficient to cover the cost to erect those signs.

This measure would designate April 24, 2010, as "California Day of Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide of 1915–1923." It would memorialize the Congress and the President of the United States to act likewise to commemorate the Armenian Genocide.

This measure would encourage public education institutions to designate each campus as a "Discrimination-Free Zone" to provide a safe haven from intolerance or discrimination, to enact appropriate procedures that meaningfully address acts of discrimination that occur on campus, to notify parents and the campus community of existing policies and procedures that encourage tolerance of others, and to use existing resources to identify themselves as "Discrimination-Free Zones" to create a campus climate that welcomes diversity and supports the tolerance of others.

This measure would endorse efforts to raise awareness of global climate change and energy efficiency and would declare the hour of 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. on the last Saturday of March to be "Earth Hour" throughout the state. The measure would encourage city, county, and state employees, and businesses to turn off nonessential lights in government buildings, public schools, public landmarks, and other buildings for that hour on March 27, 2010.

The Personal Income Tax Law authorizes various credits against the taxes imposed by that law, including a credit against those taxes in an amount equal to the lesser of 5% of the purchase price of a qualified principal residence, as defined, or $10,000, for purchases made between March 1, 2009, and before March 1, 2010, subject to specified restrictions. This bill would authorize a credit against those taxes in an amount equal to the lesser of 5% of the purchase price of a qualified principal residence, as defined, or $10,000, for purchases made between May 1, 2010, and on or before December 31, 2010, or on or after December 31, 2010, and before August 1, 2011, subject to specified restrictions, including the submission of a certification to the Franchise Tax Board by either the taxpayer or seller, made under the penalty of perjury, that the residence has either never been occupied or that the taxpayer is a first-time home buyer. This bill would limit the total amount of credits to $200,000,000 and would require that the aggregate limitation of $100,000,000 in credits for the purchase of qualified principal residences that have never been occupied be reduced by 70% of the credit amount allocated under each certification by the Franchise Tax Board, and would require that the aggregate limitation of $100,000,000 in credits for the purchase of a qualified principal residence by first-time home buyers be reduced by 57% of the credit amount allocated under each certification by the Franchise Tax Board. By expanding the definition of an existing crime, this bill imposes 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 take effect immediately as a tax levy.

Existing law sets forth the general policy that the workweek of a state employee shall be 40 hours and authorizes workweeks of different hours to be established in order to meet varying needs of different state agencies. Existing law also authorizes the Governor to require that the 40-hour workweek be worked in 4 days in any state agency or part thereof when the Governor determines that the best interests of the state would be served thereby. Existing law vests the Department of Personnel Administration with the duties and responsibilities exercised by the State Personnel Board with respect to the administration of salaries, hours, and other personnel-related matters. This bill would exempt employees in positions funded at least 95% by sources other than the General Fund, employees of the Franchise Tax Board, and employees of the State Board of Equalization from furloughs implemented by any state agency, board, or commission. The bill would also prohibit a state agency, board, or commission from directly or indirectly implementing, or assisting in implementing, a furlough of those employees. The bill would define "employee" for the purpose of those provisions and would also specify that nothing in those provisions shall be construed as legal authorization for the imposition of furloughs on employees through an Executive order. The bill would also make related findings and declarations in support of this measure. The California Constitution authorizes the Governor to declare a fiscal emergency and to call the Legislature into special session for that purpose. The Governor issued a proclamation declaring a fiscal emergency, and calling a special session for this purpose, on January 8, 2010. This bill would state that it addresses the fiscal emergency declared by the Governor by proclamation issued on January 8, 2010, pursuant to the California Constitution.

The California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority Act established the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority. The authority is authorized to do all things necessary and convenient to carry out the purposes of the act. The authority is also required to establish a renewable energy program to provide financial assistance, as defined, to certain entities for projects to generate new and renewable energy sources, develop clean and efficient distributed generation, and demonstrate the economic feasibility of new technologies. Existing law provides that the transfer of title of tangible personal property constituting a project under the act to the authority by a participating party, or the lease or transfer of tangible personal property constituting a project under the act by the authority to a participating party pursuant to the act is not a "sale" or "purchase" for the purposes of the Sales and Use Tax Law. This bill would, for purposes of the act until January 1, 2021, expand the definition of "alternative sources" and "projects," as specified. The bill would, until January 1, 2021, authorize the authority to evaluate project applications, and to approve projects, as defined, for financial assistance under the existing exclusion from a "sale" or "purchase" subject to sales or use tax, as provided. This bill would require the Legislative Analyst's Office to submit a report to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, as provided. The Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law authorizes counties and cities to impose local sales and use taxes in conformity with the Sales and Use Tax Law, and districts, as specified, may impose transactions and use taxes in accordance with the Transactions and Use Tax Law, which conforms to the Sales and Use Tax Law. Amendments to the Sales and Use Tax Law are automatically incorporated into these laws. Section 2230 of the Revenue and Taxation Code provides that the state will reimburse counties and cities for revenue losses caused by the enactment of sales and use tax exemptions. This bill would provide that, notwithstanding Section 2230 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, no appropriation is made and the state shall not reimburse local agencies for sales and use tax revenues lost by them pursuant to this bill. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

The Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law, in modified conformity to federal income tax laws, allow a charitable contribution deduction in computing tax liability. This bill would, for a cash contribution made after January 11, 2010, and before March 1, 2010, for the relief of victims in areas affected by the earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010, authorize taxpayers to treat that contribution as if it were made on December 31, 2009, and not in 2010. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

This measure would recognize the month of February 2010 as American Heart Month in California, would recognize February 4, 2010, as Wear Red Day in California, and would urge public support for Go Red for Women events.

This measure would proclaim January 13, 2010, as Korean-American Day.